Moo Deng of the Thailand Zoo Is Our Sassy Little Pygmy Hippo Icon
"I would kill and die to protect Moo Deng."
Published Sept. 18 2024, 3:36 p.m. ET
Moo Deng is love, Moo Deng is life — and for the uninitiated, Moo Deng is the sassy little pygmy hippo from the Thailand Zoo that has likely been flooding your social media feeds for the past week. Moo Deng (whose name roughly translates to bouncing pig, according to NPR) has become a bona fide internet celebrity, and her silly, baby hippo antics have won the hearts of netizens everywhere.
And as with all things that become popular on the internet, folks' obsession with Moo Deng has spawned plenty of adorable, relatable, and hilarious memes.
Moo Deng is a role model.
When she's not screaming or biting, she's serving — and that's something most of us could probably learn from.
She's all of us.
You know that feeling when you've been working all week and you're so ready for a break, and then you realize it's only Tuesday? Yeah, Moo Deng knows that feeling, too. We're not sure how, but she does.
She's ready for New York Fashion Week.
Catch her on the runway — she's ready to make her debut. And yes, maybe she's a little late, but Moo Deng lives life by the beat of her own tiny, pygmy drum.
She's everywhere, and that's just how we like it.
TikTok, Instagram, X? It's all Moo Deng. When we close our eyes, we see Moo Deng. She's in our thoughts and our dreams. She's everywhere, and we can't get enough.
Uh oh — Moo Deng has some competition!
Remember Fiona, the viral hippo from the Cincinnati Zoo? Fans have been sensing some tension between the two gorgeous little hippo icons — but we think Fiona and Moo Deng are both girls' girls and would love each other.
But she'll always be that girl.
If you're not part of the Moo Deng fan club yet, here are a few more reasons why you definitely should be. Just look at her: She's gorgeous, she's glistening, and she's going to bite you, probably.
She's following in the footsteps of icons before her.
And while she may make a few mistakes on her rise to stardom, Moo Deng knows that she always has the girlies in her corner.
We must protect Moo Deng at all costs.
We're willing to tolerate no Moo Deng disrespect, slander, or physical aggression — including from her zoo-mates. Moo Deng must be pretected.
In conclusion, this is us.
Now, if you need us, we'll be scrolling through social media and liking every blurry photo of Moo Deng that we come across. Moo Deng, we love you.