Moo Deng Fans Rejoice After Thai Zoo Releases an Ode to the Beloved Hippo

Moo Deng fans have something to sing... er, I mean cheer... about. That's because the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand where she resides has released a little ditty to honor everyone's favorite pygmy hippo.

The tune was released in November in multiple languages to make it easier for Moo Deng's fans to sing along. The best part about the song is that it appears to play homage to the meaning behind the little cutie's name.

Keep reading to learn more about the song, why Moo Deng is so popular, and why some argue the zoo isn't the best environment for the little cutie to reside.

The Khao Kheow Open Zoo worked with composer Mueanphet Ammara to create a song worthy of the beloved hippo. The Associated Press says that the song, aptly named Moodeng Moodeng was released in four languages, including Chinese, English, Japanese, and of course Thai.

At a brisk 50 seconds, the song capitalizes on the simple things that people love about Moo Deng with lyrics like, “Moo Deng Moo Deng, boing boing boing/ Mommy mommy, play with me.”

Moo Deng is Thai for "bouncy pork," which zookeepers picked to honor the pygmy hippo's unique way of walking that they refer to as a "deng," or bounce — hence the "boing."

While just about everyone can agree that Moo Deng may be the cutest pygmy baby living in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, the public response to her stardom has raised some questions about whether a zoo is the best place for her.

According to Today, Moo Deng has been getting a lot of unwanted attention from guests that have resulted in some unsafe behavior near her enclosure, including folks throwing things into her exhibit, per Thrillist. This further highlights just how unprepared many zoos are when it comes to protecting the animals in their care, especially those who would be better served in areas that more closely resembled their natural habitat.

At just 2 months old, Moo Deng made her internet debut in July 2024 thanks to zoo officials who couldn't help but share videos and photos of the newest addition to the pygmy family.

In the initial clips, she could be seen playfully fighting with the water hose and noshing on some assumably delicious grass.

Moo Deng rose to viral fame for her seemingly endless capacity to chomp at her keepers (despite having no teeth), the air, her mother, and just about anything else. Moo Deng's rise to fame was also supported by another hippo calf, Fiona, who was born prematurely in the Cincinnati Zoo in 2017 and went similarly viral.

The meme-worthy images immediately began circulating online, creating the perfect way for people to express everything from their feelings about work to how they wanted to be perceived by their online followers.

Of course, it didn't hurt that Moo Deng was impossibly cute when she was first introduced to the public. As the name suggests, pygmy hippos are smaller than their full-sized counterparts. According to Today, it's typical for them to reach about a quarter of the weight of a typical hippo, with the newborns weighing in at an average of 10 to 14 pounds when they're born.

Their small stature is part of the reason why they're slowly disappearing in the wild since they've become a popular target for hunters looking to capture and kill them for bushmeat.

As such, only somewhere around 2,000 of Moo Deng's family members remain in the wild, according to the Pygmy Hippo Foundation. Hopefully, Moo's continued popularity can help get some attention on the plight of the pygmy hippos and help put an end to their hunting once and for all.