Hippo Birthday: Thai Zoo's Celebrity Moo Deng Turns 1, Celebrates With Fans
Big crowds are expected at a four-day festival at Khao Kheow Open Zoo where Moo Deng -- meaning "Bouncy Pork" in Thai -- frolicked to stardom and amassed five million social media followers.
The first day of the extravaganza fell on a Thai public holiday with an agenda including a lecture on "Moo Deng's cheekiness", while a skincare beautician paid $3,000 to sponsor her "birthday cake" made of an edible plant arrangement.
A small crowd of fans gathered outside her enclosure on Thursday morning -- fewer than the hordes she commanded at the height of her fame, but still animated with adoration.
Visitor Jennifer Tang took a week off her work in Malaysia to make the pilgrimage, telling AFP she was "a little bit obsessed" with the calf she described as a "chaos rage potato".
"She's really special to me, she makes me happy," she said. Tang insisted Moo Deng is "still really sassy and funny" despite approaching maturity.
"Take a look at the crowd today -- she's still a legend," she told AFP.
'Sassy diva'
Moo Deng has swollen from five kilograms (11 pounds) at birth to 93 kilograms today.
She spent her birthday plodding in her enclosure and submerged in a pond -- a stark contrast to her energetic yet clumsy antics as a pint-sized pachyderm.
"Moo Deng used to be very naughty and jumped around all the time," said Attaphol Nundee, one of her six handlers. "Now, she only eats and sleeps."
"Her popularity has slowed," admitted the 32-year-old. "But some old fans have returned, and there are new ones too."
Despite her waning fame, "her eyes light up when people take photos of her", he said.
Moo Deng took only a few demure bites of her "birthday cake" made of watermelon, corn, dragon fruit and tomato before her mother Joana devoured it almost in its entirety.
"She was kind of hesitant at first with the cake, so I was like, 'Oh my gosh, come on diva!'," said Molly Swindall, a TikTok influencer from the United States.
Hundreds of spectators queued for their allotted five-minute audience with Moo Deng at the Chonburi province zoo, a two-hour drive from Bangkok.
One eager fan took home Moo Deng's bathtub, which was auctioned off for around $3,000 to raise funds for the zoo.
'Cute doesn't last long'
Moo Deng's blubbery rose-blushed face launched a thousand memes and a plethora of merchandise, including piggy banks, party shirts and popsicles -- prompting her owners to trademark her likeness.
At one point, her popularity quadrupled ticket sales for the zoo where she resides in a sparse, stone, five square metre (54 square feet) public enclosure, once livestreamed 24/7.
There were hopes her stardom would spotlight the plight of the endangered pygmy hippo, native to West Africa with only around 2,500 left alive according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
But social media and search engine metrics suggest Moo Deng's popularity peaked around late September before dramatically declining.
"Moo Deng went viral very quickly when she was born," said Joshua Paul Dale, an academic who teaches courses on the phenomenon of "cuteness" at Japan's Chuo University.
"Maybe part of our appreciation of cuteness is knowing that it's something that doesn't last very long," he told AFP.
Moo Deng is part of a pantheon of captive animals who have enjoyed flash-in-the-pan popularity online, including Australia's Pesto the penguin and China's Hua Hua the panda.
Pygmy hippos have a lifespan of between 30 and 50 years.
"Moo Deng won't be the most popular forever," admitted her handler Attaphol. "One day there will be a new generation of Moo Deng."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Wordle today #1492: Get hints and answers to today's puzzle July 20, 2025
Wordle is a popular word puzzle game that challenges players to guess a five-letter word within six attempts. Developed by Josh Wardle, this simple yet addictive game has taken the world by storm with its easy-to-understand rules and daily challenges. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Each guess provides feedback with colored tiles: green indicates the correct letter in the correct spot, yellow signals the correct letter in the wrong spot, and gray means the letter isn't in the word. Wordle's mix of logic and vocabulary makes it a daily brain teaser loved by millions worldwide. The game's minimalist design and once-a-day format have contributed to its viral success. It also fosters friendly competition, as players often share their results on social media without giving away the answer. The Wordle puzzle can be tricky to solve, which is likely why you've found yourself here, struggling to crack today's challenge. As always, today's NYT Wordle was full of surprises, but don't worry—we're here to help. Below, you'll find some helpful clues for today's Wordle answer , and if those don't do the trick, keep reading to discover the solution directly. Sometimes the word includes uncommon letters or double letters that throw players off. Wordle hints and answers today Today's Wordle promises a puzzle that tests your linguistic skills, likely to be decoded by many participants. To assist you in solving the puzzle, we've curated a fresh array of hints and clues for today's Wordle challenge. Wordle hints and clues for July 20 The word starts with letter 'B. The word consists one vowel. The word ends with letter 'K'. The word has no repeating letter. Today's Wordle word means empty, with nothing written, printed or recorded on it. Wordle, July 20, 2025: Word of the day Whether you have cracked the code or are still working with the hints, it is now time to reveal the answer. Today's Wordle word is 'BLANK'. How did Wordle originate Wordle was initially developed by engineer Josh Wardle as a thoughtful gift for his partner. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now However, it quickly gained massive popularity, turning into a global sensation with thousands of players engaging daily. The game's success inspired fans to create various spin-offs, such as the battle royale-style Squabble, the music identification game Heardle, and multi-word challenges like Dordle and Quordle. Its simplicity, paired with daily novelty, made it a part of many people's morning routine. The viral appeal also sparked academic interest in its psychological and linguistic impact. As its popularity soared, The New York Times acquired Wordle, and it became a hit on social media platforms like TikTok, where creators even livestream their gameplay sessions. Where can you play Wordle Wordle isn't available as an app; it can only be played through a web browser. To play, simply visit the New York Times Games website. Originally hosted on its own site and created by Josh Wardle, Wordle was acquired by the New York Times in February of this year. One of the great aspects of Wordle is that it's ad-free, allowing you to fully concentrate on the word-guessing game. How to play Wordle To play Wordle, visit the link and begin guessing words. Wordle FAQs Can I play past Wordle puzzles? No, Wordle is designed as a daily game with a unique puzzle each day. While you can't play past puzzles on the official site, there are unofficial Wordle archives available where you can play previous games. How do the color-coded tiles work in Wordle? Green means the letter is correct and in the correct position. Yellow means the letter is correct but in the wrong position. Gray means the letter is not in the word at all. How many guesses do I get in Wordle? You have six chances to guess the correct five-letter word. After each guess, you receive feedback to help guide your next attempt. Can I play Wordle more than once per day? Wordle is designed as a daily puzzle, so you can only play one puzzle per day. The word of the day is the same for everyone globally, and once you complete it, you'll have to wait until the next day for a new puzzle. Can letters repeat in Wordle? Yes, repeated letters can appear in Wordle answers. Words containing duplicate letters can present more of a challenge when solving. Is Wordle available in other languages?
India.com
4 hours ago
- India.com
Reels Scrolling On Their Own? It's Not a Glitch; Instagram Is Testing New Auto-Scroll Feature
Instagram New Feature: Instagram, the Meta-owned platform, is testing a new feature that enables reels to play automatically one after another—no swiping needed. This feature is known as the Auto-Scroll feature. It ensures that once a reel ends, the next one starts playing instantly. If you wish to rewatch a reel, you can scroll back up, but it will continue auto-playing the next reel afterward. By default, this feature is turned off. To enable it, tap the three-dot menu below the share icon and toggle on Auto-Scroll. Moreover, Instagram has already introduced a new feature called Blend, designed to offer a more personalized and shared Reels experience. According to the company, Blend creates a unique feed of Instagram Reels, curated based on content recommendations tailored to both users involved. Instagram's turning into TikTok one scroll at a time Auto-scroll is here for some users, posts now swipe themselves. Got it yet or still waiting? — Shohag Hossain (@Iammdshohag) July 18, 2025 The feature is located within the chat section of the app. To start a Blend, one person must send an invite, which the other must accept—meaning it requires mutual consent from both accounts before the shared feed is created. How To Activate Blend Feature On Android and iOS Step 1: Open Instagram and navigate to a chat — this can be either a one-on-one conversation or a group chat. Step 2: In the chat window, tap the Blend icon located in the top right corner. Step 3: A preview screen will appear, showing what the Blend feature includes. Tap Invite to send the invitation. Step 4: The other person (or group members) must accept the invite. Once accepted, the Blend will be created and a shared Reels feed will be generated based on both users' interests.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
After Coldplay affair scandal, ex-employee accuses Andy Byron of ruining careers and cashing out: 'Karma will get to you'
Andy Byron's fall from grace isn't slowing down anytime soon. After going viral for getting too cosy with his HR chief, Kristin Cabot, during a Coldplay concert, the former Astronomer CEO, who recently tendered his resignation, is being called out from yet another direction. While internet sleuths dig into his personal life, a former employee has come forward with damning claims about Byron's business past, painting a much broader picture of manipulation and exploitation. Ex-employee goes off at Andy Byron in a brutal TikTok takedown In a now-viral TikTok, a former employee of Andy Byron spoke out and shared his personal experience. They opened the video by saying, 'If you think his marriage is the only thing Andy Byron ran into the ground, I've got a funny story about karma for you,' revealing a scathing account of his time as an executive at a previous software company. The ex-employee explained that Byron, then serving as chief revenue officer, made bold promises to potential hires. 'He told us we were building the next big thing in tech,' they said. 'He made it sound like we were all getting in on something huge—a no-brainer opportunity. A lot of us joined based on what he said. Some even invested their savings into company stock.' According to the video, Byron painted a glowing picture for both employees and investors, encouraging them to believe in long-term success. But when the company eventually collapsed and was sold off for far less than expected, it was the lower-level employees who took the biggest financial hit. 'He walked away with millions while the rest of us lost tens of thousands,' the former employee said. They also brought up the now-infamous Coldplay concert moment, using it as an example of Byron's persuasive charm. 'The same way he convinced his own Chief People Officer to go to that concert with him—that's how convincing he was with all of us. He knew how to sell a story.' The video ended with a dry, sarcastic sign-off: 'Sometimes that Karma is called Chris Martin of Coldplay. Viva la vida.' Reddit users react to the claims The TikTok quickly made its way to Reddit, where users had mixed reactions. While many Redditors agreed that Andy's career has definitely been suspicious, many added that investing in startups is a risky business to begin with. One user wrote, "Yeah, this whole mess and the recent Titan submersible documentary have really cemented that your average CEO or admin official is there for their sociopathic tendencies. Intelligence is rarely a factor." "I feel for the guy, but we can't depend on karma for this shit; there are plenty of rich arseholes who die of old age in billion-dollar houses and are treated to the best medical care on Earth. We have justice systems to ensure justice in a world without karma or other supernatural means of balancing scales or punishing wrongdoing, and they need to be better," another said. A third person noted, "Okay, the CEO guy sucks as well as his actions here… But why the fuck would you put your life savings into stock options of a company you work for?? Some money, sure… but life savings?" "Eh, this is the same with any stock. I wouldn't call this a scandal," another shared. Andy Byron officially steps down as CEO Just hours after Astronomer confirmed Byron was suspended over the Coldplay incident, a spokesperson announced he has now officially stepped down from his role as CEO. Whether that's the end of the fallout remains to be seen, but with the internet watching and more people speaking up, Andy's professional woes (and personal, of course) seem far from over. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.
