Latest news with #cuteanimals
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Hippo Birthday': Thailand's Moo Deng marks one year old
Thailand's pygmy hippo Moo Deng marked her first birthday on Thursday, leaving behind the animal infancy which boosted her to worldwide internet fame for her cute antics. Crowds have been invited to 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 fans. The first day of the extravaganza falls on a Thai public holiday and the agenda includes a lecture on "Moo Deng's cheekiness" while a skincare beautician has paid $3,000 to sponsor her fruit-festooned cake. Her handlers are also scheduled to auction off her belongings -- but it is unclear what possessions Moo Deng has accumulated in her short life at the Chonburi province zoo a two-hour drive from Bangkok. 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 last year 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'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. The pint-sized pachyderm quadrupled ticket sales for the zoo where her small and sparse enclosure was once broadcasted by a 24/7 livestream. Moo Deng is part of a pantheon of captive animals who have enjoyed flash-in-the-pan popularity for their cuteness 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. While academic Dale predicts she may lose the limelight to longevity, he says Moo Deng could enjoy enduring appeal as fans recall "how unbearably cute she was when she was very, very small and just born". "That can kind of continue on and affect our relationship with cute things, even when they grow up," he said. bur-sjc/jts/tym
CNA
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
'Hippo Birthday': Thailand's Moo Deng marks one year old
Thailand's pygmy hippo Moo Deng marked her first birthday on Thursday (Jul 10), leaving behind the animal infancy which boosted her to worldwide internet fame for her cute antics. Crowds have been invited to 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 fans. The first day of the extravaganza falls on a Thai public holiday and the agenda includes a lecture on "Moo Deng's cheekiness" while a skincare beautician has paid US$3,000 (S$3,800) to sponsor her fruit-festooned cake. Her handlers are also scheduled to auction off her belongings – but it is unclear what possessions Moo Deng has accumulated in her short life at the Chonburi province zoo a two-hour drive from Bangkok. 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 last year 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'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. The pint-sized pachyderm quadrupled ticket sales for the zoo where her small and sparse enclosure was once broadcasted by a 24/7 livestream. Moo Deng is part of a pantheon of captive animals who have enjoyed flash-in-the-pan popularity for their cuteness 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. While academic Dale predicts she may lose the limelight to longevity, he says Moo Deng could enjoy enduring appeal as fans recall "how unbearably cute she was when she was very, very small and just born". "That can kind of continue on and affect our relationship with cute things, even when they grow up," he said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by สวนสัตว์เปิดเขาเขียว (@
News.com.au
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
'Hippo Birthday': Thailand's Moo Deng marks one year old
Thailand's pygmy hippo Moo Deng marked her first birthday on Thursday, leaving behind the animal infancy which boosted her to worldwide internet fame for her cute antics. Crowds have been invited to 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 fans. The first day of the extravaganza falls on a Thai public holiday and the agenda includes a lecture on "Moo Deng's cheekiness" while a skincare beautician has paid $3,000 to sponsor her fruit-festooned cake. Her handlers are also scheduled to auction off her belongings -- but it is unclear what possessions Moo Deng has accumulated in her short life at the Chonburi province zoo a two-hour drive from Bangkok. 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 last year 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'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. The pint-sized pachyderm quadrupled ticket sales for the zoo where her small and sparse enclosure was once broadcasted by a 24/7 livestream. Moo Deng is part of a pantheon of captive animals who have enjoyed flash-in-the-pan popularity for their cuteness 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. While academic Dale predicts she may lose the limelight to longevity, he says Moo Deng could enjoy enduring appeal as fans recall "how unbearably cute she was when she was very, very small and just born". "That can kind of continue on and affect our relationship with cute things, even when they grow up," he said.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Senior Dachshund Only Walks a Certain 'Path' and It's Too Cute
Senior Dachshund Only Walks a Certain 'Path' and It's Too Cute originally appeared on PetHelpful. Meet Beca, a senior Dachshund dog who is very set in her ways. She's TikToker Mariam's best friend's dog, and she broke the internet in June with the adorable way that she takes her daily walks. Beca walks the same 'path' every day. The first time I watched the video, I missed it. But when I noticed that the pooch was walking along a stone pathway among all the stones, my heart did a flip! She has the sweetest little path that she travels down each day. I wasn't the only one smitten with Beca. Mariam's video garnered more than 19 million views and nearly 11 thousand loved it! Commenter @ swooned, "What a good and law abiding citizen!" and got more than 80 thousand likes for their comment. @Rey J brought us all back to childhood and got nearly the same amount of likes when they pointed out, "She's protecting you by avoiding the cracks!" @Soppa97 added, "If I step on a crack, my mother will perish horrifically..." Then @kenzzi0704 shared, "I love how she stopped, realized how far she still has left to go, and was like aww, and kept trodding on. Probably cursing her tiny legs lol!"If you have a dog at home, you know that they (for the most part) thrive for the most part by living on a schedule much like we do. They know when to expect breakfast, lunch, dinner, potty breaks, walks, and even extra snacks. They know when you leave the house for the day and when to expect you back at home. And they thrive on those timelines. The American Kennel Club (AKC) explains more for dogs of all ages, "A routine can reinforce previously taught skills in adult dogs and help them learn new behaviors. Changes—such as travel, moving, new relationships, or family members coming into the home—are a part of life. But a routine based on exercise, enrichment, training, and grooming can allow dogs to be more confident and comfortable." Bottom dog needs to know what to expect every day. Of course, some days are different than others, but for the most part, we all operate on the same day-in-day-out schedule. This offers comfort and security for them, so don't think they'll get bored with the same old, same old every day. Senior Dachshund Only Walks a Certain 'Path' and It's Too Cute first appeared on PetHelpful on Jul 1, 2025 This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Wall Street Journal
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
How to Make Your Pet an Online Star
Not many people paid attention to the pictures Nicole Wade posted of her cat, Princess Honeybelle. Then she put up an image of the pet in a pink cable-knit sweater—and a pet influencer was born. The post brought Wade 500 new followers, and the numbers soared in the thousands as she posted more cute images. Honey got so popular that the cat began landing endorsement deals, collecting enough income for Wade to leave her retail job and manage her pet's online presence full time.
