A baby hippo is taking over the world – but not everyone is nice to her

Step aside, Fiona!

Just kidding, there’s room on the Internet for more than one charismatic hippo.

And that’s a good thing, because Moo Deng, a 2-month-old pygmy hippopotamusis having her moment in the sun. The young hippo resides at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. Her name, which means “jumpy pig,” is also the name of a common chewy pork dish, CNN reports.

Moo Deng’s expressive face and petite, plump body have made her a social media star, with fanscalling calling her a “lifestyle icon” and “the most beautiful girl in the world.”

She has gained international acclaim in recent days, with Magazine and proclaimed her “a legend” and “the moment.”

When she was born, zoo staff knew they had something special on their hands, but even they couldn’t have predicted her impact.

“When I saw Moo-Deng being born, I set myself the goal of making her famous, but I never expected it to spread abroad,” said zookeeper Atthapon Nudee. told the Guardian.

But fame isn’t always a piece of cake for Moo Deng. Khao Kheow Open Zoo reportedly has a significant increase visitors since she was born in July, and not all of her fans are polite. Videos shared online show some people throwing things at her and splashing water on her as she sleeps to wake her up.

“This behavior is not only cruel but also dangerous,” said zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi saidThe zoo has since installed security cameras and threatened legal action against any harassers. noticed.

While Khao Kheow Open Zoo is seeing an increase in positive press about Moo Deng, come under fire in recent years for its swimming elephant shows. Critics accused the zoo of using cruel, painful tactics to force elephants to perform in the water ― a claim the zoo denied.

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