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APTOPIX Thailand Pygmy Hippo
Two-month-old baby hippo Moo Deng plays with a zookeeper in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thailand's adorable pygmy hippo Moo Deng has the kind of face that launches a thousand memes

Only a month after the adorable baby hippo Moo Deng was unveiled on Facebook, her fame became unstoppable both domestically and internationally

By JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI
Published - Sep 19, 2024, 08:34 PM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 07:03 PM EST

CHONBURI, Thailand (AP) — Only a month after Thailand's adorable baby hippo Moo Deng was unveiled on Facebook, her fame became unstoppable.

Fans unable to make the two-hour drive to Khao Kheow Open Zoo from the Thai capital Bangkok to see her in person can watch her video clips online, or simply scroll through social media to savor meme after meme.

Zookeeper Atthapon Nundee has been posting cute moments of the animals in his care for about five years. He never imagined the zoo's newborn pygmy hippo would become an internet megastar within weeks.

Cars started lining up outside the zoo well before it opened Thursday. Visitors traveled from near and far for a chance to see the pudgy, expressive 2-month-old in person at the zoo about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Bangkok. The pit where Moo Deng lives with her mom, Jona, was packed almost immediately, with people cooing and cheering every time the pink-cheeked baby animal made skittish movements.

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