Thailand’s Viral Hippo Moo Deng Celebrates 1st Birthday with a 4-Day Fiesta
Let’s break this down without getting too carried away: Moo Deng, Thailand’s pint-sized pygmy hippo turned internet icon, just marked her first birthday with a four-day blowout at Khao Kheow Open Zoo. Starting on July 10, the bouncy pork (yes, that’s what her Thai name means) lounged through a 44-pound custom cake, snacked on watermelon wedges and fresh veggies, and even enjoyed a hose shower to cool off—per NBC News reporting.
Day one saw thousands of fans flooding the zoo gates to catch Moo Deng do what she does best: nap in the shade, nibble produce, and charm everyone within earshot. Director Narongwit Chodchoy tells E! Online that attendance has quadrupled since this hippo calved out her meme-worthy moments last year—Bowen Yang’s Saturday Night Live spoof didn’t hurt, either. On Instagram (translated from Thai), the zoo cheekily posted “HBD bouncing pig. Cute doesn’t change at all. Since the first day until now, cute as before.” Fact: they aren’t kidding.
International superfan alert: TikToker Molly Swindall made the trip from the U.S.—her third visit—to whip up that oversized birthday cake. Molly told NBC News, “She’s an icon and everyone in the world loves her. It’s fun to see she’s her same old self. Fame hasn’t changed her.” She added that Moo Deng’s glow-up isn’t just for giggles: “I think she brought so much joy to people when there was a lot of toughness and there’s still a lot of tough things going on in the world.” Hard agree.
Over the next three days, expect fan gatherings, extra fruit platters, more iced-down mud baths, and maybe a surprise guest appearance by some local celeb. While the zoo staff keeps things low-key (they know viral moments can crash servers when they post), fans from Japan, Europe, and beyond have already RSVP’d for photo ops under Moo Deng’s shade tree. With each snap shared on TikTok and Instagram Stories, the baby hippo’s global fanbase just keeps growing—seriously, she’s the kind of celeb who makes your feed feel a bit sunnier.
So if you needed a mid-summer mood boost, this baby hippo parade has you covered. If you’re in Khon Kaen, Thailand, swing by before it’s over. And if you’re scrolling from afar, just know there’s a giant, lovable hippo cake-eating her way into your heart. Anyway, that’s the deal. Do with it what you will.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, NBC News
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
