Moo Deng the Baby Pygmy Hippo Is No Longer a Source of Joy (Thanks, Humanity)

How could she not become a social media sensation? She looks like a slimy over-inflated football that’s been left out under the sprinklers for too long. She wants to chew on everything including zookeeper limbs and her mom’s butt. Her name is Moo Deng (“Bouncy Pork”), she’s a baby pygmy hippo living in Thailand, and if you’ve so much as glanced at the internet in the last few weeks, you’ll have already seen her dopey little face. Which, in case you need a refresher, looks like this:

@ksxrvq #MOODENG || who is this DIVA 💜 || #moodeng #babyhippo #pygmyhippo #hippo #cute #diva #fancy #iggyazalea #fyp #foryoupage #edit #xyzbca #dontletthisflop ♬ original sound – ksxrvq

A lot of people don’t need a refresher because there’s literally a Moo Deng livestream now, courtesy of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri province. Moo Deng lives there with her eternally-eating 25-year-old mom Jona, her dad Tony (yes, Tony), and her siblings Moo Wan (“Sweet Pork”) and Moo Tun (“Stewed Pork”). They are just a few of the approximately 350 pygmy hippos currently living in zoos around the world. Originally hailing from West Africa, these little hippos are endangered, with less than 3,000 remaining in the wild.

Moo Deng has distinguished herself among the other captive pygmys for being both very cute and also full of bitey rage. Which is what prompted so many people on the internet to make videos like this:

@brainblenderboy #MOODENG is disrespecting her surroundings 🤨#babyhippo #pygmyhippo #hippo #cute #diva #fancy #fyp #edit #meme #disrespectyoursurroundings ♬ original sound – BrainBlenderBoy

And also whatever the hell this is:

@gentlebl0ke #moodeng #babyhippo #hippo #new ♬ original sound – gentlebl0ke

And also this little slice of Godzilla-inspired madness co-starring Pesto, the enormous baby penguin currently residing at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Australia:

@gentlebl0ke Moo Deng vs. Pesto the Penguin #moodeng #babyhippo #pesto #penguin #new ♬ original sound – gentlebl0ke

Since finding fame, Moo Deng has been so bombarded with visitors, the zoo had to put a five-minute time limit on people standing at her enclosure. Plus, they had to employ extra security after some dumbass jerks decided to throw water and food at her. (In case we needed a reminder that humans are the actual worst.)

Moo Deng’s profile is now so colossal, Bowen Yang just appeared on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update in character as the baby hippo. (And also made comparisons between the sentient potato and Chappell Roan in a way that actually made sense.)

Moo Deng was all so very fun … for a minute.

As with anything gleeful that exists on the internet, the unfiltered joy could only last so long. Moo Deng might have started out as something to lift our spirits during election season and several ongoing wars, but she is now being held up in some corners as a reflection of all that is wrong in the world. (All the old classics are here: capitalism, exploitation, destruction of natural resources, etc.)

PETA weighed in soon after everyone’s favorite butterball went viral. “Hippos belong in the wild, but Moo Deng will never live outside a cage,” the animal rights organization said in a deeply depressing statement. “She faces a lifetime of confinement, deprived of her freedom and the opportunity to experience her natural habitat and the social structures of her species. Animals do not exist for our entertainment.”

Criticism only increased after the Khao Kheow Open Zoo announced that it would be trademarking Moo Deng’s likeness, with the goal of using all the extra profits to make improvements at the zoo.

Greater Good pointed out: “The story of Moo Deng forces us to ask uncomfortable questions about the relationship between human entertainment and wildlife conservation,” the charitable organization stated in a blog post. “While she has undoubtedly raised awareness about the plight of pygmy hippos, her life in captivity highlights a broader issue: the ethical treatment of endangered animals. Is it right to confine a wild animal for public display, even if it contributes to conservation?”

A nonprofit named World Animal Protection US had stronger words, in its own blog post about Moo Deng. “The Khao Kheow Open Zoo is flagged as not meeting TripAdvisor’s animal welfare guidelines,” the organization stated. “Sharing Moo Deng content might seem innocuous, but it promotes cruelty to animals.”

One of the biggest discussions on TikTok has indeed concerned the ways in which Moo Deng’s zookeepers poke at her, tap her butt and rub her belly.

@bestofmoodeng Poor moo deng 😭, maybe this is why she’s always angry #moodeng #babyhippo #cuteanimals #xyzabc #viral #fyp ♬ dilemma – Galuh

For every TikTok-er concerned for Moo Deng’s mental health, another one pops up with a justification for the ways that the zoo staff interacts with her. “The zoo handler is pushing the baby hippo around as part of its early socialization and training,” one video by an ecologically-minded start-up stated. “By handling them in their formative years, zoo staff help the baby hippo get used to human interactions in a safe and controlled way.”

Either way you look at all this, any serotonin boosts Moo Deng may have provided your tired brain with a few weeks ago have basically evaporated at this point. Maybe it’s time to check back in with Fiona, the much less controversial baby hippo who went viral at the Cincinnati Zoo back in 2017. She’s not a baby anymore, but she is a big sister to two-year-old Fritz and very much appears to still be living her best life.

Meanwhile, for Moo Deng — and all of us — it’s all feeling a bit more like this…

@nilston27 ท่านอนพักผ่อนน้องหมูเด้ง….🦛🦛#หมูเด้ง #ฮิปโป #น่ารัก @NilsShop27 @NilsShop27 @NilsShop27 ♬ เสียงต้นฉบับ – NilsShop27