CHON BURI, Thailand (Sept 19): The morning sunlight bouncing off her sleek hide, Moo Deng the pygmy hippo plops to the ground in her enclosure, seemingly unfazed by her rapid rise to social media stardom.
The two-month-old pint-sized creature went viral this week after her handlers posted videos of her on TikTok and Instagram from her home at a zoo in Chon Buri, Thailand.
Her cheeky expressions and playful frolicking racked up millions of views and have lured thousands of visitors wanting to witness her antics.
Moo Deng — whose name in Thai means “bouncy pork”, a popular snack — is now an unwitting poster child for the endangered pygmy hippo.
The fame has not gone to Moo Deng’s head, as she sticks close to her mother, sharing a meal of carrots, bananas, corn and runner beans.
Native to West Africa, the pygmy hippo is threatened by human activities, such …