A Baby Hippo Is Taking The World By Storm — But Not Everyone Is Being Nice To Her

Move over, Fiona!

Just kidding ― there’s plenty of room on the internet for more than one charismatic hippo.

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

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

She’s especially picked up international cachet in recent days, with Time magazine proclaiming her “a legend” and “the moment.”

Zoo staff members knew they had something special on their hands when she was born, but even they couldn’t predict her influence.

“The moment I saw Moo-Deng born, I set a goal to make her famous, but I never expected it would spread abroad,” zookeeper Atthapon Nundee told the Guardian.

However, fame hasn’t been a walk in the park for Moo Deng. Khao Kheow Open Zoo has reportedly seen a significant increase in visitors since she was born in July, and not all of her fans are polite. Videos shared online have shown some people throwing things and splashing water on her when she’s sleeping to try to wake her.

“These behaviors are not only cruel but also dangerous,” zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi said. The zoo has since installed security cameras and threatened legal action against any harassers, he noted.

While Khao Kheow Open Zoo is seeing a surge in positive press over Moo Deng, it’s come under fire in recent years for its swimming elephant shows. Critics accused the zoo of using cruel, painful tactics to get elephants to perform in the water ― an allegation that the zoo denied.

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