LEAVE MOO DENG ALONE!

Zoo Director Threatens Lawsuits After Mistreatment of Viral Hippo

Moo Deng is a two-month-old pygmy hippo and internet darling.

It’s not all sunshine, rainbows and leafy vegetables for the Internet’s new favorite animal. Moo Deng, a two-month-old pygmy hippo, has deservedly become a viral sensation after clips of her adorable antics and emotive expressions were shared online by staffers at the Thai zoo she calls home. “It is her natural cuteness, her behavior that attract tourists,” Narongwit Chodchoy, director of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in eastern Thailand’s Chonburi Province, told CNN. But while some visitors are respectful, others are not. “Some tourists behaved inappropriately. One person poured water [on her] while another threw a shell onto Moo Deng when she lay on the floor,” Chodchoy said. Per CNN, Chodchoy is promising “to take legal action against anyone harming” Moo Deng. (Pygyy hippos are considered an endangered species.) Unsurprisingly, Khao Kheow Open Zoo has seen a 30 percent increase in guests since the hippo became famous. On Sunday, the zoo’s Facebook shared photos of Moo Deng’s “fan club,” aka the dozens of visitors who crowd around the enclosure to catch a glimpse of the star. Moo Deng, whose name translates to “bouncy pig,” has two siblings, Moo Toon and Moo Warn.