theSkimm - Weekend: A New “It” Girl Has Arrived 🦛

Step aside, Ayo Edebiri and Julia Fox. The new “it” girl has arrived: Moo Deng. Moo who, you ask? Moo Deng, the perpetually shiny, adorably rotund baby pygmy hippo who’s taken over the internet for “almost always eating, sleeping, or being dramatic.” (Relatable.)  Ever since she was born two months ago, zookeepers at Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo have posted photos and videos of Moo — whose name roughly translates to “bouncy pork” — getting sprayed with water (she has a lot of feelings about it), nibbling her keeper (a tough task since she barely has teeth), and seemingly screaming (it’s become her signature). All of which has resulted in what can only be described as complete and utter Moomania. Of course, there are the endless memes (this one of Moo and Pete Davidson can’t be beat). But the deeply hydrated hippo has also inspired a creepily lifelike cake, a Sephora Thailand campaign (you too, can achieve that baby hippo glow), lots of fan art, what appears to be a forthcoming line of merch, and even a Washington Post thinkpiece on the science behind our obsession (it’s really not that deep). 

In fact, Moo has become so popular that the zoo’s videos have racked up tens of millions of views and zoo visitors have doubled — which has led to a some not-so-nice incidents. Now, visits to the famous hippo will be limited to weekends, with each lasting five minutes. But the zoo is still giving the people what they want (read: more Moo), courtesy of a 24-hour live feed, which is apparently coming this week. So what’s next for the internet’s new princess? Probably lounging in the sun, gallivanting in puddles, and snoozing, if we had to guess. But fingers crossed for an Erewhon smoothie collaboration.