Why is Moo Deng so popular right now? This “Bouncy Meatball” has a live stream and merch

Every now and then, an unusual and adorable animal captures the hearts of Internet users and becomes a viral star. Remember April the giraffe, who gave birth to her baby via live webcam in 2017? (RIP, sweet mama – April 2021 is over.) Now it's Moo Deng's turn to seduce the world. Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo, delights the world from her home in a Thai zoo.

Here's what you should know about this chubby cutie.

Who is Moo Deng and how did she go viral?

Moo Deng is a female pygmy hippopotamus born in July at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri, Thailand. Moo Deng is the seventh baby born at the zoo to her 25-year-old mother Jona and 24-year-old father Tony, reports the Independent. Pygmy hippos can live up to 50 years, but are an endangered species with only 2,000 to 2,500 adults left.

The Times reports that while zookeeper Atthapon Nundee immediately began sharing Moo Deng on social media, the attached video now has more than 2.6 million views. The zoo conducted a Facebook poll to determine her name.

What does “Muh Deng” mean?

Moo Deng's popularity really took off when content creator Yammi Saracino translated the name poll into English and shared it on social media.

Moo Deng, which translates to “jumping pork” according to the New York Times, easily beat Moo Sap (“minced pork”) and Moo Daeng (“red pork”). The Independent says Moo Deng is a type of meatball, which is also great as a name for this little meatball.

Why do people love Moo Deng so much?

Have you seen her? The short, chubby viral star is just fun to watch. She is also mischievous; She is currently teething and therefore likes to nibble on her zookeeper. Plus, she's still a baby, which makes for some funny welcome-to-the-world videos, like one in which she learns how to climb a sloping edge of her pool.

You will see her in many memes. Just like the late Grumpy Cat and other famous internet animals, it's easy to caption a photo of Moo Deng with a caption that shows how she deals with life the way we do. BuzzFeed even has a Moo Deng AI image generator that puts them in all sorts of situations, like the presidency or eating a Dole Whip at Disney World.

How can I watch Moo Deng live her best life?

In the hippopotamus area of ​​the zoo where Moo Deng lives, there is a 24-hour webcam. (You may need to scroll down and click the Live Streaming tab.) Be aware of time zones. You can check it in the afternoon at your location and find that it is dark and quiet in Thailand and there are no animals to be seen.

If there's nothing to watch when you tune in, the zoo also has recorded live streams of Moo Deng available on its YouTube channel.

Additionally, the Associated Press streamed an hour of Moo Deng cuteness on September 19th, which you can watch on YouTube.

Moo Deng Merch: The Face Who Launched 1,000 Products

Moo Deng's global popularity has inspired a range of official merchandise sold by Khao Kheow Open Zoo, including stylish trousers and a button-down shirt, as well as T-shirts, which quickly sold out.

If you missed out on snagging an official piece of merchandise, a quick Google search shows you can find unofficial Moo Deng shirts selling on everything from Amazon to Etsy and everywhere in between – although they're probably on restock wait to buy them directly from The Zoo will support Moo Deng's lifestyle.

You'll find Moo Deng plushies, Moo Deng t-shirts, Moo Deng costumes, Moo Deng pants, Moo Deng pajamas, Moo Deng hats, Moo Deng mugs – and basically anything else your hippo-loving thing heart desires. There is even the Moo Deng cryptocurrency.

How to watch the penguin Pesto

If you prefer flightless waterfowl to pygmy hippos, you can follow Pesto, the 9-month-old baby king penguin, at the Sea Life Aquarium in Melbourne, Australia. At 48 pounds, Pesto is already larger than many adult penguins and eats 25 fish a day to stay that way.

“Pesto is the best!” The aquarium boasts on its website.