Mto Deng. It is a name that millions around the world have come to know. He is a very popular celebrity, with little controversy. Her dewy skin, her desirable lifestyle of fun and indulgence, her beautiful face have all made her an internet icon. He's also … a hippopotamus.
Cute viral creatures are nothing new. Seven years ago, the Cincinnati Zoo wanted a TIME to name Fiona the Hippopotamus—er, Animal?—of the Year.
But 2024 seems to be on a different level of feral fascination.
Thailand's stuffed pygmy hippopotamus—born in July and whose name roughly translates to “pig that eats blades”—became popular perhaps when it was most in demand. “Watching animals, whether online or in person, can be therapeutic in many ways,” University of Washington psychology professor David Barash tells TIME. He can provide a comforting distraction, he says, “when so many people are oppressed by the state of the world.”
And he interrupted Moo Deng.
What started as a new topic of photos and videos posted on Khao Kheow Open Zoo's social media has quickly become the world's latest It girl. Social media users are obsessed with every new document of his hacks, falls and children's antics, and followers of the zoo's TikTok, Facebook, X, and Instagram accounts are growing exponentially.
Moo Deng has inspired fan art, merchandise, and even makeup trends. Footfall to the zoo has peaked, prompting new measures to protect Moo Deng's safety and restrictions on visiting hours. (A 24/7 live stream was organized for his most devoted followers to gain round-the-clock access.)
Jin Lee, a media sociologist at Curtin University in Australia, thinks Moo Deng initially gained popularity because his relationship with his guardian seemed genuine rather than staged or made for clicks. “He spent a lot of time with her, and then he started posting things about her,” Lee said, and people yearn for such authenticity.
Moo Deng's reach has since expanded dramatically: She walked into movie theaters, became the US Department of Labor's poster girl for staying hydrated, and in September was even photographed. Saturday Night Live. In November, GMM, one of Thailand's largest music companies, produced Moo Deng's fun theme song in four different languages—Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and English—which garnered hundreds of thousands of YouTube streams.
Tony Sampson, a digital media researcher at the University of Essex, tells TIME that he describes the digital age as “active contagion.” In other words, posts that make you to hear something tends to spread better than an informative post. He adds: “Negative emotions such as anger and frustration are well tolerated. “But maybe people need to get away from that sometimes.”
“I think this year might be a little different given that there have been a lot of pressing issues,” said Sampson. “Of course, in my networks, where there was an understandable increase in low posts related to the stressful political situation and wars, my most famous place was the little bird that was peeking out of my window.”
It is not surprising then that Moo Deng was not alone this year who attracted the attention of the world. A host of adorable animals have joined him in the internet spotlight—from Pesto the giant penguin to Nibi the “diva” beaver to Biscuits the seal, Hua Hua the giant panda, and Haggis, another baby hippo born in Scotland in October. The list goes on, but one thing these social media sentiments seem to have in common is that people seem to like to describe the characteristics and emotions of a person to them.
Austrian biologist Konrad Lorenz developed the idea that Kindchenschema, or the child's schema, to describe people's associations with the facial and physical features that make a creature appear beautiful—big eyes, protruding cheeks, unusual movements—and that evoke a desire to care for and protect them. Moo Deng's most popular posts often focus on comparing him to a young child, from finding him where he goes calling his mother to throw a noise. One text even revealed that she was holding a leaf to her nose for emotional support.
Anthropomorphism can sometimes misread what animals are actually going through, warns Barash. But the fact that much of Moo Deng's appeal seems to stem from perceived relatability isn't a bad thing, he suggests—and it's not always grounded. “Fortunately,” he said, “animal behaviorists are becoming more comfortable with recognizing the obvious: that many animals have a variety of attitudes toward humans.”
Maybe we can all make our own emotional support leaf. Or maybe Moo Deng already is.
