Moo Deng the Viral Pygmy Hippo Has Inspired a Thai Pop Song

The world’s most famous pygmy hippo, Moo Deng (which is also a type of meatball and means “bouncy pork” in Thai), has entertained the internet since she made her debut in the summer of 2024. The 4-month-old celebrity gained famed on the social media accounts of Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo, where she resides. People quickly became obsessed with Moo Deng thanks to her petite stature and cute features. Now, fans can relish the adorable hippo’s existence through a new song.

As the Associated Press reports, renowned Thai composer Mueanphet Ammara produced and wrote the song for the zoo animal and her fans. GMM Music, a large music company based in Thailand, released it.

The catchy tune was recorded in four languages—Thai, English, Chinese, and Japanese—and has four separate videos. Each lasts for only 50 seconds—though if you’re a fan of the pudgy hippo’s antics, it’s time well spent. The videos feature clips of Moo Deng thrashing around, tripping over her own feet, and generally being silly. For example, the English version shows one clip of Moo Deng falling to the beat of the music for the duration of the song. Meanwhile, the Thai version shows a collection of viral Moo Deng clips.

The song plays up the creature’s rubbery appearance, with lyrics like “boing, boing” and “bounce with me, Mom.” You can listen to the English version of “Moodeng Moodeng” below:

Moo Deng may be the biggest celebrity success story of the year. She’s inspired a plethora of fan art, memes, and merchandise. Even makeup influencers have shared Moo Deng-inspired looks, complete with rosy cheeks, grey eyeshadow, and glossy skin. It turns out the pygmy hippo’s fame has been good for Khao Kheow Open Zoo’s business, too. Her popularity has boosted the zoo’s social media presence, which now has over 530,000 followers on Facebook and more than 133,000 on X. The attraction has also seen a huge increase in weekend visitors since the baby hippo went viral.

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