Big eyes, tiny noses and round cheeks; scientists explain why animals like Moo Deng the pygmy hippo have us hooked.

The pygmy hippopotamus, now 6 months old, is Thailand’s biggest celebrity, and the crowds keep flocking. What explains her charm?

CHONBURI, Thailand – Moo Deng does not bounce like she did a couple of months ago. But she still resembles a ripe avocado overstuffed with pate. She retains a moist sheen. She snuffles.

Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo, became an overnight sensation online. Videos of her were watched by millions. But conservationists say that popularity hasn’t resulted in any change on the ground ...

CHONBURI, Thailand (NYTimes via The Straits Times/ANN): Moo Deng does not bounce like she did a couple of months ago. But she still resembles a ripe avocado overstuffed with pate. She retains a ...

Is it any wonder that millions of people turned to a pugnacious baby pygmy hippo for a little relief? Moo Deng was born July 10, 2024, at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Bang Phra, Thailand. In September, ...

LIKE most babies, Moo Deng spends a lot of her time sleeping. But for a few hours a day, the almost five-month-old pygmy hippo springs to life, gumming on leaves, zooming around the compound ...

Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo that captured our hearts, ruled the internet for a while. She rose to superstardom from Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo with her silly antics. At the height of her ...

“Move over, Moo Deng,” co-host Savannah Guthrie said, as footage aired of a Thailand zoo’s pygmy hippopotamus, who became an internet sensation in 2024. “Moo Deng who?” said co-host ...

He's small, cute and viral: the baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng, housed in a Thai zoo, has become the star of millions of posts, memes and videos around the world. But in the wild, the pygmy ...

From the heart wooing antics of Moo Deng the baby hippo to the graceful poses of a golden baby tiger Ava and the cute baby giraffe, these young animals had all become viral sensations.These are ...