story by editor-in-chief: Ashly Nicole

This past week, everyone’s favorite baby hippo celebrated her first birthday with thousands of adoring fans at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. Although Moo Deng’s birthday falls on July 10th, the zoo and all its guests celebrated the tiny hippo with a four-day birthday extravaganza filled with special treats, decorations, and even a 44-pound birthday “cake” made of fruits and veggies…which she may have reluctantly shared with her mom, Jona.
Not only were locals in attendance, but others came from far and wide to celebrate this legendary pygmy hippo. Our fellow Swiftie queen as well as Moo Deng fan, Molly Swindall, flew the 8,600 miles from her home in New York to be with Moo Deng and friends on her big day! Molly even got to help cut up and make some treats for Moo Deng during her big birthday week; this was Molly’s third time visiting Moo Deng since her birth last year. Another Moo Deng admirer, Thea Chavez, traveled all the way from Houston, Texas to see her, and was quoted on PBS news exclaiming, “Moo Deng has brought a lot of happiness to each and every one. She’s just a potato…a moist potato that has bursts of chaotic and calm energy at the same time.” And I truly think those qualities are what have drawn fans near and far to love this “potato” so much.

Fans were spotted sporting all kinds of Moo Deng merch, button-ups, pajama sets, hats, vests, shirts, you name it, someone was wearing it. Take a look at some of the fun Moo Deng birthday celebration merch that fans adorned themselves in for Moo Deng’s special week!

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Photos by Lauren DeCicca and Chanakarn Laosarakham of Getty Images

The viral sensation took off almost from the moment she was born, with her caretakers documenting the sass and energy bursting from that tiny hippo body from day one, and it hasn’t slowed down since.
From dramatic bath-time protests to her signature sass-filled waddles, capturing hearts with every clips; t didn’t take long for the internet to notice. Her TikToks racked up millions of views, her photos were shared across timelines, and her tiny, chaotic energy became the stuff of viral legend. Moo Deng didn’t just go viral; she became a full-blown meme queen. Moo Deng not only rose to stardom through TikToks and social media posts, but also quickly achieved what some would call, meme status, across the internet.
Across Twitter, Instagram, and even Reddit, fans began remixing her pouty expressions and snack-obsessed stares into reaction memes and mood posts. She became shorthand for everything from cozy self-care Sundays to “don’t talk to me until I’ve had my _____” moods. Her internet fame skyrocketed so high that it eventually landed her on one of the biggest comedy stages in the world: Saturday Night Live.
Bowen Yang took to the stage dressed as Moo Deng herself, full costume, full sass, full commitment. And once you’ve made it to SNL, well...you’ve truly made it.

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While the celebration was all about Moo Deng, fans and guests were treated to plenty of surprises too. During her birthday week, kids 12 and under got free admission to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, which brought in a whopping 12,000 visitors on the very first day! The zoo also hosted a cake sponsorship auction; in a nod to tradition, a 20 kg tropical fruit ‘cake’ was hand-carved and auctioned off that raised an impressive 100,000 baht (about $3,065 USD), with every bit of it going toward wildlife conservation, a cause we’re totally here for. But the fun didn’t stop there! Moo Deng’s very own baby bathtub was auctioned off for 50,000 baht (around $1,530 USD), and a footprint cast of the famous hippo fetched a jaw-dropping 700,000 baht (about $21,400 USD). All of the proceeds went to the Wildlife Patronage Project at Khao Kheow, helping to protect Moo Deng and her fellow animal friends. Moo Deng may be tiny, but her impact (and her party) is massive.

Over the past year, and especially during her first birthday celebration, we’ve seen just how much Moo Deng is doing for wildlife conservation and how the Khao Kheow Open Zoo is helping lead the charge. Moo Deng’s rise to stardom has gone hand-in-hoof with meaningful impact. Her keeper, Atthapon Nundee, regularly shares adorable moments on social media, like her squirming during bath time or soaking up belly rubs, which helped spark her viral fame. That attention has brought a huge wave of new visitors to the zoo, boosting both attendance and revenue. In turn, those funds are helping support facility improvements and a range of conservation programs. With only about 2,000 to 3,000 pygmy hippos left in the wild, Moo Deng’s visibility is doing more than just warming hearts and creating viral meme moments, it’s shining a much-needed spotlight on a species that truly needs it.

So while Moo Deng may have started as a squishy, snack-loving internet sensation, she’s quickly grown into something so much more. She’s a global icon proving that cuteness and conservation can go side by side. Her first birthday wasn’t just a party; it was a celebration of the joy she brings and the difference she’s making. And if this past year is any clue, Moo Deng is just getting started. One tiny hippo, leaving one very big footprint, both online and in the wild.