Thailand’s baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng now has an official song in 4 languages
Nov 14, 2024, 7:00 AM | Updated: 5:48 pm
FILE -Two-month-old baby hippo Moo Deng walks at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)
(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)
BANGKOK (AP) — In case you can’t get enough of the little pygmy hippo Moo Deng from Thailand, there’s now an official song featuring the internet’s favorite baby animal — released in four languages for her global fans.
The upbeat 50-second song “Moodeng Moodeng,” available in Thai, English, Chinese and Japanese versions. It features simple lyrics like “Moo Deng Moo Deng, boing boing boing/ Mommy mommy, play with me.”
Its music video consists of short clips of the baby hippo bouncing and playing with her keeper or hanging out with her mom Jona.
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Well-known Thai composer Mueanphet Ammara wrote and produced the catchy number. One of Thailand’s largest music companies, GMM Music, released the track.
The name Moo Deng literally means “bouncy pork,” a type of meatball, in Thai. She became a global phenomenon just a month after the Khao Kheow Open Zoo unveiled her on Facebook.
Fans say her name compliments her chaotic personality. Moo Deng likes to “deng,” or bounce, and her giddy bouncing has appeared all over social media in countless memes. Even sports teams and businesses use her image.
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The hippo, now 4 months old, has drawn a huge amount of visitors to the zoo, which is a two-hour drive away from Bangkok. The zoo estimated it has received 3,000 to 5,000 visitors a day on average in the past few months, and it’s now selling clothes, bedding and other merchandise based on Moo Deng.
Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi has said the income from the little hippo will help its breeding programs for many endangered species. Species like the pygmy hippopotamus, which is threatened by poaching and loss of habitat. The species is native to West Africa and there are only 2,000-3,000 of them left in the wild.
The zoo sits on 800 hectares (almost 2,000 acres) of land and is home to more than 2,000 animals.
All four versions of the Moo Deng song are available on YouTube and streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.
