What Species is Moo Deng?

Moo Deng is a Pygmy Hippopotamus, a rare breed found only in four countries in West Africa. According to the San Diego Zoo, they’re highly endangered; possibly less than 3,000 are left in the wild.

Their forest homes are being cut down and burned, while the rivers where they swim are now polluted (1). Aside from being an online sensation, Moo Deng has become an icon for conservation and wildlife preservation worldwide.

Fortunately, zoos have made significant strides in breeding these animals. Additionally, the attention Moo Deng has been receiving on social media is helping to raise awareness about the species’ situation and the conservation efforts to safeguard its natural habitats.

How Moo Deng Earned Its Adorable Name

Born on July 10, 2024, Moo Deng’s name means “bouncy pork” in Thai. Its mother is Jona, 25, and father is Tony, 24. It has siblings, Moo Too (Pork Stew) and Moo Waan (sweet pork). Moo Deng’s name resulted from a callout on the Home Zoo’s X account asking for name preferences. 

In a social poll, they asked the Internet to select the name picks with Moo Sap (“minced pork”) and Moo Daeng (“red pork”) as choices. Tweets rolled in, and the option Moo Deng led the polls, becoming the name of the now-viral pygmy. 

The zoo set up a camera to stream a video of the pygmy hippo and posted it via its digital channels. Since the zoo posted videos of the cute baby hippo, Moo Dengo has become an international sensation (Today) (2). 

Guests have been piling into the zoo by the tens of thousands a day to watch the baby hippo. Beyond zoo visits, Moo Deng has also become a lifestyle icon, featuring in global media and branded lifestyle campaigns. 

According to Today, the zoo has now decided to limit visitors to the weekend — only on Saturday and Sunday — to protect Moo Deng and its family in the hope of protecting them from distress caused by the onslaught of tourists.

When is a Creature Considered Endangered?

According to National Geographic, few variables define when a species is considered endangered. One is the population reduction rate, which occurs when a species’ population decreases by 50 percent because of unknown reasons and 70 percent if it happens for known reasons over 10 years or three generations.

The other variable is if fewer than 2,500 mature individuals are in the species population, and that count has declined by at least 20 percent within 5 years (3). 

Roughly 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activities alone, which is staggering (Brittanica) (4). This means that we’re the biggest threat to biodiversity on earth. 

Human activities lead to the loss of habitats for other creatures, we introduce non-native species that skew the balance of ecosystems, we practice unsustainable hunting, and our modernization has caused destructive global warming and chemical pollution.

What Can We Do To Help in Conservation Efforts?

Saving threatened species is a tumultuous endeavor. But just because it is overwhelming, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t step up to the challenge.

According to the Animal Welfare Institute, awareness and involvement are the first steps to helping in conservation efforts (5). 

We can start in our backyards by creating pockets of conservation and keeping our space wildlife-friendly and our culture of environmental destruction in check. This involves planting native species, not using harmful substances, lessening your carbon footprint by saving energy, reusing, and recycling when possible. Collectively, we can do more to protect wildlife by implementing small changes in our daily lives.

References

1. San Diego Zoo. “Pygmy Hippopotamus: Choeropsis liberiensis.” San Diego Zoo Org. | https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/pygmy-hippopotamus
2. Alex Portée. “A baby pygmy hippo has gone viral — what to know about Moo Deng.” Today, September 18, 2024. | https://www.today.com/pets/moo-deng-baby-pygmy-hippo-rcna171353
3. National Geographic. “Endangered Species.” National Geographic Org. | https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/endangered-species/#
4. Holly Dublin. “Endangered Species.” Britannica, October 17, 2024. | https://www.britannica.com/science/endangered-species
5. Animal Welfare Institute. “What You Can Do for Terrestrial Wildlife.” AWI, 2024. | https://awionline.org/content/what-you-can-do-terrestrial-wildlife