“This is what my internal dialogue looks like,” reads a heavily edited image featuring three photos of a baby hippo screaming into the air, this is just one of the thousands of memes circulating on social media. Chubby, with short legs and perfect skin, it didn’t take much effort for the animal to become one of the internet’s favorites.
Moo Deng was born in July of this year in the Open zoo of Khao Kheow, Thailand. Its presentation in Facebook It sparked her great popularity in the country, however she soon crossed borders: videos of her broadcast in games in USAbrands using her image and even t-shirts with her face have contributed to the hippo being known in different parts of the world at her young age.
Here are five interesting facts to learn more about her and her species, which is currently in danger of extinction.
The name and other information about her
The name of the hippopotamus was chosen through a survey conducted in Facebook. Moo Sap and Moo Daeng were within the opposition, however, the majority of the nearly 20 thousand voters who participated in the election opted for Moo Deng, which in Thai means “jumping pig”.
The offspring like Moo Deng They weigh between 4.5 and 6.5 kilos at birth, but grow quickly: they gain between 300 and 600 grams a day. Usually Mothers hide their babies for the first three weeks to protect them from predators and the sun.
His grandmother is the hippo Thailand’s oldest
Moo Deng is a descendant of Maleea hippopotamus who recently celebrated her 59th birthday, making the matriarch the oldest of her species in Thailand.
According to data from the Toronto Zoothe life expectancy of the pocket version of hippos is between 30 and 50 years old.
The exhibition has brought him problems
The frenzy caused by the baby hippo — likely encouraged by videos of her “biting” her caretaker with her still-toothless mouth, running around her home or resisting a bath — proved detrimental to her well-being.
And as a star in Thailand, the number of visitors to the zoo skyrocketed. Videos of the zoo being visited were even reported. people throwing food or splashing water at her to wake her up.
Given the situation, the zoo had to issue a statement condemning the actions of visitors and calling for protection and ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for the animals.
“These behaviors are not only cruel but also dangerous,” Narongwit Chodchoi said in a statement posted on her social media.
Built-in sunscreen and other facts about pygmy hippos
Pygmy hippos might be thought of as miniature versions of their more common relatives, the river hippos: both are native to the same continent, although they are distributed in different habitats.
They both share traits, such as their ears and nostrils functioning as valves that close tightly when submerged under water.
In addition, both have soft, fine, rubbery-looking skin. Being sensitive to the sun, their dermis evolved in such a way that it can ooze a kind of foamy liquid that allows them to always be moist, shiny, free of sunburn, infections and dehydration.
However, although there is more than one similarity, there are several differences between both species, especially in terms of temperament.
As adults they measure between 1.5 and 1.75 meters in length and between 75 and 100 centimeters in height. While their weight can range from 180 to 270 kilogramsthat is, they are short and plump, although they are much less corpulent than their relatives, in fact, They weigh almost ten times less than their relatives.
According to the zoo San Diegolittle research has been done on the behavior of these animals in life wild since they tend to be very elusive: they prefer to be alone, hidden in rivers and swamps.
Their large mouths equipped with powerful fangs allow them to feed on grasses, leaves and roots from the tropical zone of West Africa.
It has been documented that to defend themselves from predators they usually open their mouths wide, as if they were giving a big yawn, when that does not work they may choose to scare away the enemy. rearing, lunging or even shaking his head.
Since they are extremely shy, they tend to be quiet, although on some occasions (and as it has left heat Moo Deng) are capable of emitting noises ranging from grunts low up to high-pitched squeals.
According to the San Diego ZooBody language is important in hippo communication.
“Submission signals include lying face down and urinating while slowly wagging its tail. If alarmed, the hippo will let out a loud snort,” he explains.
In danger of extinction
Although Moo Deng fills the internet with his friendly face today, the truth is that he is part of an endangered species, as declared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. According to Fauna & Flora, an international conservation organization, the number of hippos has been drastically decreasing mainly due to habitat loss and hunting.
No one knows how many of them are left in the wild. Today, most of these animals are concentrated in Liberia, although some populations still survive in the Ivory Coast, Guinea and Sierra Leone. A subspecies once found in Nigeria is believed to be extinct.
LHM
