Viral pygmy hippo baby Moo Deng is working on her own patent

Better get rid of these Moo Deng memes!

In an interview with the Associated Press published Thursday, September 19, zookeeper Atthapon Nundee of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand revealed that viral baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng may be eligible for a patent of his own after his meteoric rise to internet fame in recent weeks.

The zookeeper explained that by trademarking “Moo Deng the hippo,” the zoo could prevent others from capitalizing on the animal and potentially “generate more revenue for activities that improve the lives of animals.”

Since Moo Deng the pygmy hippo went viral through cute posts on the zoo's Instagram and TikTok accounts, she's appeared almost everywhere, with brands like Sephora and the New York Mets using her image.

The Thai zoo funds several breeding programs for endangered species – including one for clouded leopards – and hopes to support these conservation projects by patenting the popular animal's image and selling branded merchandise.

Speaking about Moo Deng's fame, Nundee said: “It exceeded all expectations. I wanted people to know her. I wanted lots of people to visit her, watch her online or leave funny comments. I never thought [of this].”

The baby pygmy hippo is about two months old and has boosted the zoo's visitor numbers. According to AP, the zoo now welcomes over 4,000 visitors during the week, an increase of about 800 people. On weekends, more than three times as many guests come as usual, with about 10,000 people visiting the zoo.

Due to Moo Deng's growing popularity, zoo visitors are limited to five minutes in her enclosure on Saturdays and Sundays to ensure that everyone can catch a glimpse of the animal without causing stress.

The pygmy hippopotamus is an endangered species whose population is declining due to poaching and habitat changes, according to the IUCN Red List. Experts estimate that there are 2,000 to 3,000 adult pygmy hippos left in the wild.

In a separate interview with The GuardianNundee, who began sharing videos of zoo animals on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, said he set a goal to make the hippo “famous” when he saw Moo Deng, whose name translates to “hopping pig,” but was overwhelmed by the response.

“I thought she could become famous in Thailand, but not internationally,” he said.

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The newspaper attributes the baby hippo's popularity to the zoo's TikTok account, which currently has 2.7 million followers. Two videos pinned to the account by Moo Deng have received 34 million and 29.1 million views, respectively. The account's most recent video received 442,600 views in just three hours.

“I hope that Moo-Deng’s cuteness will raise people’s awareness and make them learn more about [the species],” Nundee said.