Thai zoo urges visitors please don’t throw food at baby hippo

A zoo in Thailand is begging visitors to lay off its baby hippo after the animal became a cult sensation online.

The two-month-old Pygmy hippopotamus has attracted a stream of visitors to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo for its “dewy glow” and boisterous antics. But the attraction’s director has now issued a warning to people to be kind to Moo Deng — loosely translated as bouncy pork — after tourists were seen harassing the mammal at the attraction just outside the coastal city of Pattaya.

According to the Daily Telegraph, visitors have been seen chucking shellfish at the baby hippo and splashing it with water in an effort to rouse it from its naps. “These behaviours are not only cruel but also dangerous,” the zoo said. “We must protect these animals and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable environment.”

The owners were forced to install CCTV cameras around the hippo’s enclosure after visitor numbers doubled since Moo Deng was born. Management said it would take legal action against anyone mistreating their star attraction, which is considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The clamour was triggered by the zoo’s regular social media posts charting Moo Deng’s life, which racked up thousands of likes and even attracted the attention of a Japanese TV crew who reported on the latest Thai celebrity.

“She’s very energetic and her cute appearance is soothing,” the Royal Thai embassy in Tokyo said. At least one cosmetics chain was also bowled over by the “chubby lifestyle icon.” Sephora Thailand is now promoting its products by advising fans online to “wear your blush like a baby hippo.”

Meanwhile, memes have compared the hippo to Jesus, and cartoon likenesses have played up its rosy cheeks and bright eyes.