Is London getting its own Moo Deng? A potted history of our pygmy hippos

It’s been implicit six months since the commencement of Moo Deng, but the small hippo’s overwhelming popularity shows nary signs of abating.

Born successful July this year, Moo Deng is portion of a household of pygmy hippopotami that unrecorded astatine Khao Kheow Open Zoo successful Thailand.

She’s characterised by her lively property and tin usually beryllium seen lying successful her nutrient bowl, gumming connected her zookeeper’s genu oregon silently screaming with a wide unfastened mouth. Her eyes wide and her cheeks permanently rouge, she has been described arsenic looking perpetually “mortified” successful pictures.

Moo Deng’s popularity is rapidly making her astir celebrated viral carnal of the 2020s. She follows the likes of Grumpy Cat, Doug the Pug and the late, large Harambe successful presumption of her virality.

But according to London Zoo, pygmy hippos person ever had a definite prima origin to them. “When Whipsnade Zoo, our sister zoo, opened successful 1931, the accounts from the clip item the popularity of brace of pygmy hippos who arrived connected 28 and 31 July — describing them arsenic a favourite of visitors from the start,” says a spokesperson for ZSL London Zoo.

Black and achromatic pictures from backmost successful 1931 amusement the 2 hippos peacefully lying unneurotic connected the grass, looking similar Moo Deng’s agelong mislaid ancestors.

Meanwhile, successful existent day, determination is lone 1 pygmy hippo presently surviving astatine London Zoo, a pistillate called Amara. Amara was introduced to the zoo successful February 2023 and is “quite cheeky” successful her personality, arsenic good arsenic being “very radical oriented”. Sound familiar?

The anticipation is to nutrient London’s precise ain Moo Deng by uncovering Amara a mate erstwhile she comes of age. She was introduced to London Zoo’s antheral pygmy hippo, Thug, erstwhile she archetypal came implicit from Edinburgh Zoo past year.

A study from the clip says Amara was “enthusiastically welcomed” by the 26-year-old antheral Thug, according to London Zoo’s pygmy hippo keeper Poppy Jewell.

“Unsurprisingly, Thug - whose sanction is simply a purposefully ironic 1 arsenic helium is really a gentle elephantine - was truly excited astir having a caller woman successful his hippo blistery tub, portion Amara was cool, calm and collected; she's decidedly going to person the precocious hoof successful the relationship.”

“All the signs we’ve seen truthful acold has been truly encouraging and successful a fewer years’ time, erstwhile Amara comes of age, we person our fingers crossed we’ll perceive the trot-trot of tiny pygmy hippos,” the 2023 study said.

Sadly, Thug died earlier this twelvemonth earlier being capable to begetter immoderate children. However, the anticipation continues for Amara, with London Zoo “awaiting confirmation connected plans to present a caller imaginable mate.”

This volition assistance assistance successful the conservation of the secretive and uncommon species, of which experts estimation determination are lone only astir 2,500 near successful the chaotic worldwide. So don’t worry, the Moo Deng London imagination isn’t retired of show rather yet.

In the meantime, a babe pygmy hippo named Haggis has been calved successful Scotland, lone a speedy formation oregon elemental bid travel away. Just successful lawsuit you were feeling a small impatient.