Moo Deng And Pesto Are Stealing Hearts Online!

The Internet's newest celebrities are two adorable zoo animals from opposite corners of the world. Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo, resides in Thailand, while Pesto, an unusually large king penguin chick, calls Australia home.

Moo Deng

Moo Deng was born at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Si Racha, Thailand, on July 10, 2024. She is the seventh offspring of the zoo's pygmy hippo pair, Jona and Tony. The young hippo, whose name means "bouncy pig" in Thai, captured hearts worldwide after zoo officials shared her playful antics on social media. Videos of Moo Deng nibbling on her zookeeper's knee, mimicking her mother, Jona, and squealing during bath time have gone viral.

The young hippo's irresistible charm extends beyond her playful nature. Her glossy skin and rosy cheeks have inspired several TikTok beauty tutorials. They even prompted cosmetics retailer Sephora to suggest how to "wear blush like a baby hippo" on social media.

Her fame is bringing much-needed attention to the endangered pygmy hippos. The world's smallest species of hippos were once found in abundance in West African countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast. However, their numbers have declined dramatically due to poaching and loss of habitat. As of 2015, only 2,000 — 2,500 adult pygmy hippos remained in the wild.

Pesto

Pesto, a baby king penguin at Australia’s Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, has gained worldwide attention for being unusually large. The nine-month-old weighs an astonishing 52 pounds (23 kg). This is more than twice the combined weight of his foster parents, Tango and Hudson, who each weigh about 24 pounds (10.8 kg). Standing at three feet tall (91 cm), Pesto is also taller than both of them. Michelle Smale, who has cared for the chocolate-brown bird since he hatched, says Pesto is the largest chick the aquarium has ever seen.

It is normal for penguin chicks to gain weight during their early months. But Pesto’s growth spurt has been particularly dramatic. Jacinta Early, the aquarium's marine biologist, credits Pesto’s giant size to good genes and a healthy appetite. His biological father, Blake, is one of the largest and oldest penguins at the aquarium, weighing around 39 pounds (17 kg). Pesto also devours more than 30 fish a day — twice as much as the average adult penguin. Most of his bulk, however, comes from his thick, fluffy coat of baby feathers.

"If I poked him, my entire finger would completely [disappear] deep in his feathers," Early said.

In a few months, Pesto will begin shedding his fluffy coat. It will be replaced by the sleek black, white, and orange plumage typical of adult king penguins.

“He’s going to start losing that adorable baby fluff,” says Early. “It might take him one to two months to fully shed it. Then he’ll be sleek and streamlined.”

Aquarium officials expect Pesto to eventually slim down to around 33 pounds (15 kg). But they believe he will always be a “big boy,” towering over the facility’s other resident king penguins.

King penguins typically weigh between 31 and 37 pounds (14 and 17 kg). Standing 33 to 37 inches (84 to 94 cm) tall, they are one of the largest penguin species, second only to the emperor penguin. In the wild, king penguins can be found on Antarctic and subantarctic islands. Ecologists estimate there are over two million breeding pairs of king penguins in the wild, and their numbers are steadily increasing.

Resources: CNN.com, NBCnews.com, smithsonianmag.com, NPR.com