Viral baby hippo Moo Deng to get patent, trademark to prevent her commercialization
Moo Deng, the adorable baby hippopotamus from Thailand who has become a social media darling, is getting patented and trademarked to prevent commercialization from anyone else, an official from her zoo said.
The Associated Press reported that Narongwit Chodchoi, the director of Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi Province, shared they have begun copyrighting and trademarking “Moo Deng the hippo” to "have more income to support activities that will make the animals’ lives better."
The zoo sits on 800 hectares (almost 2,000 acres) of land and is home to over 2,000 animals.
It runs breeder programs for many endangered species like Moo Deng’s. The pygmy hippopotamus that’s native to West Africa is threatened by poaching and loss of habitat. There are only about 2,000 to 3,000 of them left in the wild, according to AP.
To help fund its breeder programs, the zoo is making Moo Deng shirts and pants, which will be up for sale at the end of the month. There will be more Moo Deng merchandise, it said.
Moo Deng, whose name means "bouncy pork" in Thai, was born to the 25-year-old Jona and the 24-year-old Tony on July 10. She also has two siblings named Moo Tun (stewed pork) and Moo Wan (sweet pork). Their names were chosen by fans through a social media poll.
Moo Deng has gotten people lining up outside her enclosure, where they catch a glimpse and take photos and videos of her.
Moo Deng plays with keepers from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. before taking her morning shuteye. She then gets ready for a viewing session in the afternoon from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., which she follows with another nap.
The crowd-favorite hippo has also been the subject of memes, stan accounts, and even an entire Wikipedia page.
AP noted that artists have drawn cartoons, cakes, and latte art based on her. Social media platform X even featured her in its official account’s post.
Her image adorns memes by German soccer team FC Bayern, American basketball team Phoenix Suns, and American football team Washington Commanders, as well as the New York Mets.
Local businesses have also started to capitalize on Moo Deng's newfound fame.
Cosmetics store Sephora gave followers a makeup tip, “Wear your blush like a baby hippo," highlighting Moo Deng's pink cheeks. Food delivery app Grab, meanwhile, imagined with photos what kind of meal she could garnish.
Since Moo Deng has gone viral, the zoo she's in saw a spike in visitors.
Narongwit said the zoo has been receiving over 4,000 visitors during a weekday now, from up to 800 people before. On weekends, they get over 10,000 visitors, from up to 3,000.
This prompted the zoo to limit public access to her enclosure to five-minute windows throughout the day during weekends.
Those who can't make it to the zoo may see Moo Deng virtually, as the zoo put cameras and is planning to set up a 24-hour live feed in the coming week.