She’s unbothered, moisturized and happy: Moo Deng turns 1
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She’s unbothered, moisturized and happy: Moo Deng turns 1
Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo who launched a thousand memes, turned 1 Thursday. She will have four days of celebrations including a 44 pound hippo-sized cake. She was unfazed by her celebrity status and the fact that some, like “mooniac” Molly Swindall, had flown all the way from New York to celebrate. She quickly became an internet sensation after her caretakers began uploading videos of her going about her day at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, a city in eastern Thailand. She is so popular that her image was registered as a trademark in Thailand and there is a whole range of merchandise, from plush toys to her own cryptocurrency, from clothing to clothing to her Own Cryptocronomized Bitcoin (TCP: DTCP) for $1.99. The zoo’s director says attendance has quadrupled because of her. The creature’s name means “Bouncing Pig” or “Pork Patty”
Blissfully unaware of the fact that it was her big day, the pygmy hippo who launched a thousand memes wandered around her enclosure at Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo, took a few naps and munched on watermelon and vegetables, before she was hosed down for a shower.
Moo Deng, who will have four days of celebrations including a 44 pound hippo-sized cake, was unfazed by her celebrity status and the fact that some, like self-described “mooniac” Molly Swindall, had flown all the way from New York to celebrate.
“She’s an icon and everyone in the world loves her,” said Swindall, 24, who had the privilege of preparing a birthday breakfast for the hungry hippo. “It’s fun to see she’s her same old self,” she added. “Fame hasn’t changed her.”
Visitors gather to celebrate Moo Deng’s first birthday Thursday. (Lauren DeCicca / Getty Images)
“I love Moo Deng so much,” said Swindall, who was on her third trip to Thailand to see her favorite animal. “I think she brought so much joy to people when there was a lot of toughness and there’s still a lot of tough things going on in the world.”
She added that she had grown to love Thailand on her trips to the southeast Asian nation. “They’re so kind and happy and they have great pride in their country, as they should,” she said.
Flight attendant Thea Chavez also flew in from Houston for the big day. “Happy birthday, Moo Deng. Thank you so much for all the happiness you’ve given all the people and many more happy years and a long life ahead,” she said.
She was joined by Thai fan Rathapat Sripisit, who said in an interview Wednesday that she was planning to stay in a tent nearby so she could catch a glimpse of Moo Deng on her birthday.
Moo Deng birthday celebrations at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo on Thursday. (Lauren DeCicca / Getty Images)
“I want to come and celebrate,” she said, adding that she liked the fact that attention had been drawn to the zoo because of the slippery creature whose name means “Bouncing Pig” or “Pork Patty.”
“I am happy to see many people, families, and visitors from many countries come to visit us and visit her,” Sripisit said.
Moo Deng was named in a vote by more than 20,000 children and tourists on the Facebook page of the zoo in Chonburi, a city in eastern Thailand. She quickly became an internet sensation after her caretakers began uploading videos of her going about her day.
Moo Deng, right, and her mother on Thursday. (Chanakarn Laosarakham / AFP via Getty Images)
Just like any human celebrity, Moo Deng has dozens of fan pages on social media with pictures and videos capturing her every moment in public. Videos posted to TikTok and other social media sites have garnered tens of millions of views. She is so popular that her image was registered as a trademark in Thailand.
There is also a whole range of merchandise, from clothing to plush toys to her own cryptocurrency.
Attendance has quadrupled because of her, according to Narongwit Chodchoy, the zoo’s director.
Moo Deng has also boosted awareness of pygmy hippos, an endangered species that are smaller cousins of the hippopotamus and native to West Africa. An estimated 2,000 remain in the wild, according to The Pygmy Hippo Foundation.
Fortunately for her fans, Moo Deng will likely have a many more birthdays, since pygmy hippos can live up to 50 years.
Whether the stardom fades as she gets older and less bouncy isn’t clear.
For now, Moo Deng has fans, her mom and a party on her mind.
Then, probably, sleep.
Denver Zoo Welcomes Precious Tiny Tortoise Who Fits in the Palm of Your Hand
Denver Zoo Welcomes Precious Tiny Tortoise Who Fits in the Palm of Your Hand. The zoo discovered an egg that belonged to their female tortoise, Waffles, in December. Six months later, the egg hatched, and the zoo said hello to the first pancake tortoise to ever be born at the zoo. There are fewer than 5,000 African pancake Tortoises left in the world, and they are critically endangered due in large part to habitat loss and the illegal pet trade, according to the IUCN Red List. The TODAY Show shared a video of the baby on TikTok on Friday, June 13th, and she’s absolutely adorable!
The Denver Zoo welcomed a new member to the family recently, a rare African pancake tortoise that’s so small she can fit in the palm of your hand! The TODAY Show shared a video of the baby on TikTok on Friday, June 13th, and she’s absolutely adorable!
The zoo discovered an egg that belonged to their female tortoise, Waffles, in December. She is one of four pancake tortoises that reside at the zoo; the other three are males named Short-Stack, Denny, and Flapjack. Six months later, the egg hatched, and the zoo said hello to the first pancake tortoise to ever be born there!
No news on what the zoo will name her, but I bet her name will be as cute as her mom’s name and be pancake-themed like the others! TODAY Show commenters all said the same thing about the baby – she’s a cutie! And I think we can all agree with @Carly who said, “Wow, that little tortoise is so tiny and cute I could watch her all day!”
Related: Tiny New Galapagos Tortoise Babies at Philadelphia Zoo Have Everyone Captivated
More About African Pancake Tortoises
In a recent Instagram post, the Denver Zoo shared more of the baby tortoise’s story “Last December, our Animal Ambassador team found a perfect little egg in our pancake tortoise habitat. They carefully transported it to Tropical Discovery were our Animal Care Specialists there incubated it for the last six months. Then, on Friday, May 23, there was a successful hatching of a female tortoise!”
The post goes on to say, “She might be tiny for now, but her role in conservation is huge. Pancake tortoises are Critically Endangered, and this marks the first successful breeding and hatching at DZCA.”
There are fewer than 5,000 African pancake tortoises left in the world. Axios reported that pancake tortoises are native to East Africa and are critically endangered “due in large part to habitat loss and the illegal pet trade, per the IUCN Red List.” Because of this, breeding programs like the Denver Zoo’s help protect these tortoises from extinction.
Unlike many tortoises that can weigh hundreds of pounds, pancake tortoises stay pretty small. They typically hatch at around two inches in length and reach their full size of about 7 inches in length and about 1–1.5 inches in height by adulthood, with females slightly longer than males.
Zoo officials stated that the tortoises live behind the scenes for the most part, but some lucky visitors might be able to see and learn about them at the zoo’s Ambassador Carts throughout the summer.
Denver Zoo Welcomes Precious Tiny Tortoise Who Fits in the Palm of Your Hand first appeared on PetHelpful on Jun 16, 2025
This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Singapore’s pandan cake craze is going global. Meet the family that sparked a spongey revolution
Anastasia Liew, who in 1979 founded the first Bengawan Solo cake shop, opens a shop to meet the licensing requirements to sell to department stores. “Sorry, we’re not very modest,” chimes in her son Henry, a company director, with a chuckle. Henry says that company plans to focus on selling its products as food gifts across Asia, and hopefully further afield, by working on things like unique packaging. ‘I don’t think we can grow very much more in Singapore,’ says Henry, who has sold about 85,000 whole pandan chiffon cakes per month, says Henry. � “In the Asian region, there’s a very strong gift giving culture, says Anastasia, who opened a shop but had to open a store to meet licensing requirements. ”I made it popular in Singapore.” says Henry of his company, which has more than 40 shops across the city of six million people.
A fluorescent green cake has become a daily staple in Singapore. Locals grab a slice of the ring-shaped pandan chiffon cake on their way to work or pick up an entire one for friends’ birthday celebrations.
The light, fluffy cake gets its color and subtle grassy vanilla taste from the tropical pandan plant, which is believed to have originated in Indonesia’s Moluccas Islands, and has been used in cooking for hundreds of years.
In Singapore, pandan chiffon cakes started appearing in the 1970s, says local food historian Khir Johari. Today, the dessert is ubiquitous in the city, appearing everywhere from mom-and-pop bakeries to upscale restaurants.
One particular family-owned bakery helped take the cakes citywide, Johari adds.
“I made it popular in Singapore,” says Anastasia Liew, who in 1979 founded the first Bengawan Solo cake shop, a small neighborhood store. “Sorry, we’re not very modest,” chimes in her son Henry, a company director, with a chuckle.
A Bengawan Solo pandan chiffon cake, in one of the chain’s Singapore airport stores. – Justin Robertson/CNN
Anastasia initially sold cakes she baked at home but had to open a shop to meet the licensing requirements to sell to department stores. Today, Bengawan Solo has more than 40 shops across the city of six million people.
Henry says the bakery’s popularity comes down to word of mouth, with a little help from celebrity fans. For example, eight years ago Singaporean Mandopop star JJ Lin gifted a Bengawan Solo cake to fellow judges on a Chinese singing show. In 2022, Taiwanese music superstar Jay Chou posted on Instagram about being gifted the cakes when he performed in Singapore.
The company sells other products like kueh lapis, a layer cake, ondeh ondeh, glutinous rice balls filled with palm sugar, and pineapple tarts, pastries filled with fruity jam. But pandan chiffon cake is its best-known product.
Last year, the bakery sold about 85,000 whole pandan chiffon cakes per month, says Henry, at 22 Singapore dollars ($17) each. It achieved an annual sales revenue of about 76 million Singapore dollars ($57 million) across its products, up 11% from 2023.
“I don’t think we can grow very much more in Singapore,” says Henry. He adds that the company plans to focus on selling its products as food gifts across Asia, and hopefully further afield, by working on things like unique packaging. “In the Asian region, there’s a very strong gift giving culture,” he says.
Anastasia Liew in the first Bengawan Solo cake shop in 1979. – The Liew family
Anastasia Liew, second from left, at the opening of Bengawan Solo’s second store in Singapore in 1982. – The Liew family
Going global
It’s impossible to leave Singapore’s Changi airport without passing a Bengawan Solo. There are five stores at Changi, the world’s fourth-busiest international airport in 2024, including one in each departure terminal.
The cakes have become wildly popular in places like Hong Kong, where the friends, family, and colleagues of travelers from Singapore often expect a cake. Demand has even sparked a secondary market on Facebook Marketplace and the app Carousell.
Henry says that airport stores now account for more than half of Bengawan’s total sales, and its products seem to be the most popular with travelers from Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.
The company has considered expanding overseas, he says, but it has come up against barriers like high rental costs in Hong Kong. The family also wants to ensure its quality is maintained. Today, it uses mostly local sources for its ingredients and gets the 300 to 400 kilograms of pandan leaves from just across the border in Malaysia.
Travelers visit a Bengawan Solo store at Changi Airport. – Justin Robertson/CNN
With or without Bengawan Solo, the global appetite for pandan appears to be growing. In Hong Kong, Pandan Man is selling the cakes in two upscale shopping malls. Pandan cakes, and pandan-infused dishes, from mochi egg tarts to cronuts, have started popping up across cities like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Keri Matwick, a senior lecturer at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, who researches food and language, says that there’s been a rise of interest in Asian baking in the US, including desserts flavored by ingredients like matcha, coconut and ube — a purple yam from the Philippines.
Matcha, a Japanese green tea that has been incorporated into everything from tiramisu to cupcakes to banana pudding, has become so popular that some tea sellers in Japan are warning of an impending shortage.
Now, it might be pandan’s turn to go global. “Matcha has already set that precedent of something green is okay,” says Matwick. “I think (pandan is) starting to emerge as more of a star than it ever has before.”
This story has been updated to reflect Bengawan Solo’s monthly sales of pandan chiffon cakes.
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How to Livestream Moo Deng, Baby Pygmy Hippo From Thailand
Moo Deng, a two-month-old pygmy hippo, has become an internet sensation. Her zookeeper began posting videos of her and other animals in his care, but Deng stole the show. The micro-influencer has dramatically increased visitors to the zoo, with over 10,000 visiting on the weekends. At least she’s using her newfound fame for a livestream, not a podcast. It’s the ultimate recipe for internet cuteness. You can watch her bounce around here by clicking the “Live Streaming” button. Be mindful of the difference in time zones, Miss Deng might be getting her beauty sleep.
Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo knows what the people want, and the people want more baby hippo. After hundreds of memes began circulating online of a two-month-old pygmy hippo named Moo Deng, the certified cutie pie now has a 24/7 live stream, as she’s stolen pretty much everyone’s hearts. How could she not? She has little teeny, tiny baby chompers, she’s perpetually wet, and her name means bouncy pork. It’s the ultimate recipe for internet cuteness. You can watch her bounce around here by clicking the “Live Streaming” button. Be mindful of the difference in time zones, Miss Deng might be getting her beauty sleep. Her zookeeper, Atthapon Nundee, began posting videos of her and other animals in his care, but Deng stole the show, reports the Associated Press. The micro-influencer has dramatically increased visitors to the zoo, with over 10,000 visiting on the weekends. At least she’s using her newfound fame for a livestream, not a podcast.
Below are some posts from her biggest fans:
a second Moo Deng snot bubble video has hit the internet pic.twitter.com/5MNWy5Rq9j — yammi (@sighyam) September 19, 2024
im crying good morning moo deng i love you pic.twitter.com/HCUp7K3dWP — faith⁷ 🇵🇸 (@faitheeyy) September 13, 2024
moo deng is a lifestyle icon and i need all of yall to get onboard:
– inexplicably moist at all times
– slightly blurry in most photos
– probably screaming or sleeping
– round pic.twitter.com/VtgOPf1PAS — House ⚔️ gf haver (@mrmatthouse) September 11, 2024
Moo Deng’s personal keeper went on live and said that Moo Deng isn’t even old enough to eat solid vegetation yet. She was just mimicking her mother with the little noms here lmao 😭😭😭 https://t.co/76x2r9PJ4f — yammi (@sighyam) September 14, 2024
Moo Deng is going on Hot Ones pic.twitter.com/Uhqx4UXJbn — JuiceOne (@JuiceSimpsons) September 15, 2024
moo deng stuns on the emmys red carpet pic.twitter.com/eXkkZbWCc2 — wolfgang (@itswolfgangruth) September 15, 2024
This post has been updated.
Here’s Why The Internet Is Obsessed With Moo Deng
Posts calling Moo Deng a “lifestyle icon” have racked up millions upon millions of views. The Khao Kheow Open Zoo reports a notable increase in crowds since her birth.
She’s reached such a level of stardom that the Khao Kheow Open Zoo reports a notable increase in crowds since her birth.
“The moment I saw Moo-Deng born, I set a goal to make her famous, but I never expected it would spread abroad,” zookeeper Atthapon Nundee told the Guardian.