People arrive at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand well before it opens for the day. Most visitors come to see a two-month-old pygmy hippopotamus named Moo Deng. The hippo is an international celebrity.

Moo Deng, meaning “bouncy pork,” is a type of meatball. It’s a silly name, but the hippo now matches her siblings. They are Moo Toon (stewed pork) and Moo Waan (sweet pork). 

Moo Deng likes to “deng,” or bounce. Even when she’s not bouncing, the hippo is extremely cute. She squirms when she gets a bath. She closes her eyes as a zookeeper rubs her chubby belly.

Zookeeper Atthapon Nundee has been posting cute moments of the animals in his care for about five years. He never imagined the newborn hippo would become a social media megastar.

The zoo saw a spike in visitors since Moo Deng’s fame. Most weekdays, the zoo welcomes around 4,000 visitors. That’s up from about 800 before the hippo’s birth. More than 10,000 come over the weekend, up from 3,000. 

Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi decided the zoo should put some of the fame to use. The zoo is trademarking and copyrighting “Moo Deng the hippo.” It means no one else can use that phrase to make money. 

“The benefits we get will return to the zoo to improve the life of all animals here,” says Mr. Narongwit.

Moo Deng’s fame can help in other ways. There aren’t many pygmy hippopotamuses like Moo Deng left in the world. So the zoo runs a breeding program to keep these and other species alive. To help fund the program, the zoo is making Moo Deng merchandise, including shirts and pants.

Not planning a trip to Thailand any time soon? No problem! The zoo plans to start a 24-hour video feed of Moo Deng next month. 

Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. — Job 12:9-10