Happy And Adorable, Moo Deng's Rival Who Was Born In Scotland

Illustration of hippos (Instagram/@edinburghzoo)

JAKARTA - Moo Deng managed to attract international attention on social media. Many of his fans were fascinated by this Thai animal.

Now, in Scotland an animal has been born whose presence is said to be a rival to Moo Deng. This dwarf hippo or female pygmy hippo is named Haggis. This type of hippo is very rare and endangered.

Reporting from the Mirror UK page on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, Haggis was born at the Edinburgh Zoo owned by the Royal Zooological Society of Scotland (RZZS) on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. Haggis is now Moo Deng's new competitor on social media.

The hippopotamus who was born with cute and adorable stature was named after the animal conservation agency. Haggis' presence immediately stole the attention of visitors and zoo nurses. They immediately fell in love with the birth of Haggis.

Haggis was born of the mothers of male Otto and Gloria. This dwarf hippo comes from forests and swamps in West Africa, especially Liberia. This animal species is classified as Endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it is estimated that only about 2,500 remains in the wild due to habitat loss.

Jonny Appleyard, the leader of the animal team at the Edinburgh Zoo, said so far the haggis has grown well and is very pleasant to see his stunning personality.

"The first 30 days are very important for development. So, the hippos will be temporarily closed. This is to give us the opportunity to supervise mother and child in this sensitive period," said Jonny.

"While Moo Deng from Thailand has become a global viral icon, it's important to remember that the pygmy hippos are very rare. It's great fun to have our small ambassador in Edinburgh to connect with visitors and help raise awareness about the challenges this species faces in the wild," he continued.

Moo Deng had shocked the world of TikTok, even becoming a meme that was widely shared on the internet. This cute, toothless hippo is now starting to appear in cosmetic advertisements and has the opportunity to become an ambassador to Thailand.

However, along with Moo Deng's increasing popularity, Khao Kheow Open Zoo began to worry about the number of visitors who came to see it. Zoo administrators appealed to visitors to be more patient and start limiting visiting hours only on Saturdays and Sundays.

Moo Deng, which means "babil jump", was named through a voting of 20,000 children and tourists via the Facebook platform posted by the zoo in Chonburi, a city in eastern Thailand, right after its birth in July.

Moo Deng's journey towards fame on the internet, began when zoo administrators began uploading videos of his daily activities.

Many videos were uploaded showing Moo Deng taking a nap, walking around his cage, and some even showing the adorable animal biting the knee of the administrator while being doused with water. In an effort to attract more tourists to Thailand, the embassy in Tokyo also uploaded several photos of Moo Deng.