Where does the urge to glorify cute animals come from? Scientists share how Moo Deng's popularity reveals deeper truths about human nature.
Move over, cats. A new cute creature has taken over the internet. Baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng is everywhere. Videos. Photos.. The damp, gray roly-poly creature is a bonafide celebrity. She’s the latest in a series of adorable creatures that have achieved internet star status. Where does this urge to glorify cute animals come from? Scientists are studying the phenomenon and how it reveals deeper truths about human nature.
Moo Deng makes a compelling case for cute-animal worship. Her name translates to “bouncy pork.” She’s sassy. She runs around her enclosure at thein Thailand and bites her keepers’ legs. Thousands of people per day flock to see her in person. The zoo pumps out Moo Deng content on social media to satisfy her adoring fans. There’s awhere viewers chat about buying Moo Deng t-shirts and how she likes to snooze with her mom in a pond. It’s easy to get swept up in the fun.
Kruger found that people are attracted to baby animals that share features with human babies. These features include round faces, enlarged eyes, large foreheads and small chins. Sound familiar? That’s what Moo Deng looks like. “Moo Deng pushes all our buttons,” says Kruger. “She's pudgy like an infant. She has cute movements. She's roly-poly and does fun things.” The pull to care for infants is one of the foundations of success for humans.
Eventually, Moo Deng will grow up, and that might come with a dampening of interest as she sheds some of the infant-like features. “Not that many adult animals can evoke this response because once they're adults, they lose some of those features that are especially cute,” says Preston. Moo Deng might have an advantage over some other baby animals. Adult hippos are still round and bouncy.
Watch the livestream. Ooh and aah over Moo Deng’s social media posts. Share some glistening memes. It’s okay to be engaged with a baby animal that has no idea she’s a star. Moo Deng’s story is about a hippo, but it’s also about humanity. “It tells us that we have this inherent attraction toward creatures that are helpless, that need our care,” says Preston. “And it's a beautiful endowment that we want to care for these individuals and these animals.
Choeropsis Liberiensis Preston Khao Kheow Open Zoo Pygmy Hippo
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Thai zoo implements time limit to visit viral hippo Moo DengA zoo in Thailand was forced to implement a time limit after visitors arrived en masse hoping to see Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo who has experienced viral fame.
Read more »
Moo Deng, celebrity baby pygmy hippo, has Thailand zoo worriedMoo Deng, a 2-month-old baby pygmy hippo, is going viral online and attracting new visitors to the Khao Chew Open Zoo in Thailand.
Read more »
Baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng is a TikTok star, but her keepers are worriedFans have flooded the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in eastern Thailand, where officials have warned they risk harming the celebrity hippopotamus.
Read more »
Moo Deng, the Pygmy Hippo from Thailand, Is Getting Too Famous for Her Own GoodShe's small, she's cute, and she's in danger as fandom gets out of hand.
Read more »
We're Willing to Die for This Baby Hippo Called Moo DengScience and Technology News and Videos
Read more »
What to Know About Moo Deng, the Baby Pygmy Hippo Gone ViralAlex Portée is a senior trending reporter at TODAY Digital and is based in Los Angeles.
Read more »