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The
upbeat 50-second song “Moodeng Moodeng," available in Thai,
English, Chinese and Japanese versions, features simple lyrics
like “Moo Deng Moo Deng, boing boing boing/ Mommy mommy, play
with me.” Its music video consists of short clips of the baby
hippo bouncing, playing with her keeper or hanging out with her
mom Jona.
The catchy number was produced and written by well-known Thai
composer Mueanphet Ammara, and released by one of Thailand's
largest music companies, GMM Music.
Moo Deng — the name literally means “bouncy pork,” a type of
meatball, in Thai — became a global phenomenon just a month
after she was unveiled on Facebook by the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in
Thailand’s southern Chon Buri province.
Fans say her name compliments her chaotic personality. Moo Deng
likes to “deng,” or bounce, and her giddy bouncing has appeared
all over social media in countless memes. Her image has been
used by sports teams and businesses.
The hippo, now 4 months old, has drawn a huge amount of visitors
to the zoo, which is around two-hour drive away from the capital
Bangkok. The zoo estimated it has received 3,000 to 5,000
visitors a day on average in the past few months, and it's
selling clothes, bedding and other merchandise based on Moo
Deng.
Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi has said the increasing income
from Moo Deng will help its breeding programs for many
endangered species like the pygmy hippopotamus, which is
threatened by poaching and loss of habitat. The species is
native to West Africa and there are only 2,000-3,000 of them
left in the wild.
The zoo sits on 800 hectares (almost 2,000 acres) of land and is
home to more than 2,000 animals.
All four versions of the Moo Deng song are available on YouTube
and streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.
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