Pygmy hippos are incredibly rare in captive collections and in the wild — but San Franciscans are lucky enough to have one of these small hippos within city limits.
We’re living in a time rife with political turmoil and global uncertainty. But we, too, are lucky enough to exist alongside the likes of Moo Deng — the very small, very cute baby pygmy hippo that has taken the internet, our hearts, and our meme libraries by storm.
At just two months old, the budding baby pygmy hippo has enjoyed more fame than most contemporary pop stars inside her and her mother’s enclosure at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand. She’s appeared on Vogue, along with a litany of other international publications, digital and otherwise.
Moo Deng is already an icon — a legend, and she is the moment. (I mean, SNL has already spoofed her famous sass and slippery body, all while mashing up social commentary on Chappel Roan’s recent controversial takes on notoriety and the nation’s political landscape.) But let’s not forget, too, that San Francisco has its pygmy hippo, albeit one that’s more mature.
Everyone, here’s your reminder that a male pygmy hippopotamus named “Udo” — which translates to “peace” in Igbo — became the first of this rare species to be kept at the zoo in nearly 20 years.
The San Francisco Zoo and Gardens lil’ bb hippo — one of only two species of hippopotamus left on earth, the other being the much larger common hippo that can reach weights nearly five times those of a pygmy hippo — went on exhibit behind the Lion House in October of 2022. One of just a handful of captive pygmy hippos in the country, Udo represents a critically endangered species; less than 3,000 pygmy hippos are estimated to be left in their West African habitats, with illegal poaching and deforestation being the primary culprits behind their dwindling numbers.
Unlike Moo Deng, Udo debuted to the public when he was already two years old; Moo Deng first debuted to the public when she was merely months old, still exhibiting the playful, almost puppy-like behavior all species of hippos exhibit in their first year or so of life; pygmy hippos reach maturity slower than common hippos, with most individuals becoming sexually reproductive around four or five years old.
Pygmy hippos are also slow to start eating solid vegetation, but will mimic their mother’s chewing pattern in prepareth — it’s why the internet went wild over Moo Deng’s cute “air chewing” will start eating vegetation and will reach maturity between 4 and 5 years of age. Their lifespan in zoos is between 30 – 55 years. They are primarily active in the cooler hours of the night, foraging on land, and spending the majority of their waking hours in the water to escape the heat of the day. Or they’re sleeping in burrows. Or napping in wallows next to a water source.
No matter what state of stimulation Udo is in, he remains an absolute treat and gem and adorable social media darling to fawn over.
