September 27, 2024: Considering the non-stop worldwide hype of Thailand’s newborn pygmy hippopotamus, criticism from those fighting for animal rights was always to be expected. And it has arrived, though not with a bang.
“There’s nothing cute about a baby being born in captivity,” PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker has posted on PETA Asia’s Facebook. “Hippos belong in the wild, but Moo Deng will never live outside a cage. She faces a lifetime of confinement, deprived of her freedom and the opportunity to experience her natural habitat and the social structures of her species.”
That was a few days ago, and the statement might have done little to hamper the international rock-star status of the baby hippopotamus who has generated countless Internet memes, articles on world-famous news cites and won a mock US presidential election against Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
Memes and mock TV elections are not activities that directly affect Moo Deng’s daily life, but they helped amplify curiosity of those who could afford to go to the zoo and see her in the flesh.
“Animals do not exist for our entertainment,” the PETA vice president continued. “Breeding them for public display perpetuates their suffering. PETA calls for an end to this cruel cycle and on zoos to prioritise conservation efforts that protect animals in nature – where they truly belong.”
Such criticism might even fuel the frenzy, some say. However, cautious measures are taking place against a backdrop of overwhelming zoo visits that are disturbing her routines.
Daily updates of local and global events by Tulsathit Taptim
