Pygmy Hippopotamus: The Rarest Species That Conquered the Internet with Its Unexpected Kindness (8 pics)

If 2023 could be called the year of the capybara, then in 2024 the Internet was conquered by the baby pygmy hippopotamus Mu Deng from the Thai Zoo. The cheeky hippopotamus charmingly bit the keepers with her toothless mouth, which conquered the Internet.





She became so popular that visitors were allowed to watch her for no more than five minutes. It is understandable, just look at this beauty! Looking at her, you can’t understand how such a concentration of cuteness even survived in the wild! And not just anywhere, but in Africa!



This is the same hippopotamus Mu Deng. Her name translates as "Jumping Pig". She got it for her activity and love of life.

The pygmy hippopotamus, mwe-mwe, nigbwe, or water cow is a mini version of the regular hippopotamus. How "mini"? Let's count. The average weight of a standard hippopotamus is 1.6-2 tons. The average weight of a tiny hippopotamus is 180-200 kg. It turns out that the nigbwe is 10 times smaller than its big brother!





What are rubber duckies for? Give me a pygmy hippopotamus in the bath instead!

And a million times cuter! Even adult animals have pre-childish faces: streamlined shapes without protruding eyebrows and nostrils, big eyes, chubby cheeks. You just want to cuddle them!



Mom came to find out from the math teacher why I got a C for the quarter.

The mwe-mwe has the appropriate character. The hippopotamus is like a shy first-grader: at any trouble it hurries to retreat. The little ones do not get into fights with their own kind or with other species - so far there has not been a single recorded attack by pygmy hippos on a person with a fatal outcome. By the way, attacks by full-sized hippos cause the death of up to 500 people annually.



At the same time, the teeth of pygmy hippos are not small - the fangs reach several tens of centimeters.

In addition to proportions and pacifism, pygmy hippos differ from standard ones in their way of life. Scientists say that wild representatives live in the swamps and forests of West Africa. They live alone or in small family groups. Instead of nibbling aquatic vegetation, the animals wander through the forests in search of juicy shoots. In reservoirs, the animals rest after a long walk through the jungle.



They say that people don't notice an elephant in the room. In that case, they certainly won't notice a pygmy hippopotamus in a swamp!

So, you can cuddle even a wild hippopotamus? After all, they're completely safe? Of course not! The animals are well aware of their small size, and so as not to have to explain it every time, they've learned to hide well. So well that we've gotten almost all of our information about the behavior of the nymphs from observing animals in zoos.



The photo shows Mu Deng and her mother. The popularity of hippos has grown so much that some "fans" threw various things into the enclosure to attract the animal's attention.

They are so defenseless that golden cats and civets hunt baby pygmy hippos. These are predators the size of a large Maine Coon! Not to mention leopards, pythons, and crocodiles, which can easily eat adult Nigbwe. People also hunt tiny hippos. Adults are hunted for meat, and babies are hunted as exotic pets. Of course, it is illegal. But has that ever stopped anyone?



As you can see, the life of the Mwe-Mwe in the wild is far from sweet. According to scientists, there are currently about 2,500 individuals left in the forests and swamps. But in fairness, the population of mini-hippos was unlikely to have ever been large - a larger number of animals simply could not survive and reproduce across the continent. This world is too harsh for such kind-hearted creatures.