We all knew it was just a matter of time before I started writing about baby pygmy hippos on this blog, and here we are. That’s right, I’m talking about the Thailand Khao Kheow Open Zoo’s most famous resident: Moo Deng. Only two months old and already Miss Deng has a Wikipedia page, extensive online following, and has even spawned a Sephora ad campaign. The kid is so small she has to be put into the food trough in order to reach the food, so uncoordinated that she often struggles to climb out of her pool without slipping back into the water, and so frickin’ adorable that I absolutely cannot stand it! And perhaps best of all is her name, which means “bouncing pig” or “pork patty.” You had me at oink. Not wanting to miss out on one of the greatest stories in our collective history, The Washington Post reached out to researchers and academics to help us understand the science behind why we find Moo Deng so utterly captivating:
Survival of the cutest? Moo Deng and other baby animals spark adoring reactions worldwide because their cuteness hijacks our brains, studies show. The animals’ human baby-like features strike at people’s ingrained nurturing instinct — something scientists think is an evolutionary trait that has allowed the human species to survive across millennia. “When we see these infantile features — those big eyes, large foreheads, small chins and pudgy bodies — we interpret that as helplessness and as dependency and it motivates us to care for them,” said Daniel Kruger, a research scientist in evolutionary psychology at the University of Michigan and the State University of New York at Buffalo. “And it’s so powerful that it happens across species.”
‘Baby Schema’ 101: In 1943, Konrad Lorenz, an Austrian ethologist and biologist, first proposed the concept of the “baby schema,” or the blueprint of features that induce our cuteness perception. Since then, a multitude of research has confirmed that humans gravitate toward these universally appealing qualities of chubby cheeks, stubby noses, small bodies and big eyes. A study published in 2009 found that the “baby schema” triggers both men and women’s motivation for caretaking. That cuteness, another study found, affected adults even if they were not parents themselves.
Good looks attract parental care: Kruger has tested this cross-species phenomenon in his research. In a study, he showed participants photos of recently hatched birds and reptiles. The infants belonging to four semi-precocial animal species — or those that require parental care — were rated higher in attractiveness, cuteness and helplessness than those belonging to super-precocial animal species — or animals that don’t require parental care. These semi-precocial birds and reptiles also sparked greater nurturing reactions, with people saying they were more likely to want to hold them and adopt them.
Moo Deng fits the bill: David Barash, an evolutionary biologist and emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Washington, also said the “baby schema” could help explain why Moo Deng’s clumsy antics — whether it’s twitching in her sleep, showing off her tiny teeth or generally being dramatic — have become inescapable online. … “Her stubby nose, large eyes, very inconspicuous ears, and her body being sort of relatively contained are appealing,” Barash said. “And it actually might be why hippos are so popular and seem adorable even when they’re adults — despite the fact that hippos in Africa kill more human beings than any other vertebrate.”
Props to David Barash at the end there for the epic buzzkill of “despite the fact that hippos in Africa kill more human beings than any other vertebrate.” I salute your contrarianism. But never fear, our slippery little floof Moo Deng is here to bring joy! Disney better be working on Fantasia III because this girl was positively made to star in her own hippo ballet! As for what these scientists say, I can affirm that they are 100% right: I do want to pet and cuddle and hold and take care of that compact package of helplessness! I’ve been in the dumps about recently going from childless dog lady to childless dogless dog lady, but I think the universe is trying to tell me that it would absolutely be the right time and hassle-free to adopt a baby pygmy hippo instead. Childless pygmy hippo lady!! Moo Deng is obviously too much of a celebrity now to be adopted, but she was born with siblings Pork Stew and Sweet Pork who I’m sure would like to get out from under her shadow. I’d welcome those little dumplings with open arms. Just call me Moo Phom Yik, which Google tells me is Thai for “Curly Hair Pork.”
นอนหลับขี้มูกโป่งเป็นอย่างนี้นี่เอง@doxzillaworld
pic.twitter.com/BMKlrdii8g
— Next Step (@samrujlok) September 18, 2024
Cute baby hippo in khao kheow zoo thailand #moodeng #หมูเด้ง #khaokheowzoo pic.twitter.com/Tc8nvN7DxP
— สวนสัตว์เปิดเขาเขียว Khao Kheow Open Zoo (@kkopzoo) September 18, 2024
I’m n luv with a hippo pic.twitter.com/Ca52xjIzxD
— T-Pain (@TPAIN) September 18, 2024
Which Moo Deng are you today? pic.twitter.com/giwJHaHHet
— (@twaniimals) September 19, 2024