BANGKOK (AFP): A Thai man broke into the zoo enclosure of Moo Deng, an endangered baby pygmy hippo and internet sensation, police said Wednesday, as the zoo filed a trespassing complaint.
Moo Deng -- whose name translates as "bouncy pork" -- has gained global attention thanks to social media videos showing her adorable antics, drawing tens of thousands of visitors and boosting zoo ticket sales.
Khao Kheow Open Zoo, about a two-hour drive from the capital Bangkok, said a Thai national had unlawfully entered the animal's pen on Tuesday.
Footage of the close encounter released by local media showed a man wearing a tank top, shorts and sandals inside the enclosure and recording Moo Deng with a tablet.
Zoo staff took about 10 minutes to remove the man from the pen, which also houses Moo Deng's mother, local media reported.
"The individual entered a restricted animal area," the zoo said in a statement.
It would "pursue legal action without exception" and added that Moo Deng was unharmed but "slightly startled" by the incident.
Police told AFP the intruder, a man who visited the zoo with his grandnephew, had wanted a closer look at the animal.
"We have initiated a trespassing case," said local investigating officer Athiwat Siralertthakorn.
No arrest has been made so far, he added.
Under Thai law, trespassers face up to one year in jail, a fine of up to 20,000 baht ($618) or both.
The pygmy hippo calf, which marked its first birthday in July, has inspired merchandise and memes since first going viral online in 2024.
Moo Deng has even featured in a beauty campaign by cosmetics giant Sephora, highlighting her glowing, peach-toned face. -- AFP
