In brief
In a year filled with unique animal personalities, Moo Deng the pygmy hippo and an adorable king penguin named Pesto emerged as social media sensations, providing both entertainment and reflection of the chaotic human world around them.
The Animal Celebrities Who Surprised, Soothed and Screamed at Us in 2024. Moo Deng the pygmy hippo, Flaco the escaped eagle-owl, Charlotte the maybe-pregnant stingray — they distracted us from the messy human world but were also clear reflections of it. Hippo holidays from Moo Deng, the pygmy hippopotamus who became a viral sensation this year. Every year has its breakout stars, and 2024 yielded a bumper crop: Glen Powell, Chappell Roan, Pommel Horse Guy. But only one had a body that was routinely compared to a potato. She was slippery, she was feisty, she was named after a type of pork meatball. She was, of course, Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo who rocketed to fame so fast that at just 2 months old she inspired a character on “Saturday Night Live.” She wasn’t the only nonhuman newsmaker this year. Indeed, 2024 was the year that animals seemed to do it all, becoming A-list celebrities, political weapons, and cautionary tales. Along the way, they often served as welcome distractions from the messy human world — but also clear reflections of it.Here is a look at the creatures that broke the internet (and sometimes our hearts) in 2024. The social media sensations. It’s a tale as old as time: Baby zoo animal is born, baby zoo animal is posted online, baby zoo animal goes viral. This year, an enormous king penguin chick named Pesto — a 50-pound tower of downy brown fluff at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, in Australia — became a textbook case. Moo Deng with her mother, Jona, receiving a bath from Atthapon Nundee, the zookeeper and author of Moo Deng’s viral videos, at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in November.
