The zoo defended its care for Moo Deng, arguing the baby hippo receives the best possible care and is part of a conservation programme Thailand has dismissed as outdated, animal rights group Peta's accusations that an internet-famous female baby pygmy hippo "faces a lifetime of confinement" at a local zoo cashing in on the mammal's stardom.

Moo Deng is biting back at fame. The viral pigmy hippo has racked up millions of views online from adoring fans who can’t get over her cuteness — but in real life, she’s been a naughty girl. A late September video shot inside months-old Moo Deng’s enclosure within Thailand’s Chonburi zoo showed the feisty female coming at her caretaker,

Baby hippo, Moo Deng, has become a viral sensation, with her adorable photos and videos flooding social media and even earning a skit on Saturday Night Live.