Viral Baby Pygmy Hippo Moo Deng Is So Popular She's Working on Obtaining Her Own Patent

Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand hopes to get "more income to support activities that will make the animals' lives better" with the baby pygmy hippo trademark

Better get those Moo Deng memes out of your system!

In an interview with the Associated Press published on Thursday, Sept. 19, zookeeper Atthapon Nundee of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand revealed that viral baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng may get her own patent after skyrocketing to internet fame over the past few weeks.

The zookeeper shared that by trademarking "Moo Deng the hippo," the zoo can prevent others from capitalizing on the animal and may be able to obtain "more income to support activities that will make the animals' lives better."

Since going viral from adorable posts on the zoo's Instagram and TikTok accounts, Moo Deng, the pygmy hippopotamus, has appeared almost everywhere. Brands like Sephora and the New York Mets have used her likeness.

The Thai zoo funds multiple breeding programs for endangered species — including one for clouded leopards — and hopes to support these conservation projects by patenting the popular animal's image and selling branded merchandise.

Related: Runaway Zoo Capybara Spotted Frolicking in Field Days After Her Escape: 'Living Her Best Life'

When it comes to Moo Deng's fame, Nundee said, "It was beyond expectation. I wanted people to know her. I wanted a lot of people to visit her, or watch her online, or leave fun comments. I never would've thought [of this]."

The baby pygmy hippo is about two months old and has increased the number of visitors to the zoo. AP states that the zoo now welcomes over 4,000 visitors during the week, an increase from around 800 people. The weekend sees over three times as many guests as usual, with about 10,000 people visiting the animal park.

Now, because of Moo Deng's surging popularity, zoo guests are limited to a 5-minute visit to her habitat on Saturdays and Sundays to ensure that everybody gets a peek at the animal without stressing her out.

The pygmy hippopotamus is an endangered species with a decreasing population due to poaching and habitat changes, according to the IUCN Red List. Experts estimate there are 2,000-3,000 mature pygmy hippos left in the wild.

Related: Woman Jumps Fence at N.J. Zoo and Tries to Touch 500 Lb. Bengal Tiger, Police Searching for Her

In a separate interview with The Guardian, Nundee, who began sharing videos of zoo animals on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, said he set a goal to make the hippo "famous" the moment he saw Moo Deng, whose name translates to "bouncy pig," but has been blown away by the reception.

"I thought she could be famous in Thailand but not internationally," he said.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

The outlet credits the baby hippo's fame to the zoo's TikTok account, which currently has 2.7 million followers. Two pinned videos of Moo Deng on the account have accumulated 34 million and 29.1 million views, respectively. The account's most recent video gathered 442.6 thousand views in just three hours.

"I hope that the cuteness of Moo-Deng will raise awareness for people to come and learn about [the species]," Nundee shared.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.