As Bo Burnham said in Welcome to the Internet, “Anything that brain of yours can think of can be found” online. Whether it’s good, bad, or straight-up bizarre, the Internet can often be a very chaotic sensory overload created to consume our focus. Timelines flooded with barrages of terrible news, or perhaps arguments with faceless profiles that wind up only ruining one’s mood overwhelm users. While the internet has its positives, its constant negativity can make us need a break. However, instead of going offline, we often turn to more wholesome content-centered accounts to brighten our spirits. And, on some occasions, the lighthearted content happens to find us.
In this case, Moo Deng and Pesto have found millions of users.
Moo Deng
Moo Deng was born on July 10th, 2024 at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. Though she is just three months old, the pygmy hippo immediately became a fan favorite among locals due to her energetic nature, which sets her apart from other hippos.
Online images of her went viral when she was just two months old, garnering support and love from people all over the world. In fact, Moo Deng became so popular that the number of daily visitors to the zoo doubled as of September, prompting the zoo to actually begin selling merchandise with the pygmy hippo’s likeness.
As is customary for internet-famous animals, Moo Deng’s chaotic nature led to edits like this one to be made of her:
And beyond simply being a chaotic icon, Moo Deng has also inspired people to imitate her look (in this case, in the form of a Halloween costume):
Funnily enough, Moo Deng has even caused a stir during this U.S election cycle. She was presented with two fruit dishes, each carved with the names of the United States’ presidential candidates, as a way to try and predict the results of the elections. Her selection of the Trump fruit dish actually sparked arguments about whether she was showing her support for Trump by eating it, or if she supported Harris and ate the Trump dish as an act of protest.
Regardless of her political leanings, Miss Moo Deng has made a name for herself online and has brought happiness and laughter to all who watch her content. In case you’re interested, her home zoo has a 24/7 Moo Deng livestream you can watch here.
Pesto
Pesto, on the other hand, is a king penguin that was hatched on January 30th, 2024 and is a resident of the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Australia. Though he was fathered by Blake, an older king penguin of the aquarium, Pesto has been raised by his foster parents, Tango and Hudson.
Pesto has been stealing hearts since April, though fame truly found him after his gender was revealed to the public in September, given his abnormally large size for a penguin chick: 49 pounds and 35 inches tall! His size has been attributed to both his genetics – his biological dad, Blake, is the aquarium’s largest king penguin – and his foster parents’ care.
Though Pesto is still an absolute unit, his caregivers estimate that he will slim down to approximately 33 pounds after he molts his baby fluff – a process that’s already underway. Lately, Pesto has been seen with a brand-new look worthy of a red carpet, caused by the shedding of his adorable brown fluff. In just a few weeks, we’re sure to witness the emergence of a far sleeker Pesto, who will definitely continue garnering the affections of all those who witness his magnificently massive presence.
As of writing this article, the spotlight hasn’t been as prevalent on both of these lovely beings. Unfortunately, my feed has stopped showing me much of them, but I still managed to find out about Moo Deng’s political alignment and Pesto’s dramatic new look in time to write this article.
So if you’re ever feeling overwhelmed with all the negativity online, I wholeheartedly endorse looking up Moo Deng and Pesto for a nice breather!