Moo Deng, Pesto, And Nibi: What Made These Animals Go Globally Viral?

Even if you don’t spend hours a day scrolling social media, you’ve likely encountered some reference to one (or more) of three animals that have attracted attention around the world in recent weeks.

Before we get into why they’re so popular, perhaps a bit of introduction is in order:

• Moo Deng: We’ll start with the pygmy hippo born about two months ago at a zoo in Thailand. All it took was a few social media posts to send her into online superstardom, racking up 33 million views and even inspiring a bit on “Saturday Night Live.”
• Pesto: A 9-month-old king penguin at an aquarium in Melbourne, Australia, gained popularity when the public got a glimpse of just how big he is. Despite his young age, this flightless chick has grown to be at least twice as large as either of his parents.
• Nibi: There’s more behind this 2-year-old beaver’s story than just a memorable expression or an extra-large stature. She was rescued as a baby but a court battle ensued that could have forced her to be released into the wild. Thousands supported an effort to keep Nibi at the rescue out of concern for her safety.

Each of these animals became popular for different reasons, but experts say there’s a common thread running through all three cases.

University of Washington psychology professor emeritus David Barash chalked it up to “baby schema,” which describes the innate human desire to treat things with a similar appearance to a baby “favorably” and “to see them as especially cute.”

“Mammals are favorably inclined toward individuals that have infant-like traits: large heads, big eyes relative to those heads, rounded features, and typically an awkward gait,” he said.

Communications professor Matthew Grizzard noted that each animal’s unique story only increased the public’s curiosity and concern.

Chris Agee October 9th, 2024

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