Terminally ill Thai boy gets final wish to see viral pygmy hippo Moo Deng
A six-year-old Thai boy with terminal cancer was able to fulfill his ultimate wish — to see the adorable pygmy hippo, Moo Deng, in person before his death.
Moo Deng (Thai for ‘bouncy pork’)took over social mediain 2024, and it’s not hard to see why. The adorable hippo’s playful and mischievous nature made her a fan-favorite at Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo after her birth in July that year.
It wasn’t long before photos and videos of the infant animal went viral, doubling the number of attendees at the zoo. Deng remains an icon nearly a year later, and although she’s a little bit bigger now, she’sstill a bonafide divawho’s stealing hearts across the net.
In fact, she’s so famous that one Thai boy’s last wish in his life was to see her in-person.
A post shared by ขาหมู แอนด์เดอะแก๊ง (@khamoo.andthegang)
Thai zoo helps terminally ill boy see Moo Deng as his last wish
Nong Auto was a six-year-old boy who wasdiagnosed with terminal cancer. For a long time, he’d wanted to visit the Kaho Kheow Open Zoo to see the famous hippo for himself.
Auto’s medical team reportedly reached out to the zoo in late 2024, expressing the boy’s wish to see Moo Deng and detailing his health issues.
In January 2025, around the Lunar New Year, Auto was finally able to meet Moo Deng. The zoo’s official Instagram accountposted photosof his visit to their page on June 2, along with a post detailing how they were able to make the experience unforgettable for him.
Not only did he get to see Moo Deng; he even got to pet a Capybara, and picked out a Capybara souvenir from the gift shop.
“We were very happy to be a part of creating happiness for you,” the zoo wrote. “Little Auto was a lovely boy, very bright, cute and talkative. There were doctors following to take care of him. Everyone wanted to do their best for him.”
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They finished the post by revealing that Auto’s doctors had contacted them to break the news that the boy had died from his cancer.
“Today, the medical team that took care of him informed us that he had died. Well, we didn’t think it would be so soon. That was a fun day and the little one was very happy. Lastly, via the zoo, condolences to the family of Little Auto, a boy from Chaturapat, who looks like a lion.”
The post has racked up over 15K likes as sympathetic comments continue to roll in from fans two weeks later, heartbroken over the news but happy that Moo Deng was able to bring him joy in his final days.
“Moo Deng really brings smiles and means a lot,” one wrote. “The simple act of seeing beloved animals can bring such happiness. RIP.”
“Rest in peace sweet Auto. What a beautiful moment you were able to give him. Blessings and peace to his family,” another said.
