Currently, the only joy left on the site formerly known as Twitter may be Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippopotamus who was born in July at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand.
Curly and noisy, like a fast-moving potato with legs that are way too short, Moo Deng – whose name means “bouncy pork” – is entertaining the Internet with a video of a baby hippopotamus disturbing its long-suffering mother by holding a garden hose as she takes a shower and angrily it devours everything it sees with its budding teeth. If ever star power could be condensed into a small larva-like mammal with bulging eyes, it is Moo Deng.
Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we don’t have many young pygmy hippos. But we have many zoos and wildlife centers with their own animal stars. They may not be as cute and young as Moo Deng – hell, they could be 140 years older – but they are fun and fascinating in their own way.
Here are seven local alternatives to Moo Deng that will help you survive until you get a plane ticket to Thailand:
1. Showers
Showers, a northern fur seal pup, is treated at the Marine Mammal Center in Marin in 2024. (Giancarlo Rulli/The Marine Mammal Center)
Showers is a northern fur seal pup rescued in San Luis Obispo County this September. The 15-pound creature is currently being treated at Marin’s Marine Mammal Center, which feeds it a mixture of ground herring and “fish cocktail” until it is healthy enough to be released. “The male gets along well with other seals of a similar age, although he is still a little hesitant to spend time in the rehabilitation pool,” says Giancarlo Rulli, deputy director of public relations at the center.
The Marine Mammal Center, open Friday through Monday at 2000 Bunker Road in Fort Cronkhite in the Marin Headlands, is free of charge, but tickets must be reserved at www.marinemammalcenter.org. Showers may not be available due to his rehabilitation, but you can watch TV broadcasts of rehab patients and sights of other rescued marine mammals from the observation deck.
2. OJ
OJ the turtle is the oldest resident at the Oakland Zoo. (California Conservation Society/Oakland Zoo)
OJ Aldabra the turtle is the oldest resident of the Oakland Zoo, and although he is over 140 years old, living much longer than Moo Deng, OJ has a charm all his own. “Of the three large males, OJ is the loudest, especially in the morning hours,” says Isabella Linares, marketing manager at the Conservation Society of California. “He can often be found in nightclubs, looking out the window. We think he might want to watch the audience because Aldabra tortoises have good color vision.”
The Oakland Zoo had another contender for Moo Deng status – Briar, a rescued mountain lion cub, but the baby lion was deemed too dorky. He can’t even keep his tongue in his mouth:
Rescued Briar mountain lion cub at the Oakland Zoo. (California Conservation Society/Oakland Zoo)
Visit OJ, Briar and their animal neighbors at the Oakland Zoo, open daily at 9777 Golf Links Road. Ticket prices vary and must be purchased in advance at www.oaklandzoo.org.
3. Mr. Ryszard
Lord Richard pictured at the Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek. (Lindsay’s Wildlife Experience)
Lord Richard is another ancient yet magnetic creature from the Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek. It’s a 50-year-old turkey vulture – the oldest known member of its species – and was thought to be male… until it laid an egg. His keepers then performed a test and discovered that it was biologically a male, so everyone still doesn’t know where the egg came from. Lord Richard has made his mark on humans and doesn’t get along well with the other vultures, but he has a great time entertaining the crowds on his perch, looking like something grumpy from Hayao Miyazaki’s world.
The wildlife center is open Wednesday through Sunday at 1931 First Ave. in Walnut Creek. Tickets are $15-$17; lindsaywildlife.org.
4. Little Mebo
Little Mebo is a one-year-old endangered female red panda located in the Red Panda Gardens treehouse at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. (SF Zoo and Gardens)
Little Mebo is a one-year-old endangered female red panda located in the Red Panda Gardens treehouse at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. Little Mebo likes chewing bamboo, climbing and making friends on Instagram. One fan writes: “She’s so cute and so tiny!!! hello mebo!!! and her little paws.
The zoo is open daily on the corner of Sloat Boulevard at the Great Highway in San Francisco. Tickets are $20-$31; www.sfzoo.org.
5-6. Vangy and Vaky
Vangy and Vaky are ring-tailed lemur brothers from Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in San Jose. (Marianna Hale)
Vangy and Vaky are ring-tailed lemur brothers from Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in San Jose. At 28 and 27 years old, they are living their golden years and living their best lives – they can often be seen sunbathing, napping together or enjoying their favorite treats.
“I would say they are generally very laid back, and that’s what gives them their special star power,” says Caitlin O’Hara, the zoo’s conservation and communications manager. “They may not quite have the energy of Moo Deng, but in their own way they’re relatable and memorable, and they’re damn cute.”
Happy Hollow is open daily through October and on select dates in November at 748 Story Road in San Jose. Tickets are $18; happyhollow.org.
7. Unequal
Lumpy is an animal ambassador for the Sunol Wilderness Regional Reserve. (Facebook/Sunol Wilderness Regional Reserve)
Lumpy is a 5-foot-long Pacific ground squirrel snake and an “animal ambassador” for the regional Sunol Wilderness, where he lives a peaceful life behind glass. Gopher snakes are non-venomous constrictors, which means they do not hunt by biting things, but by squeezing the life out of them. Lumpy’s name probably comes from the bulges that appear after eating mice. When threatened, these reptiles shake their tails like rattlesnakes, but this is as dangerous as it gets. Fun fact: Del Valle Regional Park is also home to an animal ambassador gopher snake called Julius Squeezer.
The park is open every day; The visitor center is open Friday to Sunday. The center is partially under construction and Lumpy may not be visible, but is removed during nature talks. More information can be found at www.ebparks.org.
