Thailand’s viral female baby pygmy hippo, Moo Deng, has put her soothsaying skills to the test by predicting Donald Trump will prevail over Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s US presidential election.
The three-month-old Moo Deng, which means “bouncy pork” in Thai, skyrocketed to social media stardom after her adorable videos became a hit on TikTok and Instagram, inspiring memes, souvenirs and business opportunities.
On Monday, the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province released a video showing the internet sensation being offered two dishes of carved fruit, each adorned with the names of Trump and Harris.
Moo Deng picked the Republican candidate by eagerly devouring the Trump-labelled treat. Both Trump and Democratic Vice-President Harris have been locked in a tight contest for the presidency.
Opinion polls indicate a deadlock, but while these can’t definitively predict the winner, many social media users viewed the zoo’s event as a refreshing distraction from a rambunctious presidential campaign often characterised by violent rhetoric, misogynistic attacks, and misinformation.
