#poor moo deng

[somewhatstacey]

This is actually funnier than the meme I was trying to share

[bongwaterbunny]

i am actually going insane over this. it is horrifying how obviously distressed that poor, and im going to hold your hand when i say this, BABY. HIPPO. is in all the pictures i see of her. she is a BABY. no, she is not biting her handler for fun. she is not running away for jokes. it isnt cute when she is literally showing aggressive behaviour due to mistreatment and harassment, and it is genuinely disgusting how many people dont realize or dont care.

[shelikespretties]

I had noticed the rough handling and wondered whether anyone else had noticed, so I'm glad to see this post. The way animals are treated is very different in other parts of the world, and it makes me appreciate how, even though there are some awful examples in the US, on the whole, zoos and wildlife centers do well with caring for animals.

Moo Deng is adorable on her own, without being poked. I hope the keepers at the zoo can get some help from experts.

Not to be a killjoy (though it is what I do best) but the unsafe and rough handling of a baby Pygmy hippo in a pretty substandard Thai zoo being meme-ed into something funny and cute really shows just how much groupthink plays into public perception of animal welfare.

Moo Deng shows avoidance, threat displays and stress around her keepers that are constantly man-handling her, blasting her with a hose and harassing her. The enclosure is mostly concrete, which is horrible for her soft feet. There looks to be some substrate but there doesn’t seem to be any areas for wallowing or deep water wading.

There’s also very easy access of this hippo to the public with no places to hide. I’d love if someone could shed more light on the enclosures but from what I’ve seen it’s not great.

Also the free contact and forcing into tubs that the keepers do is only going to create an avoidant and potentially aggressive and dangerous Pygmy hippo.

But the public happily overlook that because she’s cute. It’s a similar attitude with seals too.

Stop rewarding bad husbandry with clout. Baby animals deserve agency and respect and to grow up without getting harassed and feeling the need to defend themselves constantly.

[morgueknight]

i made a bunch of stickers i wanna add to the store but two arent super timely anymore how are we feeling about moo deng and baby pesto still?

twitters been pissed at moo deng and pestos losing all this baby fluffies

[beescrafting]

MOREEEE HAUNTED GLASS FANART

mWAHAHA @hexxedghost

mhm Roach <3

Roach would have a snapchat and would post about going to bother spooky before it jumps to roach running down a street with the text: 'I'VE FUCKED UP- SPOOKIES PISSSED GET HIS JOHNNY'

I just personally love Moo deng.

this demon fuck is in my dreams now.

as anyone would say seeing ghost from the behind, 'DAMN'

I love this moment from the fanfic, and like omggggg all I can think about is his face dripping blood like a dog from a dog fighting thingy. (Poor Phillip learning the hard way once again, fuck around find out.)

chibby

Johnny feeling Ghost keeping stabbed (that expersion makes me giggle)

POV me seeing the discord server thingy but being to young to join. (also me reading johnny's chapter, or really the full fic.)

[lumsel]

Moo Deng discourse is a wild ride. Look at this adorable baby hippo. Sike! The baby hippo is being mistreated and held in poor conditions! Or, wait, maybe the zoo is actually doing fine and the critics are misinformed and maybe racist! Who of these two groups is correct? You sure as shit don't know enough about zoos to say for sure!!

Times like these i sure am glad I don't actually have to have a take on the baby hippo. Phew!! Sure is funny looking though!

[hypoxia-ofthe-heart]

Don't shoot the messenger😭

Friendship ended with Moo Deng

[chaoscrow1]

Ideas for the big three Gijinka's I'll never use.

Pesto: Often wears a large, puffy coat and pants. Is regularly the most sane one of the friend group, but can get huffy when people don't listen to him. He's a fairly big eater of fish and the like, mostly because he needs the energy due to workouts. He comes from a family of Emperors, so often feels constricted by the imposed rules and guidelines set by his family. Often makes fun of Moo Deng due to their difference in height.

Moo Deng: Small, angry goblin with a bit of chub, which is pretty normal for her family. Wears a similar, but not as puffy coat as pesto that's very gray. She's pretty small, which often is the trigger people set off by accident, often drawing out her incredulous rage. Despite her bursts of anger, they're most intense when she's protecting her friends from even the most minor of insults. To her, no one besides her gets to bully her friends. She regularly gets into fights with Pesto by challenging him to a variety of games.

Hua Hua: A very sleepy girl with a surprisingly expensive taste in everything. Her clothes are all named brands, and her diet is very strict. She often naps around, enjoying her comforts, but is surprisingly kind. She often donates to the poor and random charities, and doesn't mind handing out her old clothes to those who need them more, always saying "I can always buy more clothes, but they can't. It's only fair". Hua Hua wasn't very good in school, but her street smarts are unmatched, and when it comes to relationships she's often the one turned to first.

[the-casbah-way]

people love videos of able bodied animals being psychologically tormented for laughs (yeti the cat, moo deng) but the second they see a visibly disabled animal that is clearly happy and thriving they're like 'put this poor thing out of its misery'

[et-cetacea]

Video from the official Twitter of Noboribetsu Marine Park Nixe regarding the new, but temporary display of a captured frilled shark. The original post reads as follows,

We have delivered the rare deep sea shark "frilled shark"! The frilled sharks, collected off the coast of Shiraoi, Hokkaido on November 8th, were donated by the Shiraoi Branch of the Iburi Central Fisheries Cooperative. It is extremely rare to find this species in Hokkaido. Due to the specimen's poor condition it will only be on display for a limited time, but it is currently on display in the Aqua Tunnel cold current tank.

The following update+photo was posted the next day (today).

[Announcement of the end of the frilled shark exhibit] We have ended the exhibit of the frilled shark that was on display from yesterday. This morning, the frilled shark occasionally swam in the tank, but it was often just drifting. For this reason, we ended the exhibit and moved it to a tank in the back yard. From now on, we will raise it in the back yard and consider how to make use of this precious specimen, which is likely to be the first record of its kind in Hokkaido.

I'm not going to lie, I'm not overly comfortable with this video or the fact that it was put on display despite its suffering. If the shark was an unfortunate product of bycatch and wouldn't have lived regardless, why keep it alive for people to see rather than just ending its life quickly? Even if it's a rare sight, it still seems cruel.

I will say that I don't know a lot about the park, nor was I able to find any decent pictures outside of mostly close-ups of the animals from their official Instagram- I tend to be instantly skeptical of aquariums the moment I see they do dolphin and seal circus shows, but yeah.

If anyone has information they wanna share about frilled sharks (esp those in the Hokkaido area) or this park in particular, I'd love to hear it! Especially if I've said anything misleading;; I just wanted to share because while I find the visual quality of the shark interesting, I'm worried about the situation.

btw if you're going to reblog this, please ffs don't be racist. we don't need another moo deng scare. this isn't an "asian problem" and to pretend like white people over here in the united states (or anywhere else for that matter) aren't doing this sort of thing all the time is both ignorant and hypocritical.

[lionews]

“Is it me or are lion names like 794226128292’s weird as fuck (specifically making fun of lethal muts). Like im not trying to like cancel/call out this person or anything im just personally icked out and this was a good example I saw of this. Like give the poor cub a normal name (/not serious)”

(prefacing by saying I’m also not taking this super seriously, just my personal base thoughts on it while i’m killing time here)

Lethal names making a full community joke (ex: bacon harlequins, naming extra limbs spider names, cerberus themed two-headeds etc) are funny, but looking at that lipo specifically, it’s the description that irks me more than anything. like obviously it’s for a cub and it doesn’t matter, it just makes me wonder a bit. the whole “wow you’re such a fat piece of shit! i’m just gonna have fun calling you fat!” is a little weird to me, It reminds me of “mean girl” school humor a bit. Like obviously I’m not gonna bug you about your lions name/description, or pass personal judgement, but I’ve declined peoples trade offers i’ve liked because their lions are named some weird shit i’m uncomfortable with and i’d rather just avoid the person as a whole, offers included, unless we’re buying out a trade from each other.

Pretty similar, I have seen someone call their harlequin a burn victim? also not sure about how I feel about that, it seems mildly disrespectful, but people are free to name their lions what they’d like (within TOS) I might also just be personally sensitive to the subject, so i’ll assume that’s a me problem

missed opportunity to name the lipo moo-deng, smh.

.

[local-hellhound-steals-spaghetti]

Let's talk about zoo animal welfare for a second...

(And I want to preface this by saying I have a 4 year Bachelor degree in Animal Science (focusing in welfare and behaviour with a major in Canine and Equine Science) before I got sidetracked into zoo animals and did 3 internships working with wild canids, ungulates and marine mammals - this involved both hands on behaviour modification/desenitisation as well as hands off behavioural observation and welfare study. I worked for 2 years as a marine mammal specialist and worked specifically in facilities to improve husbandry, behavioural training and welfare practises.

I also worked in a facility in the Asia Pacific, working to improve welfare standards for bottlenose dolphins and continued to work with cetacean welfare researchers after this. I also did a course in zoo management, husbandry and welfare and this involved working in an accredited zoo facility learning things like exhibit design, behaviour management and husbandry with multiple species.)

So a few points to say about zoo animal welfare when discussing zoo standards and practises:

The average person does not have the expertise to do behaviour observation and welfare evaluation in zoo animals - that's why when the general public visits a zoo and says "the animal looks sad" it's worth being skeptical of that claim. But it doesn't mean a gut feeling about a zoo's quality can be completely invalid. Just that it might be worth researching further or seeking more information.

However, with experience, it is possible to analyse behaviour in the context of welfare. And context to that behaviour is always important (for example, Moo Deng showing stress related behaviour towards the specific context of being touched or followed around by her keeper - very much an indication of poor handling practises)

Poor animal husbandry and welfare is not limited to specific countries or regions, however it can be more normalised and accepted under the influnce of cultures and laws. Or even just the culture of the zoo itself such as the "this is the way we've always done it" places.

Being an accredited zoo is a start to good welfare, but it doesn't make any sort of welfare concern obsolete. And accreditation is supposed to ensure that welfare concerns are addressed but because they are mostly run as a volunteer based organisation, they often don't have resources to check into every concern (unless it's a government funded organisation)

A zoo contributing to conservation research is great, but not if it is at the expense of the animals' welfare - welfare should always be prioritised, with research and conservation efforts to follow.

Welfare is a state that is in flux. So a negative welfare state can move into positive welfare state under different influences.

There are multiple factors that influence zoo animal welfare: enclosure/habitat, expression of natural behaviour, guest interaction, diet, enrichment, water quality, hygeine ect. It'll rarely just be one factor, though it does depend how salient that factor is.

Just because a keeper or management of a zoo have been there for a long time, doesn't mean they can't be criticised - it is possible to be still using outdated practises and believing in methodologies and management practises that need updating - that's the whole point of continued education

Having limited resources can often impact welfare. Giving a facility the resources they need to improve is a good start to improving welfare.

Even if an animal is being handled in an inappropriate way for a short time, that doesn't mean that can't have long term implications for welfare eg. if every time your dog jumped on you when you got home and you smacked him in the face once before going on with your day, that doesn't mean that your dog won't learn negative associations with your arrival just because it was one time.

Best practise husbandry of zoo animals involves:

Use of positive reinforcement based voluntary husbandry and health care

All interaction based on choice and voluntary interaction that is reinforced with primary reinforcement such as food

Mostly hands off approaches for the species that require them (ungulates, large primates, large carnivores)

Relatively stable social groups with aggression only in specific situations/contexts that are normal for the species

Back areas for animals to rest outside of public view

Species appropriate habitats to meet species specific behaviour requirements

Five freedoms of welfare being met but goes above and beyond the bare minimum

Poor zoo animal husbandry involves animals:

Being forced into anything such as presentations, education programs, medical procedures/gating

Any use of physical punishment such as chasing, slapping, pushing or poking - negative reinforcement such as bull hooks are also fairly outdated in handling species like elephants

Being excessively handled, chased and touched/restrained for no reason (eg. for social media videos)

Showing signs of avoidance and aggression constantly towards their keepers

Have constant conflict happening in their social groups

Are living in enclosures that are not suitable for their specific specific needs - size is only one factor in this. Substrate, habitat design, water quality ect. are also things to consider.

Are too close to the public/at risk from the public

Have no areas to retreat from the public/rest away from potential stressors

Have no enrichment program/no daily enrichment

Those are all flags that there could be some poor welfare happening and that a zoo is not prioritising welfare

Okay there's the ramble of the day done. Feel free to ask questions for further clarification if needed.

[lovely-english-rose]

yeah moo deng is cute and all but i feel so bad for that poor baby

[d1tz]

YIPPEE THANK YOU FOR PINGING ME @alcidence !!

Last song: 201 Credits + Beacontown Freewalk from Minecraft Story Mode

https://youtu.be/hr2rdch_OCs?si=uhHYK5vxAM176iAI

After seeing the awfully disappointing Minecraft trailer and more awfully disapponting Jack Black's response to the hate, I decided to go back and watch DanTDM's MCSM series. I still love the game and all its graphics, animation, but mostly the story it holds. I miss MCSM guys 😔

Favourite Color: Cornflower Blue, Buttermilk Yellow and Beige!! Or as I'd like to call it, the beach pallette

Currently watching:

🌊 Minecraft Story Mode Playthtough. I'm on Episode 8!

🌊 Kaguya-sama: Love is War. On season 2!

🌊 Still waiting on Oshi No Ko's episode hehe

Last movie: The Truman Show. Shit was psychological torture for poor Truman... SPOILERS AHEAD. It's fucked up seeing the audience just... watch him spiral from his inner turmoil, knowing that he knows his entire life is a TV show. And they're just entertained by it and not showing any guilt or empathy for him (except Sylvia. She's the best for trying to fight for Truman's human rights).

Sweet/Spicy/Savoury: I'm a sweet tooth all the way! Funny enough, I'm eating some marshmallows coated in chocolate and powdered sugar as I'm typing this.

Current obsession:

MCSM. Look at Ivor's goofy ahh

BG3, specifically Tavstarion. I'm currently working on another animatic, about them! This is all I can drop for now hehe

And lastly... Moo Deng my beloved bouncy pork 💛🌻 I think I might draw Moo Deng and Tavstarion together LOL

Last thing I googled:

No pressure tags!!! @kizki-art , @blairx-bitch , @plushdrag0n , @cosmicwahoo , @mxnster-soul , @brabblesblog

[pokemonshelterstories]

//first off i want to say that it's absolutely rancid that people are turning this situation into an opportunity to be racist. the facilities at khao kheow zoo honestly look really nice. feeding animals is a pretty common opportunity at zoos, and as long as it's done appropriately and safely there's also nothing wrong with that.

that being said, i think there's way too many black/white statements being made about this zoo. as with many zoos, there can be things that are good and things that aren't so great. there's really no zoo environment in which an animal needs to be touched/sprayed with water/any of the variety of things done to moo deng as a form of "desensitization." research into animal training shows time and time again that positive reinforcement is a much better form of training than bothering an animal until it realizes that reacting won't stop whatever's happening to it from happening. that's how you initiate cooperative care in an animal. it's effective enough that the gorillas at the zoo i volunteer at will voluntarily undergo blood draws without sedation. there's no reason to annoy a zoo animal, especially as its keeper.

yes, the zoo is WAZA accredited. and the AZA is a fantastic organization! but AZA zoos aren't infallible. it wasn't that long ago that zoo miami, another accredited facility, was tremendously criticized for inappropriate handling of a kiwi bird named paora. and with good reason! paora should never have been brought out as an animal encounter opportunity. moo deng is extremely popular, and i get why- she's adorable- but zoos absolutely can make poor handling decisions, especially with animals that attract a lot of public attention.

i don't think the zoo is bad at all. everything i've seen shows that it's got some really awesome stuff going on. and i don't think that this is the worst offense that a zoo can make. but zoos are constantly in a precarious position of defending themselves to maintain funding and prevent issues from places like animal rights organizations, and we have to be willing to criticize improper handling in any form. we don't need another flaco situation on our hands.

found ANOTHER way more in-dept thread about Khao Kheow zoo to share. once again I'm obligated to put it here

my other post about this

full screenshot here I also posted this reddit thread on my other post linked above

TL;DR: Please don't trust random (may I add racist?) foreigners on the internet over locals who actually knows what they're talking about. thank you 🙇‍♂️

[mozki]

its time to move on from moo deng there have always been cute baby animals getting mishandled by zoo staff so can we stop looking at videos of them throwing the poor thing around now plsss <3 tysm