From an unfailingly moisturized hippo to an oversized baby penguin—we can only hope to have more of these pockets of sunshine in the year to come.
The internet can be a cesspool. Every now and then, however, it can also be a wholesome place with feel-good, uplifting content. This is especially true when it comes to animals doing cute, innocent things or just being their adorable self. I, for one, can spend hours doomscrolling on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter), willingly and guiltlessly losing myself in cute animal content.
The POST has already reported on the science behind our obsession with cute stuff. We found out that looking at endearing things (living or otherwise) evokes positive feelings, enhances our emotional well being, and increases our ability to empathize with more vulnerable beings like animals. These give us all the more reason to continue obsessing over puppies, kittens, all the other delightful creatures out there, especially amid these turbulent times.
With 2024 coming to a close, The POST rounds up some of the year’s biggest animal celebrities that put a smile on our faces and even helped us get through rough days. From an unfailingly moisturized hippo to an oversized baby penguin—we can only hope to have more of these pockets of sunshine in the year to come.
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Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo
There’s no bigger star from the animal kingdom in 2024 than the viral baby pygmy hippo. Moo Deng has won hearts the world over with her pudgy figure, effortless glass skin, and fierce yet toothless bites. Born in July in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, in the Si Racha district of Thailand’s Chonburi province, the hippo-toddler achieved viral fame a few months later and shows no signs of slowing down.
Moo Deng has become so popular it’s no surprise she has spawned countless memes, merchandise, and a huge inflatable that will be the centerpiece of Bangkok’s New Year’s illumination festival. She’s been having a busy year and she’s not even half a year old yet! What a diva! She correctly predicted a Trump victory, has a 24/7 live stream (which I’m guilty of visiting every now and then), and named one of The New York Times’ most stylish, among other year-end lists.
In October, Moo Deng’s rival was born. Haggis, a pygmy hippo born in Scotland, has now got his own legion of fans. Well, the world has room enough for two pygmy hippo superstars!
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Pesto, the Penguin
The king penguin chick rose to fame for sticking out like a sore thumb due to his unnaturally mammoth size. Sea Life Melbourne’s star was born in January weighing a wee 200g (7oz), but at nine months clocked in at over a hundred times in size. Per BBC, at a whopping 22.5kg (50lb) in September, he is the biggest chick the aquarium has ever seen. Like Moo Deng, Pesto developed a global fan base, with the aquarium even throwing a gender reveal celebration for him and his fans.
A bit of sad news: The Smithsonian Magazine gave an update on Pesto last month. Apparently, our boy Pesto has now entered his awkward adolescent stage. With this, he has started molting, meaning he’s now losing his brown fluff, a process which is probably complete by now. On the bright side, I can’t wait to see him as a regal adult king penguin.
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Crumbs, the overweight cat
Another heavyweight furball caught the internet’s attention this year. This time, it’s an overweight feline that was rescued in September from the basement of a Russian hospital. Called Crumbs (Kroshik in Russian), he subsisted on scraps, biscuits, and soup prior to his rescue, per The New York Post. He was so overfed that he reached 38 lbs, his weight making him unable to walk.
Crumbs won even more hearts when it was reported that he tried to escape the “fat camp” (a special veterinarian weight loss center) where he was placed. In the futile attempt, the ginger cat got stuck to a shoe rack because he was too chonky (see photo above). Sadly, Crumbs suddenly died in late October. It was found out that his many flabs hid cancerous tumors that started from his spleen and lead to organ collapse.
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Tupi, the baby Capybara
Born on Dec. 3 at the San Antonio Zoo in Texas, Tupi is the first capybara to be born at the facility in 25 years, according to a statement from the zoo. The world’s largest rodents are adorable, especially as babies, so it’s not entirely surprising for little Tupi to achieve online popularity. The world is in such a bad place right now that the New York Times even called the baby capybara’s rise to fame as the “perfect end to 2024.”
Taking a page from the Moo Deng playbook, the zoo is doing its part to further increase the popularity of the three-week-old rodent by providing plenty of content. For instance, the zoo shared a video of the tiny furball climbing into a bowl of food, leaving many netizens gushing. It’s safe to say we’re in for more cute photos and videos from Tupi just being Tupi, and I couldn’t wait to see her grow up to be as lovely as her mom.
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In memoriam: Hvaldimir, the ‘Russian Spy Whale’
In early September, animal celebrity fans like me were shocked to learn that the beloved whale believed to have escaped a past life as a Russian spy, was found dead off the coast of Norway.
To refresh your memory, Hvaldimir— whose name is a portmanteau of the Norwegian word for whale (hval) and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name — rose to global celebrity status after he was discovered by fishermen off the coast of Norway in 2019 wearing a camera harness that read “Equipment St. Petersburg.”
This sparked theories about the Beluga whale’s identity, with experts saying the Russians are known for training whales for military purposes. It was Hvaldimir’s friendly demeanor, however, that endeared him to thousands—even millions—of fans. His most viral moments include retrieving a kayaker’s dropped GoPro camera, playing fetch with a rugby ball, and playing with an underwater drone.
Hvaldimir was believed to be between 14 and 15 years old when he died. The average lifespan for a beluga whale is upwards of 30. In a post-mortem carried out by the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, it was concluded that the probable cause of death was bacterial infection.
With 2025 beckoning in the corner, I can’t wait to see which cute critters will be out to melt our hearts next!
