A Thai court has fined a man $300 for trespassing after he broke into the enclosure of 'Moo Deng,' the internet-famous pygmy hippo. The incident, which took place in March, recently gained traction after footage of the encounter circulated on social media, triggering a 6.5% rally in the Solana-based MOODENG meme coin over the last 24 hours.
Video footage shows the man jumping over the enclosure barrier while zoo staff were away, holding a tablet as he attempted to film the hippo. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), while the hippo was not physically harmed during the intrusion, the animal was visibly startled by the man's presence.
Security Upgrades and Market Volatility
In response to the incident, Narongwit Chodchoy, director of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, announced that the facility is tightening security protocols. He told AFP, "We have learned our lesson and will not allow this to happen again, neither to Moo Deng nor to any other animal in the zoo."
Moo Deng became a viral sensation in early 2024 due to her playful antics, leading the crypto community to launch a namesake token on the Pump.fun platform. The token reached an all-time high of approximately $0.68 last November, boasting a market capitalization of $680 million and securing listings on major exchanges, including Coinbase.
However, the token has since faced a significant downturn. Current data shows MOODENG trading at roughly $0.048, with its market cap shrinking to about $48 million—a decline of nearly 93% from its peak.
While meme coins often lack intrinsic utility, media coverage and viral events frequently provide short-term price boosts. Previously, the token surged by about 33% when the zoo announced a first-birthday party for the hippo.
This latest price uptick is also supported by a broader improvement in market sentiment. As tensions in the Middle East have eased, the crypto market has seen a recovery, with Bitcoin and Ethereum rising 4.2% and 6.3%, respectively, over the past day. However, according to CoinGecko, the broader meme coin sector has lagged behind, posting a more modest gain of 3.6% over the same period.
