Mon Oct 07 01:10:00 UTC 2024: ## New York Woman Flies 18.5 Hours to See Viral Baby Hippo Moo Deng
A Taylor Swift superfan took her passion for the pop star to a whole new level when she booked a 30-hour roundtrip flight from New York to Thailand just to see Moo Deng, a viral baby pygmy hippo.
Molly Swindall, 30, fell in love with Moo Deng after seeing videos of the adorable hippo online. “I just love animals, and I love adventure, and so I made it a goal to go,” she told CNN Travel.
Swindall booked her trip with just a few days off work and spent a mere 30 hours in Thailand, visiting Khao Kheow Open Zoo to see Moo Deng in person.
“Oh my god, she’s so cute,” she gushed in a TikTok video capturing the moment she saw the hippo for the first time. Swindall spent hours watching Moo Deng run around and even played Taylor Swift songs for the hippo, including “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” and “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).”
Her trip has since gone viral, with her TikTok videos about Moo Deng garnering millions of views.
“I love to tell stories, and I love to bring people along on adventures, and I love to entertain,” Swindall said. “So it’s been really magical that people have been having such a good time with it as well.”
Swindall insists she didn’t go on the trip for viral attention. “My first thought was just getting to Thailand. I just knew that I loved Moo Deng,” she said.
The trip, however, inspired Swindall to plan another animal-themed adventure: a trip to Melbourne, Australia to visit Pesto the penguin, another viral internet sensation.
“Life is short,” she said. “And if you’re really passionate about something, or you’re really excited about something, and you have the ability to make it work, try to make it work.”
First Piper 