New York woman flies 18 hours last minute to see Moo Deng in Thailand

One Swiftie has gone the distance, traveling thousands of miles to reach eastern Thailand, the birthplace and home of Moo Deng, the baby hippopotamus that has stolen hearts worldwide.
Molly Swindall, a content creator known for her Taylor Swift devotion, decided “super last minute” to fly to Bangkok from New York to “see the legend that is the Diva Moo Deng!” she shared in a Tuesday video. “Cannot wait to show her off.” 
She traveled almost 21 hours “specifically” for Moo Deng, a baby pigmy hippo who has become an internet sensation in recent weeks because of her general cuteness and sassy persona. 
“I’ve seen, of course, just like everybody has, Moo Deng all over. I think she’s so iconic,” Swindall told USA TODAY on Wednesday. “I was watching all the videos, seeing all the memes and I was like ‘I want to see her in person.’ And I’ve always wanted to go to Thailand.”
Swindall knew the short trip was going to be “exhausting,” but logistically she knew she could make it work. She just had to be back in town by Friday so she could attend the Gracie Abrams concert with friends. That meant she was in Thailand for only about 30 hours.
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Swindall vlogged the entire whirlwind experience, keeping viewers up to date throughout the Moo Deng adventure, complete with cozy Moo Deng pajamas as a top-tier souvenir.
She was so “freaking excited” to visit Moo Deng, noting in a separate video uploaded later Tuesday she planned on wearing a Taylor Swift shirt “so she knows she exists” and went with a dewy-cheek look to match “Moo Deng’s aesthetic.” 
“This was such a magical freaking day,” Swindall says. “I love Moo Deng so much,”
The nerves began to kick in for Swindall on the flight because she was unsure whether she would even get a glimpse of Moo Deng. There were rumors circulating that Khao Kheow Open Zoo, about two hours south of Bangkok, didn’t allow visitors to see Moo Deng on weekdays.
But after doing a bit of digging, she saw that other visitors had posted about their experiences with Moo Deng on social media on weekdays.
“So, I was kind of hopeful that when I got there, I’d actually be able to see her,” Swindall said. 
She also reached out the zoo, who said that visitors can see Moo Deng every day and that got her “really excited.” 
After spending a couple hours on the road and minutes weaving her way through the packed zoo, she couldn’t help but coo when she first laid eyes on Moo Deng, who was napping in the water with her mom, Jona.
“Oh my god. She’s so cute,” Swindall says in the video.
Swindall spent a few minutes with Moo Deng before deciding to go check out the capybaras. A torrential downpour dampened the festivities a bit, but she eventually circled back so she could get another look at Moo Deng.
“She came out and did this whole show. Her personality shining and it was really special,” she said. “It just brought a sense of joy … It was just really memorable and something that I’ll talk about for sure for the rest of my life, but a lot in the next couple of weeks … I’m going to tell everyone ‘I met Moo Deng.’”
It took Moo Deng a while to become the recognizable diva seen in memes and videos, but once she gets going it’s hard for her to stop. Especially, once she has had a good power nap.
“She was definitely putting on a show once she was more awake and moving around,” Swindall said. “And then I got to see Moo Deng in what you would imagine is the typical meme and video fashion that you see.”
Moo Deng did a fake bite that she’s become known for, ran in circles, and slid all around, Swindall said.
“Her whole personality really started to shine through. And I was sitting there like, ‘OK, she’s so special.’ It’s exactly what I imagined from everything I saw online.”
One of the “nice things” about the experience, according to Swindall, was getting to absorb the crowd’s excited energy, just like a concert. 
“Everybody’s getting really thrilled together, and even though many of us didn’t speak the same language, I mean, we’re all excited and happy and smiling at each other, and like pointing out and just like, connecting over her,” Swindall said. 
Swindall would also like to think that Moo Deng is a Swiftie, especially because she didn’t run off when she played her Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” 10 Minute Version from The Vault. 
“She seemed to like it, but I didn’t want to disturb her so, of course, it was very low. But I like to pretend that she heard it and enjoyed it,” Swindall said. “Icons recognize icons. So, of course she’s a Swiftie.” 
Contributing: Saman Shafiq and Julia Gomez