Woman Transforms Into Viral Baby Pygmy Hippo Moo Deng for Halloween — See the Incredible Photos!

Mar. 15, 2025

Kirbie Johnson dresses as Moo Deng for Halloween.Photo:Emily Badgley

Emily Badgley

“I knew the world’s most beloved pygmy hippo had to be my costume this year,” Johnson tells PEOPLE of the inspiration for her Halloween look.

In anInstagram Reelshowing off her incredible Halloween look, Johnson explained more about the process of “becoming Moo Deng” — and some of the logistical challenges she experienced in the costume at her party.

“I brought a Stanley cup straw from my own home in order to have a cocktail. I could not eat all night. I finally shoved some charcuterie down my snout at the end of the night,” she said of the cumbersome face prosthetic, joking that she took a Waymo [self-driving car] “so there was no driver to harass” her over her unusual appearance.

She said she was able to talk, but her voice sounded “muffled” as a result of her hippo mouth, which she explained was “a two-piece prosthetic.”

Kirbie Johnson poses as Moo Deng at her Halloween party.Emily Badgley

“I had it rush-shipped from Canada. I paid a small fortune, but it was great,” Johnson shared in her video. “You can see I have a piece around my jawline and my chin and then there’s a piece that goes over my nose and around my eyes. I was having to breathe out of my mouth the whole night.”

Johnson said McGillicuddy used paints that “are typically water-activated and mixed them with alcohol or some kind of non-movable paint so it wouldn’t rub off.”

The makeup artist then “went in with an airbrush” and added touches of pink to mimic Moo Deng’s unique coloring and a special spray to give the hippo head a glossy look.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Kirbie Johnson (left) poses with friends at her annual Halloween party.Emily Badgley

Johnson joked that while she loves how her costume turned out, it may not have been the best choice for her “official ‘I’m single’ announcement.”

“Watching this back, I really am like, ‘What is wrong with you, girl? You’re single and this is how you’re dressing up for Halloween,’ " she said.

But for Johnson, it’s all part of the fun, as she likes to go all out for the holiday. “I love Halloween and I always opt for a huge transformation every year,” she tells PEOPLE. “My parents have fun dressing up, so they instilled a love of the holiday in me. I aspire to get toHeidi Klum-level one day!”

Zookeeper Atthapon Nundee told theAssociated Pressthat Moo Deng’s global popularity has been “beyond expectation.”

source: people.com