AP Heidi, who is not yet even on public display, has become an Internet hit, with a over
304,500 "friends" on Facebook.
The cross-eyed opossum Heidi is at the Leipzig zoo in eastern Germany, where she has become Germany's biggest media sensation.
Being different has made her so cute, that so many want to meet her.
Heidi has become part of the animal celebrities in Germany, which includes Knut the polar bear in Berlin and the recently deceased Paul the octopus in Oberhausen, western Germany.
The public will get to meet her in July, when the zoo opens its tropical wildlife exhibit.
Heidi the cross-eyed opossum
The 2-1/2-year-old opossum is the latest addition to Germany's peculiar list of animal celebrities. Although she won't be officially unveiled to the public until July at her home at the Leipzig Zoo, that hasn't stopped this unlikely creature from becoming a mega media sensation.
In fact, Heidi is shaping up to be the most celebrated critter in Germany since Paul the (World-Cup-predicting) octopus and Knut the polar bear. The nocturnal notable boasts more than 300,000 Facebook fans (and several fan pages) and has inspired numerous YouTube videos (including a faux movie trailer, below) and some seriously kooky songs. A Heidi plush toy is already in the works.
The reason for Heidi's crossed eyes is unclear, but zoo officials speculate that they may be due to the fact that she was raised by hand in a wild animal park in the United States (e.g. Land of the Free and Home of the Obese). Her poor diet contributed to excess weight gain and the formation of fat deposits behind her eyes, which caused them to cross. They currently cause her no pain, and don't thwart her ability to get around since she relies so heavily on her sense of smell, according to the zoo. Aside from her odd appearance and sudden fame, Hedi is a normal opossum.
Since her arrival in Germany, veterinarians have put Heidi on a strict diet. Whether the treatment is successful, and remedies Heidi's trademark crossed eyes, remains to be seen.
Heidi, who is not yet even on public display, has become an Internet hit, with a over
304,500 "friends" on Facebook.
The cross-eyed opossum Heidi is at the Leipzig zoo in eastern Germany, where she has become Germany's biggest media sensation.
Being different has made her so cute, that so many want to meet her.
Heidi has become part of the animal celebrities in Germany, which includes Knut the polar bear in Berlin and the recently deceased Paul the octopus in Oberhausen, western Germany.
The public will get to meet her in July, when the zoo opens its tropical wildlife exhibit.
The 2-1/2-year-old opossum is the latest addition to Germany's peculiar list of animal celebrities. Although she won't be officially unveiled to the public until July at her home at the Leipzig Zoo, that hasn't stopped this unlikely creature from becoming a mega media sensation.
In fact, Heidi is shaping up to be the most celebrated critter in Germany since Paul the (World-Cup-predicting) octopus and Knut the polar bear. The nocturnal notable boasts more than 300,000 Facebook fans (and several fan pages) and has inspired numerous YouTube videos (including a faux movie trailer, below) and some seriously kooky songs. A Heidi plush toy is already in the works.
The reason for Heidi's crossed eyes is unclear, but zoo officials speculate that they may be due to the fact that she was raised by hand in a wild animal park in the United States (e.g. Land of the Free and Home of the Obese). Her poor diet contributed to excess weight gain and the formation of fat deposits behind her eyes, which caused them to cross. They currently cause her no pain, and don't thwart her ability to get around since she relies so heavily on her sense of smell, according to the zoo. Aside from her odd appearance and sudden fame, Hedi is a normal opossum.
Since her arrival in Germany, veterinarians have put Heidi on a strict diet. Whether the treatment is successful, and remedies Heidi's trademark crossed eyes, remains to be seen.
A few facts about Heidi the opossum
Where does Heidi come from?
Leipzig zoo currently has three opossums – the male Teddy and and the two sisters Heidiand Naira. All three arrived in Leipzig zoo on 5 May 2010 and came from the Ebeltoft and Odense zoos in Denmark.
The male was born in Ebeltoft, while the two females originally came from North Carolina (USA), where they were found as orphans and raised in a wild animal sanctuary.
How old is Heidi?
The two females Heidi and her sister Naira were probably born in May 2008, which makes them 2.5 years old. The male Teddy was born in May 2009 and is 1.5 years old. Opossums have a maximum life expectancy of 4 to 5 years.
Where can Heidi be found in Leipzig zoo?
From 1 July 2011 Heidi and the two other opossums will be on show in a section for nocturnal animals within the Gondwanaland tropical experience world.
At the moment the animals are being kept in a quarantine station where they can be acclimatised before they begin life in Gondwanaland.
Heidi is therefore at the moment NOT on view to zoo visitors!
Why does Heidi have a squint?
We don't exactly know the reason for this. Both Heidi and her sister Naira already had this visual abnormality when they arrived in Leipzig.
oes Heidi suffer under this visual abnormality?
Squinting is an inevitable adjustment to the abnormal positioning of the eyes. Apart from the aesthetic aspect this condition is not the problem because the tear ducts operate normally and the cornea is not affected. As nocturnal animals opossums also rely very much on their nose to find their way around, which means that movement is not restricted either.
Heidi has no problems with other members of her species, and when she is together with her sister or with the male they seem to get on well.
Heidi has no discomfort as a result of her eye problem and in all other respects her behaviour is entirely normal.
What is Leipzig zoo doing to help Heidi?
First and foremost the vets want to reduce Heidi's weight, which will also be good for her overall health. As a result, immediately after her arrival in Leipzig she was put on a diet which is high in fibre and low in energy, and has already lost a few hundred grams in weight. This can also be seen from the tail, which has been reduced considerably in circumference and can once more be used to grip things when she's climbing.
However, as fatty deposits behind the eyes are not reduced until hardly any fatty reserves remain in the body, this diet will need to be continued for a long time yet before any significant results become visible here.
Why has Heidi become so well-known?
At the end of 2010 there was a report on the acclimatisation station for the Gondwanaland tropical experience world which presented all the species of animals held there for later introduction into their tropical environment. Thanks to photos of the 'squinting opossum'Heidi then very quickly became well-known, which then resulted in further press reports. For the zoo all this media publicity, which had not been planned, came as a complete surprise.
What does Heidi's fame mean for Leipzig zoo?
For Leipzig zoo Heidi is first and foremost, like all other animals in the acclimatisation station, an ambassador for the Gondwanaland tropical experience world which will be opening on 1 July 2011.
Apart from that Leipzig zoo currently has no plans for the active marketing of Heidi. The zoo does not earn any money from the press reports, either. However, in order to avoid any possible misuse, Leipzig zoo has registered extensive rights for itself.
If there are any revenues from third-party sources (e.g. participation in the earnings from aHeidi song which has been announced in the press), these will be invested completely in the "Protecting the Sabah rhinos in Borneo project" which, as a rain forest conservation project, is closely related to the Gondwanaland tropical experience world.
Animal sponsorships for the opossums (as for many other types of animal at the zoo) are organised by the zoo's supporters (Freundes- und Förderkreis).
Opossum Heidi
General facts about the opossum:
Opossums are members of the marsupial family (which raise their young in a pouch) and range in distribution from Canada via the USA to central Argentina.
There are several species, but the animals in Leipzig zoo belonged to the Virginia opossums (distribution: southern Canada, USA, Central America to Costa Rica). All species are still plentiful and are not threatened with extinction.
Opossums are solitary nocturnal animals and, with the aid of their prehensile tail, are excellent climbers. As a species which can adapt to human habitat they can also be found in gardens and parks, although their normal environment is forests and shrub land.
Opossums are omnivorous and their diet ranges from insects, small animals and eggs to seeds and fruit. They have a powerful bite and can open their jaws to almost 90 degrees.
One special feature is that opossums can play dead for up to 6 hours by reducing their breathing and heart rate and at the same time emitting a foul smelling liquid. This is perfect deception for predators which do not eat carrion.
Courtesy : Heidi, das schielende Opossum facebook,zooleipzig.de,en.terra.com
Opossum Heidi
Opossum Naira
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