Odd
Cross-eyed opossum wins fans in Germany
Published Wednesday, Jan 12 2011, 11:24 GMT | By Mayer Nissim
A cross-eyed opossum has won thousands of followers in Germany before her debut at Leipzig Zoo.
Heidi, the 2-year-old marsupial who arrived from Denmark in May, has attracted almost 80,000 fans on Facebook and is the subject of a song on YouTube, Reuters reports.
Leipzig zoo spokeswoman Maria Saegebarth said: "The Heidi sensation was surprising and unplanned. It's great that there has been a lot of interest, but we had nothing to do with the media hype.
"We understand that Heidi has become so popular and that people will want to see her, but that will not change the zoo's strategy with the exhibit - she's one animal of many."
It is believed that Heidi became cross-eyed because of a poor diet when she was young which caused fat deposits to form behind her eyes.
The condition is not painful or harmful to her health, as the nocturnal animals primarily use their sense of smell rather than sight.
Copyright: Action Press/Rex Features
Heidi, the 2-year-old marsupial who arrived from Denmark in May, has attracted almost 80,000 fans on Facebook and is the subject of a song on YouTube, Reuters reports.
Leipzig zoo spokeswoman Maria Saegebarth said: "The Heidi sensation was surprising and unplanned. It's great that there has been a lot of interest, but we had nothing to do with the media hype.
"We understand that Heidi has become so popular and that people will want to see her, but that will not change the zoo's strategy with the exhibit - she's one animal of many."
It is believed that Heidi became cross-eyed because of a poor diet when she was young which caused fat deposits to form behind her eyes.
The condition is not painful or harmful to her health, as the nocturnal animals primarily use their sense of smell rather than sight.
© Rex Features / Action Press
Copyright: Action Press/Rex Features
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