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Obese skunk 'put on vegetarian diet'
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-09-30 10:38

Obese skunk 'put on vegetarian diet'

An overweight skunk has been put on a strict vegetarian diet and exercise regime after tipping the scales at one stone.

Bacon sandwich-addict Mr Bumble was given to the RSPCA after becoming too much for his former owners and now lives at the Tropiquaria animal park near Watchet, Somerset, the BBC reports.

Park owner Chris Noisier said: "We're now working on dieting him down to what he should be and clearly bacon butties are not a normal part of a skunk's diet in the wild.

"We're putting him on the vegetarian option at the moment. It's very much like a human weight-watching issue."

He added: "He is getting to meet lots of new people so there's lots going on in his life and I suspect it's making up for the lack of his old favourite food."

The skunk is also being taken for two 30-minute walks a day on a lead with the goal of losing 5lb to 6lb (2.2kg to 2.7kg).