BERLIN: A strict diet may help the Leipzig Zoo's opossum Heidi to lose the crossed eyes that have made her an international attraction. The overweight white-haired opossum has been on a steady diet of lettuce, carrots and lean chicken to cut down on her fat – which is thought to be the cause of her crossed eyes, a Leipzig Zoo spokeswoman said on Monday. The nocturnal marsupial has lost 400 grams since her arrival in Leipzig, Saegebarth said, adding that Heidi's thick tail has slimmed. It is believed that Heidi's crossed eyes could have come from a poor diet when she was young, causing large fat deposits to form behind her eyes. Heidi's Facebook following exceeds 285,000 fans and she has even spawned a popular song on YouTube and her own plush toy. Her popularity has reached deep enough into US mainstream culture that she has recently received an offer to appear in Academy Award-oriented television programming on Feb. 27, the zoo said.
