Bacon buttie-loving skunk sheds bulk (From Somerset County Gazette)

Bacon buttie-loving skunk sheds bulk

9:00pm Thursday 31st December 2009

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A SUPERSIZED skunk whose bulk ballooned thanks to his love of bacon butties will head into the New Year over 4lbs lighter.

Mr Bumble was given to Washford Cross zoo Tropiquaria in September after his previous owners realised they could no longer look after him and admitted feeding him the fatty treats.

On arrival, he tipped the scales at one stone and needed to lose 5-6lbs, but for the past three months he has been through a new training regime, including two half-hour walks a day, and a strict diet of fruit and vegetables, with the occasional cricket as a treat.

Zoo co-owner Chris Moiser said Mr Bumble could do with losing another couple of pounds, but was looking super slim compared to when he first waddled through the door after shedding an impressive 4.4lbs.

He said: “Mr Bumble is looking much better – we were worried about his health.

“He doesn’t sleep as much as he did, and seems to be a lot more active and interested in what’s going on around him.

“I’m sure he misses the bacon sandwiches!”

Skunks’ natural diet in the wild includes carrion, insects, mice and a range of greenery.

Native to North America, they have become popular as house pets in the UK, but a number have been abandoned since a new law banned the removal of their scent glands.

Since Mr Bumble’s plight hit national headlines in September he has been on the BBC and the ABC in the United States.

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