According to China Daily, recently, an image of a chubby leopard lounging in the sun at the Panzhihua Zoo in Sichuan Province, China, went viral on social media.
The leopard at Panzhihua Zoo appears plump. (Photo: China Daily).
Many have commented that this leopard is well-cared for and has an adorable, plump figure. According to visitors, this 16-year-old leopard closely resembles the character Officer Clawhauser from Disney’s animated film Zootopia.
Thanks to the viral photos on social media, a large number of tourists have flocked to the zoo to see the “overweight” leopard. The zoo’s ticket sales have surged to 190,000 yuan (approximately 666 million VND), exceeding the figures from 2023.
The small city zoo charges only 2 yuan (about 7,000 VND) for a ticket on weekdays and 3 yuan (about 10,000 VND) during holidays.
The leopard is said to resemble Officer Clawhauser from Zootopia. (Photo: Walt Disney Studios).
While the chubby leopard has attracted many visitors, there are also concerns about the animal’s weight. To help the leopard lose weight, the zoo has put it on a diet and changed its feeding practices, but after two months, the leopard’s weight remains the same.
A zoo staff member told West China City Daily that they abandoned the diet plan after consulting several experts, as the leopard is too old to change its eating habits.
Leopards typically live 12 to 17 years in the wild and can live up to 23 years in captivity.
The zoo staff affirmed that the chubby leopard is in good health: “Everything is fine as long as the leopard is healthy and happy.”
