Britain's squirrels are getting fat thanks to the warm winter

Last month was the warmest December on record meaning lots of extra food available to fatten up hungry squirrels

By Sophie Jamieson

9:09AM GMT 06 Jan 2016

We can all be guilty of over-eating during the winter - and it seems Britain’s squirrel population is no exception.

The small furry creatures might need to join their human friends in going on a diet this January after piling on the pounds thanks to an exceptionally mild winter.

Last month was the warmest December on record, with average temperatures of 7.9C, 4.1C above the long-term average.

Wildlife experts said that the unusually balmy temperatures meant more food was available than usual, allowing the squirrels to fatten up.

Squirrels do not hibernate, but in the cooler months they put on up to a quarter of their body weight in fat reserves to keep them warm. They also grow a thicker winter coat which can make them appear bigger.

“With the extra layers of fat and thicker winter coat this can make them look much bigger.”

Iolo Williams, Wildlife Expert

However, the survival technique has gone further than normal this year, with fatter than ever squirrels being spotted in parks.

TV presenter and nature expert Iolo Williams said there was a plentiful supply of nuts and seeds available still for squirrels to gorge on.

He told Wales Online: “Because of the mild wet weather there has been an abundance of food for squirrels. There has been no shortage of nuts, seeds and fungi for them to eat and store.

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British beasts of burden: Obese UK riders put horses’ health at risk

Many UK riders need to lose weight before climbing on to a horse. According to the latest study, one-third of riders are too heavy for their mounts, turning them into ‘beasts of burden’ and risking the animals' health. 

According to the vets, riders should weigh not more than 10 per cent of their mount’s mass. An average riding horse weights around 500kg; 10 per cent of this is 50kg.

Researchers from the Duchy College in Cornwall revealed that only 5 per cent of riders weighed less than 10 per cent of the weight of their horse, while over 63 per cent weighed between 10 and 15 per cent of the horse’s weight.

Some 32 per cent weighed more than 15 per cent of the weight of their steed, posing health risks to the animal.

Meanwhile, according to veterinarians, a heavy rider is a threat to a horse’s health, potentially causing back pains, arthritis in knees and hip joints and bad behavior.

“It is definitely a potential welfare issue,” Dr. Hayley Randle, an equitation scientist who took part in the research, was quoted as saying.

The results of the analysis that involved 152 horses were recently published in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour.

Randle noted that although those are “broad-brush guidelines” which don’t take into account all factors, such as the age of the horse, its breed or the experience of the rider, “they are still important and helpful, and people are not taking enough notice of them.”

And while a riding school won’t let you ride a horse if you are too heavy for it, it’s often private owners who are harming their own horses.

“People tend to think that horses are such big animals they must be OK, and not to take notice of the weight issue of riders,” Randle said.

“But the health impact on the horse can be quite extreme, quite quickly. It seems to be a growing problem,” she added.

http://rt.com/news/obese-riders-heavy-horses-768/

Britain's fattest orangutan Oshine loses 20kg after ditching the sweets

Oshine shot to fame as Britain's fattest orangutan, but now she is king of the slimmers after ditching her diet of sweets, jelly and marshmallows.The chubby primate originally weighed in at 100kg (15st), with her lifestyle as a pet for 13 years in South Africa thought to be the reason for her obesity.

After arriving at Monkey World in Dorset last year Oshine found herself on a strict diet, cutting out unhealthy snacks in favour of a more healthy diet of fruit, vegetables and exercise.
Oshine has now lost a fifth of her body weight and now has even adopted an orphaned baby orangutan named Silvestre.

With Monkey World's help, Oshine has turned her life around,’ said director Alison Cronin.
‘When she arrived at the rescue centre she was morbidly obese and ran the risk of developing heart disease, blood clots, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
‘We have been quite strict with her diet and have removed all sweets and processed foods that she used to get in addition to her normal diet and it has worked.’
But while her slimming feat is impressive, Oshine’s slimming battle isn’t over yet.
‘Oshine still has a long way to go and needs to lose another 20kg to 30kg before we will be happy with her fitness and health,’ Cronin added.
Once Oshine reaches her target weight there’s a treat in store – she will be introduced to one of the adult groups of orangutans in the hope she will meet a suitable male and have a baby of her own.


Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/870788-britain-s-fattest-orangutan-oshine-loses-20kg-after-ditching-the-sweets#ixzz1V86x1EoL

Australia's fattest dog put on diet

Samson, a black labrador retriever, weighs-in at a very tubby 13.3 stone - twice his normal weight.


His owners admit that an unhealthy diet of burgers, pizza and pies has turned their pet into a couch potato that can hardly fit in his own kennel.

Samson is now working with vets in Melbourne who have put him on a strict diet to help the podgy canine shed some weight.

"He's getting two feeds a day of a specific veterinary prescription diet that provides all the nutrition that he needs without the calorie content," said vet Amber Lavery.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8591503/Australias-fattest-dog-put-on-diet.html

Fat Kookaburra diets to become flying fit

June 11, 2010 1:35 PM

A bird which became too-fat-to-fly after bingeing on sausages has taken to the sky again thanks to a diet and exercise regime.

The bulky Kookaburra had found at a park in Mosman, Australia, running along the floor as it was being chased by a group of dogs.

Experts said that because people had been feeding it BBQ leftovers it had put on too much weight and was unable to fly.

But staff at Taronga Zoo took the bird in and gave it a healthier diet and encouraged it o be more active.

Yesterday - after shedding almost 1/5 of its weight - the bird mad its first flight… straight to the nearest Burger King.

Staff said they initially thought the bird had a broken wing and couldn't get away because of the injury -- but then they realised it was just too fat.

While a Kookaburra would normally feast on lizards and small rodents eating too much from a BBQ can be bad for them.

LINKS
Taronga Zoo

http://newslite.tv/2010/06/11/fat-kookaburra-diets-to-become.html

Obese kookaburra sent to fat camp after eating too many sausages

The kookaburra started putting on weight after residents at a Sydney park started feeding her sausages at barbecues.

The chubby bird weighs 565 grams (1.2 pounds), which is almost 40 percent heavier than a normal adult kookaburra, making her so unfit she can no longer fly.

'Out in the wild she'd eat a whole small animal such as a mouse or skink, but butcher's sausages are just too much of a good thing,' said Gemma Watkinson, Sydney's Taronga Zoo wildlife hospital nurse.

A Sydney resident brought the bird to the zoo after spotting dogs chasing her along the ground.

'The kookaburra's been down at the rehabilitation aviary for a couple of weeks on a special "lite n'easy" diet designed by our bird keeper,' said Watkinson. The bird will also undergo a rigorous exercise regime as many as three times a day with a personal trainer.

'We've fitted the temporary home out like a "bird gym",' added Watkinson.

Right now, the bird is showing signs of winning her battle against obesity, but she still has more weight to shed before she becomes ready to be returned to the wild.


Tom Phillips