Overweight leopard compared to Disney character ‘too old to diet’

An overweight leopard that has been compared to a Disney Zootopia character has been forced to stop its weight-loss plan due to old age.

The 16-year-old big cat, fondly called “Officer Clawhauser” by zoo visitors, had recently been eating half-meal portions.

But officials at the Panzhihua Zoo in Sichuan, China, claim there has been no noticeable drop in its weight.

They added the reduced meals had stressed the big cat out, so they had to stop.

Sun Quanhui, a senior scientific adviser at World Animal Protection, said the very least staff could do was make sure the leopard had to work to find the food by putting it in difficult-to-reach places.

Animal obesity is a growing concern in many zoos across China, primarily due to issues related to space constraints and improper feeding practices.