Cross-eyed opossum rocks Germany

Heidi the cross-eyed opossum is the latest creature to rocket from Germany's front pages to international recognition, with her bright, black eyes turned toward her pointed pink nose.

Since the first photographs were published last month, the animal from the Leipzig Zoo has attracted more Facebook followers than Chancellor Angela Merkel - more than 110,000, The Press Association says.

Maria Saegebarth of the Leipzig Zoo said, "The Heidi sensation was surprising and unplanned. It's great that there has been a lot interest, but we had nothing to do with the media hype."

The zoo has been receiving large amounts of mail asking about Heidi, so they have set aside part of their website to answer all the questions. According to the website, Heidi's cross-eyes probably stem from a bad diet, which would lead to fat deposits forming behind her eyes. This does not put her in any pain, or even have much effect on her vision. Opossums rely more on smell than sight to move around, Sure Start News reports.