RICHMOND, Va. — Workers at a petting zoo in Virginia have a problem on their hands.
A fat donkey. So fat, in fact, that they're worried about his heath and now he's on a strict diet.
On any given day at the Maymont Farm, you'll find kids of all ages with their tiny hands full of food pellets to feed to the awaiting animals.
But for one particular farm friend here with a tendency to overindulge, the palms of the public must remain for petting only.
That's because he's now on a diet.
"The life of a donkey is not that demanding and unfortunately that leaves a lot of time for eating," said Zoologist Joe Neal.
Percy is a 25-year-old Sicilian donkey who has lived most of that time on the farm at Maymont.
"You can't help but love him," said Neal.
But Neal says around 10 years ago, brought on by a seemingly never ending supply of food from visitors and lack of a membership to a gym, the pleasantly plump Percy found himself a bit overweight and had to go on a more controlled diet.
"He does not work out, unfortunately," said Neal. "It's not healthy for humans. It's not healthy for animals."
That meant no more finger foods from his adoring fans as a simple laminated sign blasting his personal struggles for all to see was posted on his gate.
"This is Percy. Please do not feed him. He's on a strict diet. You may pet him if he's close by, but please help us keep him healthy by saving your animal feed for the other farm animals," the sign reads.
"I don't know that it hurts his feelings, but he's probably a little bitter," said Neal. "He's a crotchety old man sometimes."
"It made me chuckle. It's relatable, definitely," said one woman. "It's kind of funny that there's an animal on a diet."
But the diet and the sign are working. Percy is persevering and is down about 100 pounds.
"That's a lot. I don't know how much a donkey weighs, but that's good for Percy," said one visitor. "I can't imagine him 100 heavier."
Neil says that Percy has come a long way and is in much better shape than a decade ago. He hopes the beloved donkey of Maymont will be happy and healthy for years to come.
"We don't necessarily advertise that the struggle and the amount of work that we really have to put in to take care of these animals," said Neil. "We want to have Percy with us for as long as possible. And particularly now he's about to turn 25 years old, so we gotta take care of him and make sure he's staying healthy. Maybe get him a Peloton."
The folks at Maymont say he is about 15 pounds from his ideal weight. We wish him all the best. You're almost there buddy."
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