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From a snack-loving monkey nicknamed ‘Mr Fatty’ to a two-stone cat often mistaken for a dog, not all animals are as cute and fluffy as the ones we know and love.
Although obesity is not typically a problem facing the animal kingdom, some creatures have become social media sensations simply for their indulgent eating habits.
Others have achieved their enormous size only thanks to the weight of their muscles, making international headlines by showing off their toned physiques.
Here, MailOnline takes you ‘inside the world’s beefiest animals’ with a selection of creatures whose SIZE has put them in the spotlight in recent years – despite often having devastating consequences for their health.
roger the kangaroo
Roger, who stood 200cm tall, became an internet sensation in 2015 when pictures emerged of his bulging biceps, swollen veins and prominent chest.
The red kangaroo lived in a sanctuary in Alice Springs, Australia, where he crushed metal buckets with his paws for fun.
However, despite his toned physique, Roger could not beat the aging process and suffered from arthritis towards the end of his life.
The kangaroo died at the age of 12 in December 2018 and sanctuary boss Chris ‘Brolga’ Barnes posted a touching tribute to him on Facebook.
Roger, who stood 200 centimeters tall, became an internet sensation in 2015 when images emerged of his bulging biceps, swollen veins and prominent chest.
The red kangaroo lived in a sanctuary in Alice Springs, Australia, where he crushed metal buckets with his paws for fun.
“Today is a very sad day because we have lost our beautiful boy, Roger,” Mr Barnes said.
‘Ten years ago, I built this sanctuary to house Roger and a couple of his wives, Ella (and) Abigail. We built it so they would have a place to live.
“Roger was our alpha male for many years and grew into a kangaroo that people around the world have come to love as much as we love him.”
Uncle Fat and Godzilla
Weighing over 20kg, the legendary beefy apes Uncle Fatty and Godzilla rose to fame due to their life of indulgence, even though it had devastating consequences for their health.
Cruelly kept in check and raised on a diet of junk food, Godzilla’s weight ballooned to over 20kg and he became a major tourist attraction at his owner’s market stall in Bangkok, Thailand.
He soon drew comparisons to Uncle Fatty, another popular overweight primate, who weighed 27kg and was believed to be between 10 and 15 years old.
Uncle Fatty (pictured) weighed 27kg and was believed to be between 10 and 15 years old.
Godzilla was compared to the late Uncle Fatty (above), a long-tailed macaque who is believed to have eaten himself to death.
The monkeys were then forced into a “fat camp” where they could lose some weight on strict dietary regimens.
But after returning to the wild and not being seen in years, it is now widely believed that Uncle Fatty was eaten to death.
Uncle Fatty once lived near a tourist-interest floating water market in Bangkok, where he enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle.
The ancient monkey was popular with locals and tourists alike, and devoured any food it could get its hands on.
But the abundance of food offered to him by visitors, which included sugared melons and sweet corn, as well as extremely unhealthy human foods such as smoothies and noodles, caused him to gain weight.
While macaques typically weigh between eight and 10kg, the 27kg beast was the same weight as three of its species.
Uncle Fatty was considerably larger than average-sized macaques, two of which are pictured with the obese monkey above.
Frederick the Great
Frederick the Great, a Friesian stallion from the United States, may be the world’s true black beauty.
He shares his name with the ruler of Prussia from 1740 to 1786 and has a muscular build, striking black features and a flowing mane of hair.
Frederik lives on Pinnacle Friesians, a farm in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, USA, and was imported there from the Netherlands when he was six years old.
The stunning stud gained a large following on Facebook and even created an online gallery featuring his artwork.
Fans of Frederick the Great have expressed their love for the beautiful horse online over the years.
‘Frederik, you are the most beautiful horse I have ever seen. Only God could have created such art. Stunning and magnificent,” one person wrote.
‘There will NEVER be a more majestic, handsome and sexy horse on the face of the earth. Never again. “I wish I could touch it and ‘smell’ it at least once,” another wrote.
Frederick the Great, a Friesian stallion from the United States, may be the world’s true black beauty
Abu the 18 stone dog
Abu, a Turkish Malakli, weighs 18 kilos (about the same as a baby elephant) and has previously been described as the largest dog in the UK.
When he was two years old, he ate 3kg of meat a day, including a whole chicken, three whole mackerel, two eggs and raw meat dog food.
His monstrous diet was costing his owner, Dylan Shaw, from Redcar, Yorkshire, more than £4,000 a year.
Speaking about his diet, Dylan said: “He eats raw meat, raw dog food and also whole chickens – he eats one chicken a day.”
“He has a lot of energy when he’s outside, but at home you don’t know he’s there until you bump into him.”
Dog trainer Dylan says Abu’s diet costs him £11 a day, just over £4,000 a year.
Abu, a Turkish Malakli, stands 7 feet 2 inches tall when on his hind legs and weighs the same as a baby elephant.
“When he’s on all fours, his shoulders reach above my hips; I’m five foot 11 inches tall and it makes me look like a child next to him.
“He thinks he’s a lot smaller than he is, he tries to sit on your lap and squishes you, but he’s actually a big softie, he cries when he’s scolded.”
“They don’t fully mature until they’re three, so he still has a year of growth left. It’s ridiculous, I don’t know what I’m going to end up with. He’s already surpassed my expectations.”
But despite his large size, Dylan insisted that Abu was a gentle giant and loved nothing more than cuddling on the couch.
A Turkish Malakli (pictured with his owner) has been described as the largest dog in the UK.
The huge hound devours 3kg of meat a day, including a whole chicken, three whole mackerel, two eggs and raw meat dog food.
Kefir the two-stone cat
Kefir, a two-stone Russian cat, is so large that people often mistake him for a dog.
Kefir, named after the fermented milk drink, is a large Maine Coon belonging to Yulia Minina in Stary Oskol.
Yulia said: ‘I couldn’t even imagine that a normal baby could become so big.
‘Not only has he grown up in appearance, but he is also very intelligent and always behaves calmly.
‘The appearance is generally like that of a person, and Kefir has a formidable appearance, but he is a very affectionate and modest child.
“When friends and acquaintances come to the house, all eyes are on him and he willingly allows himself to be caressed.”
A massive two-stone Russian cat believed to be the largest in the world is so big it is often mistaken for a dog.
Kefir, named after the fermented milk drink, is a large Maine Coon belonging to Yulia Minina in Stary Oskol.
Maine Coons also hold the record for the world’s longest cat: Stewie, from Nevada, measured 48.5 inches from nose to tail before his death in 2010.
The breed comes from the US state of Maine and is considered one of the oldest local breeds in the country.
It was considered the largest breed of domesticated cat until the Savannah cat in the 1980s.
On average, males weigh up to 18 pounds while females weigh up to 12 pounds.
Maine Coons also hold the record for the world’s longest cat: Stewie, from Nevada, measured 48.5 inches from nose to tail before his death in 2010.
