Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has 'adopted' five lambs from the Easter slaughter in a bizarre bid to revive his political career.

Berlusconi, 80, who decided he was vegetarian last year, was pictured cuddling, kissing and feeding the lambs with a baby's bottle along with his 31-year-old girlfriend Francesca Pascale.

The four-times prime minister was filmed in his parkland estate in Arcore outside Milan in front of a sign saying 'Defend life, choose a vegetarian Easter', while a scrolling message urged viewers to 'Be like him. He saved five lambs from the Easter slaughter.'

The animal rights campaign is being promoted by Mr Berlusconi's political ally, Michela Vittoria Brambilla. who is also seen beside him in the video.

A former culture and tourism minister in the last Berlusconi government before he was ousted in 2011, Ms Brambilla is president of the Italian Defence League for Animals and the Environment.

The political leader, whose career has been dogged by a series of scandals, surprised his friends when he declared he was becoming a vegetarian last year.

One of Italy's richest men, he apparently told colleagues from his centre-right Forza Italia party: 'Animals are marvellous creatures. How can we kill them? How can we eat them?'

Italians traditionally eat lamb or goat on Easter Sunday but consumption has declined sharply over the last five years due to an economic slump and the growing success of vegetarian campaigns.

Italy's butchers' lobby Assocarni attacked the billionaire media tycoon and called on advertisers to boycott his television channels and publications.

In a statement, it said: 'It's incredible that even though he is a business person he is contributing to damaging the meat industry to try to get the votes of animal lovers.'

Berlusconi made headlines in 2013 when he cosied up to Dudu, the poodle owned by Pascale and was also pictured with Vladimir Putin playing with the dog inside his Rome villa when the Russian president visited the Italian capital.

He will go on trial in July accused of witness tampering and pay-offs over his alleged 'bunga bunga' sex parties, a court ruled Wednesday.

The ex-premier is accused of paying more than 10 million euros ($10.7-million) between 2011 and 2015, in cash, gifts, cars and housing to guests at his Arcore residence near Milan, to testify in his favour in the so-called 'Ruby' affair.