A two-headed calf born with two mouths and four eyes has become a local attraction in southern India.
In a video taken earlier this year, curious villagers can be seen lining up to see the calf resting in a shed with its mother.
The newborn struggles to lift its two heads so its owner bottle feeds it while another person holds its head up. It also couldn’t suckle from its mother because of its two mouths.
But despite its baby’s condition, the mother can be seen watching over its calf and cleaning it up as people gather to see the creature.
Vets in the area believe that the two-headed calf’s chances of survival are low as animals born with the condition barely live over a few months.
The condition, known as polycephaly, is caused by genetic abnormalities or damage sustained in the nervous system while the embryos were developing and splitting.
In 2020, farmers in Dejiang County, Guizhou Province in China were left shocked after a calf was born with two heads, two mouths, four eyes, and two ears.
Their owner, Auntie Zhang, said that the animal’s mother gave birth to the creature after seven-hour labor.
One person commented: “This makes me feel sad. I honestly think the kindest thing is to gently put this lovely to sleep.”
Another wrote: “Not sure how I feel about this…. we wouldn’t be saying put it down if it was a human baby. I just dunno….awww bless it.”
A third said: “The calf’s mother is by its side trying to bring comfort. My heart cries for both.”
Someone else added: “Poor beautiful baby that’s so terribly sad it needs to be put out of its misery, it’s cruel to even allow it to live.”
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