A giant-eared goat has rekindled her breeder’s hopes of breaking a world record, which he claims was won by one of his other animals — whose ears were a whopping 22 inches long.
Simbi’s ears measure a whopping 21 1/2 inches – not far off the height of her big-eared fellow goat Simba.
The tawny goat is only two months old, and judging by her ancestor’s fast-growing ears, they could get even longer.
Her breeder, Mohammad Hassan Narejo, showed off the little goat’s impressive wingspan for photos at his home in Karachi, Pakistan.
Simbi are thought to be a Nubian goat, whose ears protrude an average of about an inch below their faces.
The lop-eared kid now has her eye on becoming the Guinness World Record holder – meaning a title should probably be created just for her.
Simbi are thought to be a Nubian goat, whose ears protrude an average of about an inch below their faces
Simbi’s breeder, Mohammad Hassan Narejo, showed off the tiny goat’s impressive wingspan
Narejo works in the air traffic control department of Karachi airport, but his passion is goat breeding
The two-month-old Simbi proudly posed with her ears spread wide for her breeder and his son
Last year, Narejo revealed that one of his male goats, Simba, would be going for the title of Greatest of All Time.
The breeder said he approached Guinness World Records to see if his charges could be listed, despite a category for “long-disturbed goat” not being listed on the organization’s website.
His latest entry could take the title, or at least make a name for himself in the global goat farming community.
Simbi is likely to follow in the footsteps of her relative Simba, who became famous for his unusual looks and amassed thousands of followers on YouTube.
“He’s just a kid with celebrity status,” Narejo said last year.
‘Within 10 to 12 days of his birth, he appeared in all national and international media – and won a beauty contest,’ says a proud Narejo.
Simbi’s ears sway beside her as she walks. The young goat may have pouches to protect her long lobes, like Narejo’s other goat Simba
Narejo and his son stretch Simbi’s ears to show how far the little goat’s whoppers can reach
The expert breeder hand-feeds his animals on a diet of milk, which he feeds them three times a day
Simbi takes off and leaps into the air, flailing her 21-inch ears. Simba had a special pouch to protect his ears
“Within 30 days he became so popular that it would take even a famous personality 25 to 30 years to reach this level of fame.”
When Simba was born, his ears were 18 inches long, but they didn’t seem to stop growing. In just a month, another five centimeters have been added to their height.
Narejo said he fed Simba milk three times a day and took other measures to ensure his well-being.
You’d think having such low-hanging earlobes would be impractical, but the breeder revealed his remarkable solution to keep his animals’ ears from getting in the way.
“I have a special velvet harness or pouch to keep his ears in place so he can run and play easily without getting his ears tangled,” Narejo told Reuters.
Simba was born in Karachi, Pakistan in mid-June with long ears that measured 18 inches (45 cm) in length
Narejo was also wary of the attention Simba has attracted – including from rival breeders – and resorted to prayer and tradition to ward off any ill will.
“We recite Quranic verses and blow on him to drive away the evil eye,” Narejo said.
“Within 10 to 12 days of his birth, he appeared in all national and international media – and won a beauty contest,” said a proud Narejo.
“Within 30 days he became so popular that it would take even a famous personality 25 to 30 years to reach this level of fame.”
Now Simbi can also become famous for her impressive ears, which far surpass those of other goats of her age and breed.
Goat ears serve a very important purpose as they help to keep the animals cool in high temperatures.
In Pakistan, temperatures vary due to the varying terrain, but in summer temperatures can reach 47C.
Fortunately for Simba, temperatures are often considerably lower than that – but still very hot, regularly in the mid-thirties in the summer.