Villagers are amazed by two-faced cow: Deformed calf is deemed a ‘miracle’ in India
Villagers in India have been left shocked and amazed after a baby cow was born with two heads.
The strange birth — which took place late last month in a village in Jalalpur, Uttar Pradesh, India — has been described by locals as a divine miracle.
Although the calf has one body, it has two heads with a total of four eyes and two noses. But where the two heads are separated, the young cow still has only the two ears and a joined mouth.
Livestock is considered sacred in India among the country’s prominent Hindu and Jain religions. The slaughter of cows is largely prohibited and they can walk unhindered through traffic-calmed streets.
Despite the severe deformities, the cow is said to be healthy and enjoying her young life in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
The 10 day old cow has two heads with a total of four eyes and two noses. It is also a mouth that meets between its two heads
The strange birth of the cow, which took place in a village in Jalalpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, has been described as a divine miracle
Despite the severe deformities, the 10-day-old cow is said to be healthy and enjoying her young life in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh
Two-headed animals generally have a condition called polycephaly – a term derived from the Greek word poly, meaning “many,” and kephale, meaning “head.”
Most cows with this malformation are not expected to survive more than a few days, and in rare cases even more than a few months.
But this young farm animal has been given a clean bill of health and is enjoying his ten-day-old life so far.
Although the cow has a peculiar mouth that is still between the heads, she is still able to drink the mother’s milk.
Relatives who raised the cow and local villagers consider it a natural wonder and many go so far as to suggest that it is a divine miracle.
After word spread, people from nearby districts and villages flocked to see this rare two-headed beast.
According to veterinarians, this type of case can occur due to the abnormal development of cells during the development of the embryo.
Animals that develop the polycephaly condition, also called dicephalic parapagus, have two heads on one torso.
Each head of a polycephalic animal has its own brain and they share control of the organs and limbs, although the specific structure of the connections varies in each case.
Relatives who raised the cow and local villagers consider it a natural wonder and many have gone so far as to suggest that it is a divine miracle
After word spread, people from nearby districts and villages flocked to see this rare two-headed beast. Livestock is considered sacred in India among the country’s prominent Hindu and Jain religions
Most cows with this malformation are not expected to survive more than a few days, and in rare cases even more than a few months.
They are called bicephalic or dicephalic if the animals have two heads. In some cases, they can have three heads in which they are called tricephalic.
Although rare, this condition has been found all over the world.
In January last year, a calf with two heads, four eyes and two mouths became a local attraction in Gangaikondan, South India. Curious onlookers lined up to see the newborn creature lying with its mother in a shed.
Another case was documented in Pondok Wuluh Village, East Java, India. They also had four functioning eyes and two separate mouths.
In May 2015, another cow was born in Florida with one body, two heads, a total of four eyes, two mouths, two noses and two ears.