Mutation and other birth defects are not uncommon in animals, but this calf has stunned locals after it was born with two heads, four eyes and two mouths. The sad part is that the calf even has two tongues with is making it difficult for him to suckle to his mother. The farmer who owns the calf couldn't believe it at first when one of his cows gave birth to such a strange-looking calf. Bhaskar who owns a farm in Paarasalai village in Kanyakumari, South India and just last week witnesses this mutant calf with conjoined heads. The calf also just has one pair of ears and his condition made him a tourist attraction in no time. Visitors from neighbouring villages have been visiting Bhaskar to see the rare calf.
While the mother and calf are both doing well currently it is unknown what the future holds for the calf. Bhaskar is worried about the calf because he says that he is already grown attached to him and hopes he lives a full life. It is being believed that the calf suffers from a condition called Dicephalic Parapagus that affects just one in every 100,000 cows.
What is Dicephalic Parapagus?
Majorly known as a defect in the formation of twins during gestation, Dicephalic Parapagus is a rare form of partial twinning. Most of the times the babies affected from DP are born with two heads side by side and one torso. It is mainly found in humans that causes infants to be conjoined. They are colloquially called "two-headed babies". The condition is very common amongst snakes that causes them to be born with multiple heads. The condition has a very poor survival rate. If carried to term, most dicephalic twins are stillborn, or die soon after birth. Only a very small number are known to have survived to adulthood. To save people who are born with Dicephalic Parapagus attempts are made to surgically separate the two individuals. Sometimes two complete hearts are present and that improves their chances of survival.
Watch Video of The Calf Born With Two Heads:
Just last year in Nimodia in Rajasthan, northwest India a goat was born with a "human face" and grabbed several headlines. The mutant goat's face remarkably resembled that of a human, so much so that people around that goat began worshipping the animal as God. It was being called as an "avatar of God" after the residents couldn't contain their surprise. Mutations are not just limited to animals. Humans are affected by it too. A baby boy with two heads and three hands was born to a woman in a village at Ganjbasoda, Madhya Pradesh, in the Vidisha district last year. According to the doctors, only one heart was visible of the newborn, who also has two palms on one hand.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 20, 2020 10:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).