It is a known fact that Hindus in India worship cow as a sacred animal. In a bizarre video surfaced online, a calf has been born with just one large eye and no nose is being worshipped as a ‘god’ in the Bardhaman District of West Bengal. The baby cow’s appearance is due to a birth defect called cyclopia, a rare congenital disorder that occurs in both humans and animals. In the video, the calf is seen sticking out its tongue and gasping for breath, as reported in the Daily Mail. 11 New Cases of Babies Born Without Arms in France's Ain, National Investigation Ordered.

According to media reports, the deformed animal was said to have been rejected by its mother, but the locals are now taking care of it. Local sources claim that now it has been worshipped as a ‘god’. As per Daily Mail reports, the owner said, “Ever since it was born, people have crowded my place to see the bizarre calf. They are now considering it be a miracle of God and have started worshipping it.” After being discarded by the mother, local women have been feeding the cow. But the real reason behind the deformed appearance is a birth defect known as cyclopia.

Watch Video of One-Eyed Cow Worshipped as 'God' in India

As defined in Healthline, cyclopia is a rare birth defect that occurs when the front part of the brain doesn’t cleave into right and left hemispheres. The common symptom of cyclopia is a single eye of a partially divided eye. The disease exists in both humans and animals and currently there is no cure or any preventive measure. A creature with the condition may be able to distinguish light and dark but will not have proper vision because the retina won’t form properly. In this rare birth defect, the babies are normally stillborn or die shortly after due to breathing and brain problems.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 08, 2019 09:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).