Mutant baby cow with two heads being hand-reared in Indonesia
A mutant baby cow with two heads was being hand-reared after being born in Indonesia.
The healthy female calf was delivered on a farm in Pondok Wuluh Village in East Java, Indonesia on Sunday night August 9.
She appeared to be suffering from polycephaly, with four functioning eyes and two separate mouths.
Neighbours have been gathering all week inside farmer's cow shed to see the creature, which many believed to be lucky.
Despite her unusual appearance, the female has been able to drink bottle milk through both of her two mouths.
She can even clamber to her feet with help from the farmer.
Hariyanto Yanto, the owner's nephew, said they have been giving the calf vitamins to boost her health.
He said: "We are all afraid that she will not be able to live long because of her condition so we have been giving her milk and supplements.
''Nobody knows why she was born like this but we are all saying prayers for her.''
The calf is still unable to walk but officers from the local Animal Husbandry Department told them not to worry as it can sometimes take between three and five days before newborns can stand.
The region's Livestock and Health Service Office head Yahyadi said they visited the calf to check its condition.
Yahyadi said: "We were told that while still in the womb, both the mother and calf were given vitamins.
"The baby is just unique because it has two heads that are close together. We do not know how long it will live for.''
Yahyadi added that the calf was a result of manual mating, without the help of insemination.
He said: "There are cows that are injected to give birth, while this two-headed cow is a result of manual mating."
To ensure its health, Yahyadi said they will send vets to help take care of the strange calf to conduct some research.
He said: "We will supervise the care of the calf for research. We have assigned officers and veterinarians to help take care of it."
The healthy female calf was delivered on a farm in Pondok Wuluh Village in East Java, Indonesia on Sunday night August 9.
She appeared to be suffering from polycephaly, with four functioning eyes and two separate mouths.
Neighbours have been gathering all week inside farmer's cow shed to see the creature, which many believed to be lucky.
Despite her unusual appearance, the female has been able to drink bottle milk through both of her two mouths.
She can even clamber to her feet with help from the farmer.
Hariyanto Yanto, the owner's nephew, said they have been giving the calf vitamins to boost her health.
He said: "We are all afraid that she will not be able to live long because of her condition so we have been giving her milk and supplements.
''Nobody knows why she was born like this but we are all saying prayers for her.''
The calf is still unable to walk but officers from the local Animal Husbandry Department told them not to worry as it can sometimes take between three and five days before newborns can stand.
The region's Livestock and Health Service Office head Yahyadi said they visited the calf to check its condition.
Yahyadi said: "We were told that while still in the womb, both the mother and calf were given vitamins.
"The baby is just unique because it has two heads that are close together. We do not know how long it will live for.''
Yahyadi added that the calf was a result of manual mating, without the help of insemination.
He said: "There are cows that are injected to give birth, while this two-headed cow is a result of manual mating."
To ensure its health, Yahyadi said they will send vets to help take care of the strange calf to conduct some research.
He said: "We will supervise the care of the calf for research. We have assigned officers and veterinarians to help take care of it."