Images and videos of mutant goat born with eerie human-like face went viral on social media.
The goat born in the village Nimodia on the outskirts of Jaipur, the capital of the state of Rajasthan, India, was initially described looking like a grumpy old man by the locals, but was later on worshipped as an "avatar of god", according to NewsBreak.
One of the videos taken by owner Mukeshji Prajapap, shows the beast chewing and wagging its tail, walking and stumbling around the hut. The unique animal became a worldwide sensation since.
In India, many consider mutant animals as a sign of god, according to New York Post, although some villagers believe the flat-faced goat as an omen.
Cyclopia Syndrome
Experts suggest that the goat suffers from a rare congenital defect known as cyclopia, a rare form of birth defect creating the facial symmetry fail. An article published in BMJ Case Reports explain that the defect is the severest facial expression of the holoprosencephaly syndrome and very rare syndrome of severe facial dysmorphism.
This defect typically leads to miscarriage or stillbirth, but in case of birth, the prognosis of the human-like goat is not favorable as its face structure could cause breathing and eating difficulties. However, this is not an isolated case as similar weird births have been reported from different parts of the world.
The birth of the 'cyclops kid,' a goat with a single eye on its forehead, also occurred in India. The baby goat only had one eye as its developing brain failed to divide into two hemispheres. Unfortunately, the rare kid died a few weeks after its birth.
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Mutant Animals Around the World
Mutant animals are actually a bit more common than it seems, according to local sources.
One case was reported in the Philippines last year when a goat gave birth to an unusual-looking animal, which some have said looks 'half-human, half-pig'.
Owner and farmer Josephine Repique, 40, from Sultan Kudarat, said that a vet performed a caesarean section on her pregnant goat and they removed one healthy kid - however, the other one was unusually born without fur and had shiny, pale skin. Josephine said the animal 'looked like a pig with a mix of human'.
Dr Agapita Salces, of the Institute of Animal Science of the University of the Philippines, said: "It is a possible case of genetic mutation. It is also possible that the mother contracted a disease called Rift Valley fever from mosquito bites and this caused the impaired development of the infant."
Meanwhile, a mutant cow was born in the Bardhaman district of West Bengal. Locals also worshiped the odd animal until it sadly died at just 4 months old.
In Cuba, a mutant piglet born with one eye in the middle of its forehead looked like a chimpanzee.
In 2017, another goat from India was born with one huge eye, baffling local villagers. The animal was also born with only one ear which the vets fear could cause its death within days, but the odds were at its favor and survived.
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