A goat which was born in India last Wednesday (May 10) has attracted immense attention not only within the country but also around the world. The reason behind this is rather curious – the goat was born with only one eye.
Dubbed a ‘cyclops’ goat, the animal was born with a condition called cyclopia, a rare condition which occurs in the womb and is characterised by the brain’s failure to separate into two different hemispheres.
The condition has also resulted in the goat being born with only one ear, one eye socket, a shortened jaw, and a stunted nose. It is found most often in mammals, humans included, with newborns often dying just a few hours after their birth.
Veterinarians predicted that the baby goat would not survive longer than a few days but the kid has defied all expectations by staying alive for longer than a week under the care of its owner, Mukhuri Das.
The almost mystical nature of the goat’s appearance has since attracted crowds of visitors daily, including people from other villages. Some, including Das himself, even consider the goat to be sent from God, believing that the animal will bring luck along with it.