Cow born with legs coming out of its neck stuns vets by growing to adulthood

22 October 2023 , 15:04

645     0

Polymelia can be caused by genetic mutations (Image: CEN)

A six-legged calf that was born with an additional set of legs emerging from its neck has grown up and is still alive despite vets' predictions it would not last a year.

Farmer Divino Paulo was shocked when the calf later named Gambiarra saw the light of day on his farmland in the city of Edeia, Goias State, Brazil, last year. Paulo said that the surprise followed after he looked out into one of his cow pastures and realised that the little calf had six legs, with the extra pair growing from its neck. Vets were at first worried about Gambiarra's health and did not think it would survive due to its condition, the farmer said.

But in a recent interview with Brazilian newspaper 'Globo', Paulo claimed that the calf is in excellent condition and leads a normal life.

Paulo said that the surprise followed after he looked out into one of his cow pastures and realised that the little calf had six legs (CEN)

He said: "He's alive and his name is Gambiarra. Federal University of Goias (UFG) professor, Paulo Jose Bastos Queiroz, explained that the condition is called polymelia."

Queiroz continued that the disorder is a birth defect in which an affected individual has more than the usual number of limbs. He added: "Polymelia can be caused by genetic mutations and also by the inadequate growth of twins during pregnancy. These causes may be associated with diseases or nutritional deficiencies that affect the development of fetuses during pregnancy."

Furious chimp launches bottle at girl filming him leaving her bleeding at zoo

This isn't the first time we've seen miracle cows born with unique features, although not all of them thrive in the same way as Gambiarra. In 2016, visitors flocked to a farm in India after one of its cows gave birth to a two-headed calf that many believe is a miracle.

The bizarre-looking animal, which has two heads and one body, was born in May 2016 in Pannuganj village, in Uttar Pradesh, northern India. While the animal defied the odds to survive a full week, but it is reportedly struggled to feed and showed signs of deteriorating

Zesha Saleem