Healthy two-headed calf born in village in China

Mutant two-headed calf stuns farmers after being born in a Chinese village

  • An unusual cow with two ears, two mouths and four eyes was born in China
  • Its owner said it could drink milk from both mouths, but could not stand up 
  • Neighbours have rushed to see the rare baby animal at a village in Guizhou
  • It is believe the cow was affected by a genetic mutation in its mother’s womb

A calf born with two heads has shocked farmers in south-eastern China.

Video footage of the cow in a village in Dejiang County, Guizhou Province, shows the mutant baby animal with two heads, two ears, two mouths and four eyes.

The calf’s mother gave birth to it last Saturday after a difficult seven-hour labour, according to their owner known as auntie Zhang.

It was born on August 15 on a farm in a village in Dejiang County, south-western China's Guizhou Province

The unusual baby cow has two heads, two ears, two mouths and four eyes. It was born on August 15 on a farm in a village in Dejiang County, south-western China’s Guizhou Province

The clip, filmed one day after the calf’s birth, shows the baby animal lying on the ground.

Auntie Zhang said it was unable to stand up on its own, but could drink milk from both mouths.

The woman said she was awestruck upon seeing the calf.

She told Chinese video news outlet Pear Video: ‘I am more than 70 years old, and I had never seen any cow like this in my life.’

The cow's owner said it could not stand up on its own, but could drink milk from both mouths

It is believed the cow was affected by a genetic mutation while still inside its mother's uterus

The cow’s owner said it could not stand up on its own, but could drink milk from both mouths

The calf's owner, auntie Zhang, said: 'I am more than 70 years old, and I had never seen any cow like this in my life'

Her neighbours have flocked to her home to meet the calf

The calf’s owner (left), auntie Zhang, said: ‘I am more than 70 years old, and I had never seen any cow like this in my life.’ Her neighbours have flocked to her home to meet the calf (right)

The unusual calf has attracted the attention of many residents of the village, who flocked to auntie Zhang’s home to see it.

One neighbour told the reporter that she had come to see the animal because she could not believe the news.

‘Now that I have seen it with my own eyes, I know it’s true,’ she added.

An expert said that the two-headed cow shared the same throat and could grow four horns.

He claimed that the calf was healthy and hoped that it could keep growing.

It is believed the cow was affected by a genetic mutation while still inside its mother’s uterus.

How do animals with two heads function?

Two-headed animals have a condition called polycephaly, which derives from the Greek word poly, meaning ‘many’ and kephale, meaning ‘head’.

Animals with this condition, also referred to as dicephalic parapagus, have two heads on one torso.

Animals with this condition, also referred to as dicephalic parapagus, have two heads on one torso. The unusual condition was captured in a brief film taken in Rawalpindi, Pakistan of a goat (pictured)

Animals with this condition, also referred to as dicephalic parapagus, have two heads on one torso. The unusual condition was captured in a brief film taken in Rawalpindi, Pakistan of a goat (pictured)

Each head of a polycephalic animal has its own brain, and they share control of the organs and limbs, though the specific structure of the connections varies between each case.

Animals with the condition rarely live beyond a few months.

They are referred to as bicephalic or dicephalic if the animals have two heads. If they have three heads they are referred to as tricephalic.

‘Although rare, two-headed animals have been documented since the 1800s’, according to the video website Newsflare.