In eastern India, a newborn calf with only one eye is worshiped as a divinity.
The young cow, whose appearance is owing to a congenital ab.no.rm.ality, was born in West Bengal’s Bardhaman district.
The one-eyed calf, which also lacks a snout, can be seen pushing out its tongue and struggling for air in video footage published online. ‘Ever since it was born, people have swarmed my property to see the strange calf,’ stated the owner.
They now see it as a divine marvel and have begun to worship it.’ The calf suffers from cyclopia, an uncommon congenital condition that affects both people and animals.
It occurs in the womb when the left and right hemispheres of the brain fail to split as they should early in pregnancy.
This results in the creation of a single central chamber with one eye, or occasionally partially fused or distinct eyes, and the absence of eyelashes and eyelids.
As in this calf, the snout is also ma.lfo.rmed, with an undeveloped upper jaw.
A creature with cyclopia may be able to discriminate between light and dark, but its eyesight will be impaired since the retina will not develop properly.
Animals with the syndrome are usually st.ill.born or d.i.e soon after birth owing to respiration and brain difficulties.
