Egypt: Baby goat born with monkey-like head spooks villagers
Veterinarians say it is a congenital deformity; animal dies in two days
Dubai: A baby goat, which was born with what looks like a monkey’s head in Egypt, died after only two days of its birth, local media reported.
The birth of a goat with a monkey-like head has sparked great interest in Al Hedaya village in Assiut Governorate, Upper Egypt.
Videos and photos of the goat have gone viral on social media. The owner said he was surprised how a goat he raised gave birth to a "strange creature".
While some have speculated that the goat is a result of inbreeding between the two species, experts say it is scientifically impossible.
Veterinarians interpreted this incident as a congenital defect, stressing the impossibility of a cross between monkeys and goats.
Mohammed Youssef, a veterinarian, said: “The birth of a goat with a monkey’s head is not possible. It is a congenital defect, not a monkey’s head."
Dr. Iman Bakr, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Cairo University, said these are congenital malformations such as those that occur in humans, explaining that they are due to genetic reasons in the parents, or the mother’s exposure during pregnancy to toxins from the surrounding environment or exposure to a virus during pregnancy.
She stressed these cases are rare, but they do occur and have scientific reasons. Deformed animals’ ability to continue life is often difficult and sometimes impossible, Dr. Bakr added.