‘Cyclops’ lamb born with a single eye is feared as ‘a demon in disguise’ by villagers in Indonesia
- The lamb was born at a farm in Sumedang Regency, West Java, on Monday
- Villagers believed the lamb could be a reincarnation of the Islamic figure Dajjal
- The animal suffered from rare birth defect Cyclopia which results in a single eye
A mutant one-eyed lamb born in Indonesia was believed to be a demon in disguise by villagers.
Footage taken by farmer Pipih, 65, at a farm in Sumedang Regency, West Java, on Monday shows the black lamb after its birth, with a single eye in the middle of its forehead.
Villagers feared the lamb could be a reincarnation of the Islamic figure Dajjal, but Pipih believes its birth could bring ‘blessings’ to his family.
A mutant one-eyed black lamb with Cyclopia was born at a rural property in Sumedang Regency, West Java, Indonesia, on Monday
In the video, the one-eyed lamb is licked by its mother as its shifts uncomfortably on the ground.
Children call out when they see the lamb’s eye and it sticks its tongue out as it turns to face them.
The lamb continues to stare at the children as it gasps for air and chews something in its mouth.
Later, the goat pushes its head through a gap in its pen, revealing its slightly blue, large central eye in detail.
The lamb had difficulty breathing and eating because of its deformed face and sadly died yesterday
Pipih said: ‘The mother gave birth to two lambs. The other one is normal. I hope this will be a good sign and bring blessings to the family.’
Village official Cucu Sunarya visited the farmhouse after hearing about the strange lamb to check for possible disease.
He found the lamb was healthy apart for its misshapen facial parts, which caused difficulty with eating.
The goat pushes its head through a gap in its pen, revealing its slightly blue, large central eye in detail
The lamb is believed to have had Cyclopia, a rare birth defect that disrupted the development of the eyes into two cavities.
In January, a cow was born with the disorder in the Bardhaman district of West Bengal
It develops in the womb when the left and right hemispheres of the brain do not separate as they are meant to early on in the gestation.
This leads to the formation of a single central cavity with one eye, or sometimes partially fused or separate eyeballs and often the absence of eyelashes and eyelids.
The nose is also deformed, with an underdeveloped upper jaw.
A creature with cyclopia may be able to distinguish light and dark but will not have proper vision because the retina won’t form properly.
Creatures with the condition are normally stillborn or die shortly after due to breathing and brain problems.
The lamb in Indonesia died on June 24, two days after it was born, because it struggled to breathe and eat.
In January, a cow was born with the disorder in the Bardhaman district of West Bengal.