Janus the two-headed goat. Image: Facebook/Nueske Farms LLC
One farm in Wisconsin, United States has been caring for a two-headed goat named Janus, in reference to the Roman god with two faces.
Janus was born on April 5, Nueske Farms LLC announced on Facebook. His heads each have a set of eyes, nose and mouth.
He has so far been healthy and celebrated turning two weeks old yesterday, April 19, with a party hat and smiley balloon.
“Other than his apparent ‘two heads’, Janus checks out as a normal baby goat,” said a vet who examined the animal, the farm stated in a post on April 14,
It said that according to X-rays, “He has [two fully-formed] craniums/frontal bones of his skull that are fused at the lateral (sides) occipital/parietal and temporal bones of each skull.”
“So basically it is thought that he has 2 brains in the front that connect together in the back of his skull,” it explained.
It mentioned too that the goat could receive surgery for a cleft palate in the right mouth. As for the eyes, it said, “Janus’ outer eyes seem to have sight and it’s uncertain at this time if his inner eyes are able to ‘see.’”
For the past weeks, Janus has undergone physical therapy to learn how to walk and hold his head up. The farm is able to do this with a special sling for him.
Jocelyn Nueske, who operates the family-run farm, told Fox 11 News on April 15 that they plan to keep Janus as a pet and hope that he can learn to walk in a month. JB
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