Three-eyed Bull Calf Is Latest Freak

Chronicle (Levin), 6 October 1948, Page 4

Three-eyed Bull Calf Is Latest Freak

Nature has certainly endowed Levin with a record birth of freak animals. A still further instance of t'he unnatural has been brought to the attent-ion of this newspaper since the ' existence of the cow and bull combination, the four legged chicken and two tailed kitten was putalicised. This time it is a bull calf with three apparently normal eyes. Born five days ago on the property of Mr. G. Tantrum, Weraroa, it appeared to be perfectly normal otherwise except that the face was deformed, the nose being twisted and broken and the mouth set askew. The eye, which was deeply set in the forehead and slightly to the left side, was perfertly formed and equipped with eyelas'hes. The ball, however, was set high and when the lid opened was not exposed. The eye blinked and altogether seemed to function normally. The left-hand eye was also protruding more than was normal, and was placed further over in the face than usual. Unfortunately the calf, Which was a Jersey, was destroyed by Mr. Tantrum last night, and was consequently not se'en by a reporter who visited the farm, but it has been seen by a veterinary s'urgeon who was interested in the animal from a medical point of view. The cow which had given birth to the calf had developed milk fever, and this had led to the calf being destroyed, said Mr. Tantrum.