18 October 2007

Hebertsfelden (dpa) - After the birth of a calf with six legs, a farmer in Germany is mulling whether to pay a vet to amputate the two extra limbs, which hang uselessly from the animal's rump.

Veterinarian Anton Santner said Wednesday the beast in the village of Hebertsfelden, southern Germany, was otherwise vital and healthy. The extra legs were not connected to the skeleton.

Joachim Braun, head of veterinary science at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, said the defect was extremely unusual and probably came about from a twin calf dying in utero and being fused with the live calf.

The farmer, Maria Suttner, said she had not decided what to do with the one-week-old brown-and-white calf, which has been named Lissy.

DPA

Subject: German news