The two-headed calf in Soc Trang has been immersed in alcohol. On the afternoon of May 13th, the Chairman of the People’s Committee of Vinh Hai commune (Vinh Chau town, Soc Trang province) announced that today the temple had immersed the two-headed calf in alcohol. Regarding the incident of “controversial worship of the two-headed calf” at a temple in Vinh Hai commune (Vinh Chau town, Soc Trang province), on May 13th, Mr. Tran Van Thanh, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Vinh Hai commune, Vinh Chau town, Soc Trang province, stated that after removing the internal organs and sun-drying, the Tra Set temple placed the carcass of the two-headed calf in a glass box and poured alcohol for immersion.
“The abbot of the Tra Set temple said that immersing the two-headed calf in alcohol would allow visitors to come here and have a chance to admire it. We have been persuading and explaining to the people that a two-headed calf is a normal occurrence, so no one comes to light incense and worship. The place for immersing the calf in alcohol no longer has an incense burner,” Mr. Thanh told Zing.
According to previous information on Dan Tri newspaper, on May 8th, the mother cow of Mr. L.S.L’s family (49 years old, residing in Tra Set hamlet, Vinh Hai commune, Vinh Chau town, Soc Trang province) gave birth to a two-headed calf.
This calf had 2 heads, 2 necks, 2 spines on a body with 4 legs and 1 tail. However, the calf died on the night of May 8th.
Instead of handling it at home, Mr. L. called the abbot of the T.S temple and the abbot asked his family to bring the calf to the temple. At the temple, a charity box was placed, with 4 candles and an incense burner placed around the calf’s body.
On the morning of May 9th, the temple performed a necropsy on the calf, removed all internal organs, and treated it with medicine before sun-drying. On May 10th, the temple continued to sun-dry the two-headed calf, and many people came daily to observe, light incense, and worship the two-headed calf.
In an exchange with Zing, Mr. Lam Minh Hoang, the head of the Livestock and Veterinary Department of Soc Trang province, stated that the two-headed calf in Vinh Hai had 2 heads and 2 spines, which was a case of conjoined twins. However, due to the mother cow’s chromosomal abnormalities during the embryonic cell division process, the mutant deformed calf was born.
“A two-headed calf or a two-headed snake is a normal occurrence, but the occurrence rate is not high. It is possible that during pregnancy, the mother cow was exposed to toxins, which affected the fetus and resulted in deformity. In my opinion, the temple should not display it because if pregnant women see it in the temple, it will affect their psychological state,” Mr. Hoang shared.