A mutant Damascus goat in Egypt was dubbed the “devil goat” because of its unusual facial features.
The Egyptian Goat Association shared an image of a dinosaur-looking goat with a massive head, large forehead and wrinkles under the mouth, attracting 754,000 shares on Facebook, the Sun reported on March 22. In the video, the goat stands on its hind legs and clings to the railing, looking around the barn. Its size makes other goats in the barn look small.
Florin Feneru, identification officer and consultant at the British Museum of Natural History, said the animal was a Damascu s goat, a species of domestic goat. “Damascus goats are raised in Syria, Cyprus and Lebanon. They are usually raised for milk. The goat facing the camera and jutting out over the fence is affected by a mutation that affects several individuals that give them an odd appearance. It’s strange. Its ears are amputated instead of very long as usual. The other goats in the video also have amputated ears and facial features like it, but less prominent,” Ƒeneru said.
Famous for their milk, fertility (can give birth to 3-4 children per litter) and delicious meat, the Damascus goat also known as Shami, Aleppo, Halep, Baladi, and Damascene is loved by herders in the Middle East due to their unique shape. The typical Damascus goat has a short, rounded nose and a protruding nose bridge. They are also large with a shoulder height of 78cm and have long drooping ears (27 – 32cm), sometimes curled into a long tubular shape.
The Damascus goat is becoming a popular foreign pet, some rather rare traits in the herd are intentionally bred for exaggeration. The owners of Damascus goats often proudly show off their best individuals, even registering them to participate in many local and national competitions.
An ideal goat for display needs to have a short nose so that the head looks more square when viewed from the side. However, the mutant goat in the video makes a standard Ɗamacus goat seem mediocre. With his huge head disproportionate to his body, dome-shaped skull, eerie long neck, wrinkled skin and chipped teeth, this male was most likely the result of cross-breeding from many individuals. has the most impressive features.
According to Newsweek, the goat can be kept by the owner to mate with standard females to produce offspring with a not too different appearance. Goat connoisseurs in the Ąrab Gulf region are willing to pay $67,000 for the best Ɗamacus goats.
