Mysore/Mysuru: A five-legged bull calf, which was being used for begging, has been rescued by the volunteers of Prani Daya Sangha and People for Animals (PFA) in city yesterday.  The calf with an extra limb was rescued with the help of V.V. Puram Police and has been shifted to Pinjrapole, at the foot of Chamundi Hill.

It is learnt that a family of five from Maharashtra had brought the bull calf and were involved in begging. They were fooling people by saying that a bull with an extra limb would bring good luck. 

The family was seen begging by using the bull calf at V.V. Mohalla, Gokulam and other places in city and the Prani Daya Sangha and PFA volunteers, who spotted the family near Cheluvamba Park on KRS Road in Yadavagiri yesterday informed the jurisdictional V.V. Puram Police, who summoned the family to the Police Station, warned them and let off. The calf was later shifted to Pinjrapole.   

Speaking to Star of Mysore, PFA volunteer Bhagyalaksmi said, “Such animals are being misused by the people in order to make money. In this case, those in the possession of the five-legged calf were using the animal to beg. Also, they were spreading superstitious belief by saying the cow was worshipped in Maharashtra as God due to its extra limb. Using animals like this is a criminal offense and people should stop misusing such animals. No FIR was registered against the family members, as they are a poor and are from a very low financial background. A warning was issued and they were told not to spread superstition using animals.” 

PFA volunteers Dr. Ajay Kumar Jain, Yashwant, Kavyashree and V.V, Puram Inspector Venkatesh were involved in the rescue of the five-legged bull calf. 

Disabled animals treated as celebrities in India

A five-legged cow is being worshipped in our country, as people believe its extra limb can bring good luck. 

Many villages in North India like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar worship such animals and treat them as celebrities. 

Due to superstitious belief, people especially villagers start worshipping such animals as Gods, while  many take advantage of this to make money by fooling people. 

Any animal or human born with extra limbs is considered as a birth defect called Polymelia. 

It is a genetic disorder in which affected individual has more than usual number of limbs. The extra limb is most commonly shrunken or deformed.