Birth of half goat half man

SERANG: Hundreds of people in the village of Petir in Serang regency, Banten province, were shocked by the birth of a baby goat whose body resembled that of a human baby, on Tuesday.

However, later in the evening the baby died.

The owner of the goat, Sarkim alias Akong, 45, said the ewe had been pregnant for over a year before giving birth to the anomalous baby.

The villagers considered the baby's birth to be the sign of a something big about to happen to the country. Many even related the birth to the prolonged dry season in the Serang regency, which has caused a water shortage and threatened rice production.

Islamic cleric Chaerudin said that it was a sign from God to people who have turned their backs on God. -- JP