'Half-Man-Half-Beast sent by the Devil' sparks fear in South African village (WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES)

Deformed lamb causes concerns

A sheep in South Africa has given birth to what the village elders are calling a "half-human-half-beast sent by the devil."

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The deformed birth has sparked outrage and concern from the 4,000 inhabitants of Lady Frere. They are convinced this is an act of bestiality and witchcraft, according to The Sun.

"The elders when they saw it said it was sent by the devil and was born after a coupling between a man and a sheep and then there was panic," expressed one villager. "Many people are afraid and will not be happy until it is burned."

The tremendous sense of fear was so great the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development sent experts to test the creature.

"We can confirm this not a hoax photo but that the severely deformed lamb was born by a sheep in Lady Frere this week which at a glance resembles a human form," stated Chief Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Lubabalo Mrwebi, noting that the lamb was born dead and does resemble a human being.

However, he has assured it is not part human.

"It is not however human, but a deformed stillborn lamb sired by a sheep and was subsequently infected by a Rift Valley Fever (RVF) at an early stage of its pregnancy."

According to Dr. Mrwebi, the sheep has 28 pairs of chromosomes and humans have 23 pairs. "[This] is important in dispelling the myth that a union of a sheep ovum and a human sperm can lead to a development of a viable life form," he expressed. "The deformed lamb exhibits signs that are consistent with an early fetal development that went wrong as a result of a viral infection and nothing more."

The sheep is believed to have been conceived in late December 2016 or early January 2017. During this time, there is an abundance of rainfall in the area with many mosquitoes and midge carrying viruses that cause RVF in sheep.

"It is fair to assume, therefore, that the sheep was infected by the RVF virus," Dr. Mrwebi continued. "The resultant circulation of the virus in the blood found its way through the maternal blood into the uterus and the fetus, which was at a very critical stage of development."

The infected fetus then failed to form correctly, leading it to be born deformed.

The complete results of the tests will be shared publicly with those in the area fearful of witchcraft at works.

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