End to an oddity: ‘Mr and Mrs’ goat’s 15 minutes of fame put to knife
More than half-a-million rupees could not keep the butcher away.
It came, it was milked and killed. Photos: Express
ISLAMABAD:
Museum Road in Taxila, along with the many fans, will miss the ‘Mr and Mrs’ goat — a milk-producing buck that was slaughtered on the second day of Eidul Azha.
For days, the animal of questionable gender identity kept religious scholars pondering over whether God will accept it as a sacrificial animal or not, all the while attracting a number of locals interested in inspecting the goat and even buying it.
As Islam prohibits slaughtering animals with defects, the owner, Raja Jamshed, would give samples of its milk to several people who, after checking its taste and texture opined that it tasted like normal goat milk and could not be the result of a defect.
Nothing, it seemed, could keep Jamshed from following through on the religious ritual he had bound himself and the goat to, as he even turned down a
staggering offer of 650,000 rupees made by a local jeweller who wanted to save ‘Mr and Mrs’ goat’s life. The buck originally cost Jamshed Rs26,500.
For the inquisitive army colonel who took a sample of the doe’s milk for lab tests, the grim reaper acted faster than the lab technicians.
“I did not have the colonel’s phone number so I couldn’t ask him about the lab results,” said the owner, who added that his mother wanted him to go forward with the purpose he had bought the animal for.
“We bought it for a noble cause and selling it for any sum was out of question,” he added.
Dr Faisal Khan, an Islamabad-based veterinarian, was less than convinced by reports of the ability of the goat to produce milk, as only mammals capable of giving birth will normally produce milk.
“However, I cannot comment on this until I see the animal myself,” he said.
Unfortunately, the doctor will probably be unable to reach any sound conclusion after examining barbequed mutton chops.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 22nd, 2013.
Museum Road in Taxila, along with the many fans, will miss the ‘Mr and Mrs’ goat — a milk-producing buck that was slaughtered on the second day of Eidul Azha.
For days, the animal of questionable gender identity kept religious scholars pondering over whether God will accept it as a sacrificial animal or not, all the while attracting a number of locals interested in inspecting the goat and even buying it.
As Islam prohibits slaughtering animals with defects, the owner, Raja Jamshed, would give samples of its milk to several people who, after checking its taste and texture opined that it tasted like normal goat milk and could not be the result of a defect.
Nothing, it seemed, could keep Jamshed from following through on the religious ritual he had bound himself and the goat to, as he even turned down a
staggering offer of 650,000 rupees made by a local jeweller who wanted to save ‘Mr and Mrs’ goat’s life. The buck originally cost Jamshed Rs26,500.
For the inquisitive army colonel who took a sample of the doe’s milk for lab tests, the grim reaper acted faster than the lab technicians.
“I did not have the colonel’s phone number so I couldn’t ask him about the lab results,” said the owner, who added that his mother wanted him to go forward with the purpose he had bought the animal for.
“We bought it for a noble cause and selling it for any sum was out of question,” he added.
Dr Faisal Khan, an Islamabad-based veterinarian, was less than convinced by reports of the ability of the goat to produce milk, as only mammals capable of giving birth will normally produce milk.
“However, I cannot comment on this until I see the animal myself,” he said.
Unfortunately, the doctor will probably be unable to reach any sound conclusion after examining barbequed mutton chops.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 22nd, 2013.