Chinese sheep gives birth to puppy

A Chinese farmer claims that one of his sheep has given birth to a puppy. The 'puppy' has wool like a lamb but it's mouth, nose, eyes, paws and tail look more like a dog's. Vets say it is impossible for a sheep to give birth to a dog - but people have been flocking to Liu Naiying's farm to see the animal for themselves.

Liu, of in Fugu County, Shaanxi Province, says his 'sheep dog' even plays like a puppy. He told how he found the unusual baby animal shortly after it was born in one of his fields.

"I was herding the sheep, and saw a sheep licking her newborn lamb on the grassland. The lamb was still wet," he said. "When I went up close to check on the lamb I was shocked because it looked so weird, like a cross between a sheep and a dog. I was a bit frightened, as I've been raising sheep for 20 years and had never seen such a creature."

Yue Guozhang, a researcher at Xi'an City Animal Husbandry Technology Center, said sheep and dogs were different species. "It's not possible that a sheep could become pregnant with a puppy," he said. "It's likely that this is just an abnormal lamb."