'Took us by surprise:' Janus the 2-headed goat passes away a month after birth at Shawano Co. farm



WITTENBERG -- A baby goat born with two heads at Nueske Farms LLC on April 5 passed away nearly a month after his birth.

Officials shared the sad news Monday, May 4:


"It is with great sadness that we share the news that Janus died today. This took us quite by surprise as he had been doing very well up until today. His first feeding went as normal but he was not very hungry for his mid-morning feeding. We took him outside to practice standing and soak up some sunshine (the last picture in the slideshow is from today). Later in the afternoon, he still was not hungry and then things took a turn for the worse. We checked his temperature and it was low. He became less active and within a few hours he was gone. Janus captured the hearts of so many this past month! Thank you for all the kind words and support. So many people were rooting for him! He will surely be missed but is a reminder that though unexpected challenges may come into our lives, we can choose to face them with kindness! And kindness is contagious!"



Janus was named after an ancient Roman God who had two heads.

"And it was for like, beginnings and endings, and the past and the future," said Jocelyn Nueske of Nueske Farms LLC.



Nueske said in six years of milking and thousands of goat births, she never saw anything like Janus.

"I've heard of two-headed cows, and lizards, but not a goat," said Nueske.



Nueske said the kid really had twin heads.

"There's four eyes, and two mouths, but they weren't sure if the middle eyes worked. But they were positive about the outside eyes working," she said.

Janus became an internet sensation. A day after his birth and a trip to the veterinarian, Nueske said Janus was doing fine.



"He's a normal goat. We just have to help him. We try to help him as much as we can, and give him a break when he gets tired," she said. "Hopefully he can walk in a month. That would be good. I think that would be our goal."

Nueske said the plan was for Janus to spend his time as a family pet.

Rest in peace, Janus.