The Boy Survives by Nursing from a Cow
Eighteen-month-old Tha Sophat, living in the village of Nokor Pheas, Cambodia, was deprived of breastfeeding as his mother had to earn a living in Thailand. As a result, Tha Sophat has been surviving by nursing from a cow since July until now.
Due to their difficult family circumstances, Tha Sophat had to endure a lack of maternal care, and he had to wean off breast milk at a young age, resulting in his weak health. Tha Sophat’s grandfather, Um Oeung, 46 years old, revealed that the boy started nursing directly from the cow after observing the behavior of young calves. Initially, Um Oeung tried to pull Tha Sophat away from the cows, but the boy cried incessantly, so he allowed him to continue doing so.
And up until now, Tha Sophat has become accustomed to running over to nurse from the cow daily. The cows themselves seem unfazed by Tha Sophat nursing from them and show little concern about the situation.
Nursing from the cow has not posed any health risks to the boy; in fact, he has thrived and grown quickly.
However, local officials do not agree with this practice, advising Tha Sophat’s grandfather to discontinue allowing the boy to nurse from the cow due to safety concerns.
Furthermore, as Tha Sophat grows older, he may feel embarrassed about this behavior.
