Narwhal's extra 'tail' explained: Parasitic twin

When Narwhal the Little Magical Furry Unicorn burst onto the animal rescue scene earlier this month, one question loomed above all others: Why did the golden retriever puppy have a “tail” growing out of his forehead?

Reporting by The New York Times has a potential answer.

A Nov. 15 story written by Elizabeth Preston — “How Narwhal the ‘Unicorn’ Puppy May Have Grown a Tail on His Head” ( www.tinyurl.com/vpxd7fr ) — quotes University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s Margret Casal as suggesting the protrusion is most likely a “parasitic twin.”

“Regular identical twins form when an embryo splits in half very soon after fertilization. Sometimes, this split happens too late in a pregnancy and the halves don’t fully separate, leading to conjoined twins. Even more rarely, Dr. Casal said, the late split is asymmetrical, meaning one side of the embryo grows into a fully formed individual and the other becomes an extra body part,” the story explained.

Casal further noted a tuft of backward-growing hair above the “tail,” perhaps indicating “a twin’s rear end on Narwhal’s face.”

The 11-week-old puppy’s extra tail is a little more than an inch long and limply hangs from the middle of his forehead. Staff at Mac’s Mission in Jackson took in the pup and his father after they were found abandoned.

Dr. Brian Heuring at Cape Small Animal Clinic in Cape Girardeau examined Narwhal — named for a marine mammal with a single tusk growing out of its forehead — and found no danger in allowing the “tail” to remain.

Mac’s, which focuses on animals with special needs, has used the widespread interest in Narwhal to highlight its rescue efforts. The puppy graces the organization’s homepage ( www.iampitbullstrong.com ), with a quote “from” the puppy: “It’s me, Narwhal! I don’t understand what viral is, but my foster mom said my story being viral helps all our special needs dogs here at the Mission. I am super excited for being the poster child for ‘special is awesome.’”

At the website, various pieces of Narwhal “We Believe in Unicorns” merchandise — including clothing, coffee mugs and pillows — are available.

How’s he doing?

Rochelle Steffen, founder, said Narwhal has settled into his new life.

“He is doing really, really great,” she said. “Basically, he is learning just being a puppy — learning not to bite and learning potty training.”

Steffen said Narwhal is getting lots of playtime with other fully vaccinated dogs.

“He’s just enjoying all of the attention,” she said.

That attention has spanned the globe. Steffen said she has spoken with media outlets from every U.S. state, Poland, Japan, Australia, Canada, Mexico and Colombia, sometimes trying to respond to multiple requests at the same time.

“We have worked so hard for eight years. So, this is just like winning the lottery,” she noted. “Every one of our dogs has a story. Every one has a huge story to tell. It’s, literally, they have this giant thing they have to overcome, and most of them do.”

Steffen said Narwhal’s fame has provided tangible benefits to the Mission. One donor paid adoptions fees for all the animals, $3,600, and other donations have poured into the Mission, totaling about $10,000. Steffen said those funds will enable the Mission to help even more animals in need.

“His story has allowed us to really jump off the cliff for some of the ones we can say ‘yes’ to. The same weekend he came, another dog had an emergency crisis, $1,500 in emergency costs,” she explained. “I literally can’t explain how excited we are.”

Narwhal’s future

Offers to adopt Narwhal flooded in, Steffen said, but for now, he will stay with her.

“His safety is my No. 1 concern,” she said. “We have serious safety concerns of exploiting him or not treating him fairly or someone mistreating him. There have been some disturbing comments made. That weighs very heavily on me.”

Steffen said Narwhal rarely leaves her sight.

“Until I know for sure I can keep him safe, I don’t know if him getting adopted out ever is the right thing.”