Grandfather defends infant's cow suckling

A Cambodian man has defended his 18-month-grandson's habit of suckling milk directly from a cow.

Young Tha Sophat has been drinking from udders every day since July when his parents left to find work in Thailand after a storm.

The little one fell ill without access to his mother's breast milk, so his 46-year-old grandfather Um Oeung declined to correct him when he followed the example of a nursing calf.

"[Neighbours] blame me and have told me not to allow him to suckle from the cow anymore," Oeung said.

"They say that the boy will be ashamed when he grows up and that he will be naughty. His health is fine, he is strong and he doesn't have diarrhoea."

Oeung added that Tha had been now been reduced to one suckling per day.

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