Isolated tribe where kids are born with 2 toes on each foot believe ancestors were birds

A reclusive African tribe of hunter-gatherers that rarely marry outside their community are afflicted by a rare genetic abnormality that leaves them with just two toes on each foot


An isolated tribe is afflicted with a rare "ostrich foot" condition that leaves them with just two toes.

Adventurer Drew Binsky visited Zimbabwe’s Kanyemba region to visit the Vadoma people and find out how they deal with the bizarre deformity.
As many as 25% of Vadoma children are born with the condition, which causes them to have only two large toes that tend to point inwards to give their feet a “claw-like” appearance. Vadoma people rarely marry outside their tribe, causing the condition – ectrodactyly – to be be passed down through families.



Outside the tribe, ectrodactyly is very rare, affecting less than one in every 90,000 people. The Vadoma deny claims that their condition was caused by “witchcraft and sorcery” and maintain that they were “created like that by God.”

Vadoma legends say that their ancestors were large birds that came from a planet called Liitolafisi and settled among humans. “The Vadoma are still considered one of the few remaining hunter gatherer tribes in Zimbabwe, living in relative seclusion and maintaining their traditions,” Drew explained.



One Vadoma teenager told him that it’s difficult to get by with two toes, because the unusual shape of his feet make it impossible to buy shoes. It means walking long distances on the rough, rocky soil can be very painful.
Apparently, though, Vadoma boys can play football just as well as their five-toed cousins, and are said to be able to climb trees with “exceptional” speed.

One Vadoma teenager told him that it’s difficult to get by with two toes, because the unusual shape of his feet make it impossible to buy shoes. It means walking long distances on the rough, rocky soil can be very painful.
Apparently, though, Vadoma boys can play football just as well as their five-toed cousins, and are said to be able to climb trees with “exceptional” speed

The Vadoma tribe have far higher incidence rates of the syndrome compared to any other group of people in the world. 
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They have always been a “shy” and reclusive people – partly because they have suffered mockery from outsiders because of their curious two-toed affliction. Their long isolation has been only worsened by ongoing military conflict in the region.

The Vadoma’s insular nature means that the unusual deformity is actually becoming slightly more common among them. Drew’s translator explains: “The numbers are growing with these young folk that are getting married to closely-related young ladies.”
The deformity can also be found in other tribes, such as the Talunda and Taluta Kalgana people of the Kalahari desert. Some researchers believe that all of these tribes are historically descended from a single population.

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