Bangladesh’s viral ‘Donald Trump-like’ buffalo spared from Eid al-Adha sacrifice heads to national zoo | Today’s news
A viral ‘Donald Trump lookalike’ buffalo in Bangladesh was spared casualties during the Eid al-Adha holiday on Wednesday 27 May.
Authorities have halted the slaughter of a rare buffalo that has become an internet sensation in the country because of its flowing blond hair reminiscent of US President Donald Trump’s signature hairstyle.
Officials have now decided to preserve the animal at the national zoo in the capital, news agency PTI reported.
Police in Bangladesh said the 700kg buffalo was taken into official custody by government order, hours before it was due to be slaughtered today, May 28, during the second day of Eid al-Adha celebrations in the Muslim-majority country.
“The police came this afternoon and said that the government has decided to take away the buffalo for protection. As we don’t want any conflict with the government, we have handed it over to them,” the animal’s owner, Moniruz Zaman, was quoted as saying by PTI.
Zaman said he was told by the authorities that the government would either compensate him or provide another buffalo, cow or bull in exchange for the “Trump”, which he had bought days ago as a sacrifice at his home in Keraniganj, a suburb of Dhaka.
Keraniganj Superintendent of Police Ruhul Quddus said officials of the livestock department believed the buffalo was still young and could be bred for several more years.
National Zoo Curator Atiqur Rahman said the rare buffalo will be properly cared for and a separate shed and a caretaker have already been arranged for it.
The animal’s former owner, agro-farm operator Zia Uddin Mridha, earlier said his brother had named the buffalo “Donald Trump”.‘ because of his unusual blonde hair resembling that of a US president. He said the buffalo was attracting curious visitors and social media attention even before it was sold.
Mridha said the animal was given special care at the farm, including four baths a day and four meals a day.
According to local media reports, “Trump’s long blond hair, cream-colored body and pinkish nose made him stand out among thousands of animals ready for Eid trading and sacrificial rituals.”
Albino buffaloes are rare in Bangladesh, where most buffaloes are dark-skinned. Livestock officials estimate that more than 12 million animals, including goats, sheep, cows and buffaloes, are usually sacrificed during the Eid holiday in Bangladesh.
Eid al-Adha, also known as “Festival of Sacrifice,‘ is the second important Islamic holiday. The day honors the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God and coincides with the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The police came this afternoon and said that the government had decided to take the buffalo for protection.
Bangladesh celebrated Eid al-Adha on 27 May. In India, the festival is held today, May 28. Eid was marked in Jammu and Kashmir on May 27.
