A white buffalo that became an online sensation in Bangladesh for its resemblance to U.S. President Donald Trump was spared from slaughter at the last minute.
According to British newspaper Daily Mail, Reuters and other foreign media outlets on the 27th (local time), a rare albino buffalo raised on a farm in Bangladesh's Narayanganj region recently drew explosive attention online. Weighing approximately 700 kilograms, the buffalo earned the local nickname "Donald Trump" because its pinkish skin and the blonde hair flowing over its head resembled the U.S. president. As videos and photos spread through social media, crowds flocked to the farm from across the country. Albinism is a genetic trait caused by a deficiency in melanin pigment that lightens the skin and fur and gives the nose a pinkish hue — an extremely rare condition among Bangladeshi buffaloes, which are mostly dark gray or black.
The buffalo had originally been sold as a sacrificial offering for Eid al-Adha, one of the largest Islamic holidays. During this period, Muslims slaughter cattle, sheep and goats to share the meat with family and neighbors. In Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority country with a population of 170 million, an estimated 12 million livestock are expected to be used as sacrificial offerings this year. With this year's Eid al-Adha scheduled for the 28th, slaughter was imminent.
However, as the Trump buffalo's popularity grew uncontrollably, the government stepped in directly. Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed ordered that the buffalo be removed from slaughter and that the buyer be refunded. The Home Ministry said, "Due to security concerns and unusually high public interest, we decided to halt the slaughter just hours before it was to take place." The government transferred the buffalo to the National Zoo located in Mirpur, the capital Dhaka. Atiqur Rahman, curator of the National Zoo, told AFP, "We have prepared a separate enclosure for the albino buffalo and assigned a caretaker," adding, "It will undergo a two-week quarantine observation period."
The buffalo's owner, Ziauddin Mridha, 38, said, "It started when my younger brother jokingly called him Trump after seeing his hair." He added of the buffalo, "His personality doesn't resemble President Trump. He's not aggressive and is very gentle." Foreign media reported that "the nickname 'Trump lookalike' saved his life."
