In Bangladesh, a 700-kilogramme albino buffalo with a signature sweep of light blond hair has become an unlikely social media sensation—and just in time, it’s been spared from the knife.
The rare bull, nicknamed“Trump”by its former owner Zia Uddin Mridha for its“extraordinary hair,”was scheduled to be sacrificed during Eid al-Adha, the Muslim holiday observed on Thursday in the South Asian nation of 170 million people. But word of the animal’s fame spread fast. Crowds had flocked to snap photographs with the charismatic creature, drawn by its uncanny resemblance to a certain US president’s do. When Mridha sold the buffalo ahead of the holiday—traditionally a time when families slaughter livestock to mark the“feast of the sacrifice”—the government intervened.
Police moved in at the livestock department’s request, rescuing the animal from slaughter just hours before it would’ve met its fate. Mohammad Ruhul Quddus, officer-in-charge of Dhaka’s Keraniganj Police Station, explained the reasoning:“They said that the albino buffalo is still very young, and can be raised for a few years.”Now the buffalo will live out its days at Bangladesh’s National Zoo, where curator Atiqur Rahman has designated a dedicated shed and assigned a full-time caregiver. The animal will be quarantined for two weeks before taking its place among the zoo’s permanent residents.
It’s a heartwarming reprieve in a nation where more than 12 million livestock are expected to be sacrificed during the holiday—a crucial occasion when poorer families get rare access to meat. This particular buffalo’s brush with internet fame proved to be its salvation, a reminder that in the age of social media, even a buffalo can become a star.
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Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
