A rare albino buffalo that became a viral sensation for its uncanny resemblance to US President Donald Trump has been saved from being slaughtered in a last-minute intervention.
People in Bangladesh flocked to take pictures of the buffalo, which gained internet fame due to its flowing tuft of blond hair.
Farmer Zia Uddin Mridha, 38, said his brother nicknamed the buffalo Donald Trump due to its “extraordinary hair”, but said the similarities with the president ended there. “The only luxury he enjoys is bathing four times a day,” he added.
The buffalo, raised at a farm in the town of Narayanganj, drew in a constant stream of social media fans, children and curious onlookers eager to visit the 700-kilogramme creature – but people soon realised the fate that awaited it.
‘Trump’ buffalo spared sacrifice, sent to Bangladesh zoo
The animal was due to be sacrificed for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha (the Feast of the Sacrifice) after being sold to a buyer, until Bangladesh’s home minister, Salahuddin Ahmed, stepped in.
According to local reports, Ahmed ordered the release of the buffalo due to “security concerns” and for the buyer to be compensated.
In a statement reported by Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo, a police officer said: “Instructions have come from the top that the buffalo cannot be sacrificed. For now, we have been told to take it to the police station.”
The buffalo’s buyer told local media: “People from the police station came and said the government would take it. We do not want any disorder. The government wanted it, so we handed it over.
“The government said they would pay us whatever price it is worth, or else they would provide a cow for sacrifice.”
The buffalo has since been transferred to its new home at the Bangladesh National Zoo in the country’s capital of Dhaka.
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