Bangladesh’s viral ‘Donald Trump lookalike' buffalo spared from Eid al-Adha sacrifice, headed to national zoo

The viral ‘Donald Trump lookalike’ albino buffalo in Bangladesh was spared from sacrifice during Eid al-Adha on Wednesday, 27 May.

Authorities halted the sacrifice of the rare buffalo, which had become an internet sensation in the country due to its flowing blond hair resembling the signature hairstyle of US President Donald Trump.

Officials have now decided to preserve the animal at the national zoo in the capital, news agency PTI said.

Police in Bangladesh said the 700-kg buffalo was taken into official custody following a government directive, hours before it was due to be sacrificed during the second day of Eid al-Adha celebrations in the Muslim-majority nation today, 28 May.

"Policemen this afternoon came and said the government decided to take the buffalo for preservation. Since we do not want any conflict with the government, we handed it over to them," the animal's owner, Moniruz Zaman, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Zaman said the authorities told him the government would either compensate him or provide another buffalo, cow or bull in exchange for ‘Trump’, which he had purchased days ago for sacrifice at his home in Keraniganj, on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Keraniganj police station officer-in-charge Ruhul Quddus said livestock department officials believed the buffalo was still young and could be raised for several more years.

National zoo curator Atiqur Rahman said the rare buffalo would be properly cared for and that a separate shed and caregiver had already been arranged for it.

The animal's former owner, agro-farm operator Zia Uddin Mridha, earlier said his brother named the buffalo ‘Donald Trump’ because of its unusual blond hair resembling that of the US president. He said the buffalo had attracted curious visitors and social media attention even before it was sold.

Mridha said the animal received special care at the farm, including four baths a day and four meals daily.

According to local media reports, "Trump's long blond hair, cream-coloured body and pinkish nose made it stand out among thousands of animals prepared for Eid trading and sacrifice 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 Eid in Bangladesh.

Eid al-Adha, also known as the ‘Festival of Sacrifice,’ is the second major Islamic holiday. The day honours 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.

Bangladesh celebrated Eid al-Adha on 27 May. In India the festival is being observed today, 28 May. Eid was marked in Jammu and Kashmir on 27 May.

(With inputs from PTI)