Dhaka: Looks do matter. Moreso, if one resembles one of the most powerful powerful persons in the world.
An albino buffalo in Bangladesh that grabbed attention recently due to its uncanny resemblance to US president Donald Trump, was spared the butcher’s knife on Thursday and shifted to the zoo.
The buffalo has been rescued from an Eid sacrifice and relocated to Bangladesh’s national zoo, news agency Reuters reported.
The animal, weighing nearly 700kg, drew attention on social media in the days leading up to Eid al-Adha after photos and videos showed its distinctive white forehead patch and comb-over-like hair pattern. Viewers quickly dubbed it the “Donald Trump buffalo,” and clips racked up millions of views.
The animal was earlier sold by its owner, 38-year-old Zia Uddin Mridha and would have ended up on plates had government officials not intervened at the last minute. They purchased the animal and transferred it to Dhaka’s Bangladesh National Zoo, where it will remain on public display rather than being sacrificed, as reported by NDTV.
The animal was saved because of the security concerns, officials said. “At the last moment, the decision was taken to spare the buffalo from sacrifice due to security concerns and the unusual level of public interest,” an official said as quoted in multiple reports.
The move was intended to protect the animal amid the viral attention and to give visitors a chance to see it safely, zoo officials said. The buffalo is now housed in a designated enclosure and is expected to become one of the zoo’s most photographed residents.
Mridha had earlier told Business Standard: “My younger brother jokingly named it Donald Trump after seeing the hair on its head.”
“The animal is calm in nature. Albino buffaloes are generally peaceful and do not become aggressive unless provoked,” Mridha said.
Its resemblance to Trump was corroborated by those who saw it in person. “His facial structure and even hairstyle match that of Trump,” a woman noted. But she was quick to add a key difference as she noted that the buffalo is very “calm and polite” in nature.
Albino buffaloes are rare in South Asia, Mridha said, and are generally known for their gentle temperament unless provoked. The buffalo was fed a nutritious diet of corn, soybean and bran, contributing to its size and healthy appearance.
