A rare albino buffalo that became a global internet sensation for its uncanny resemblance to United States President Donald Trump has been saved from ritual slaughter in Bangladesh, with the government stepping in hours before it was due to be sacrificed during Eid al-Adha.
The 700-kilogram bull, with a flowing helmet of light hair resembling the signature look of the US president, was due to be slaughtered to mark the festival. But hours before it faced the knife, the government stepped in to save the animal, which had become an online sensation.
Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed ordered the buffalo to be spared, with the buyer refunded and the animal relocated to the national zoo in Dhaka. The home ministry cited security concerns and the unusual level of public interest as its reasons for the intervention.
The buffalo had been raised at Rabeya Agro Farm in Narayanganj, near the capital Dhaka, before its former owner, 38-year-old Zia Uddin Mridha, sold it ahead of the holiday. It was Mridha’s younger brother who first gave the animal its nickname, struck by the resemblance of its extraordinary hair to the American president’s iconic hairstyle.
National zoo curator Atiqur Rahman confirmed the animal would be well looked after, with a designated shed and a dedicated caregiver assigned upon arrival. The buffalo will undergo two weeks of quarantine before joining the zoo’s wider collection of more than 2,000 animals across 191 species.
This is not the first animal to attract attention for its Trump-like appearance. A golden pheasant in China drew similar comparisons a decade ago after social media users noted the resemblance of its yellow plumage to the president’s signature look.
