Buffalo which resembles Donald Trump cheats death due to presidential likeness
The 1,500lb buffalo was compared to Donald Trump due to its quiff of blond hair. It had been sold for ritual sacrifice in Bangladesh, but authorities stepped in to save it
An Albino buffalo has cheated death because it looks like Donald Trump. The 1,500lb animal had been sold for ritual sacrifice for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha.
It was dubbed ‘Donald’ due to its distinctive quiff of blond hair which gave it an uncanny resemblance to the US President. As word spread the Bangladeshi government stepped in to save it.
Videos of the rare albino buffalo spread on social media causing crowds to gather at a farm near the city of Narayanganj where it was staying. One fan, arriving with five friends and relatives, said: “Truly, the features are similar between the buffalo and President Donald Trump.
“My nephew took a one-hour boat journey to see Donald Trump.’’ Despite its fame the buffalo was scheduled to be slaughtered alongside 12 million livestock as part of the festival which commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for God.
Farmer Zia Uddin Mridha, 38, who is looking after the buffalo, said the four-year-old animal was unusually gentle and needed careful upkeep including frequent feeding and regular baths. He had said he would miss ‘Donald Trump’ but the sacrifice was the ‘core spirit’ of the festival.
But Salahuddin Ahmed, Bangladesh’s home affairs minister, ordered the buffalo to be spared and moved to the national zoo capital Dhaka. The animal’s buyer was refunded.
A government official 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.” Albino buffaloes are rare.
The genetic absence of melanin, the pigment responsible for dark features, leads to their light skin. They require extra care because of their sensitivity to sunlight.
Eid al-Adha is the second of the two main Islamic festivals after Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of Ramadan. It is traditional to sacrifice a livestock animal to commemorate the feast day – usually a camel, goat, sheep or ram
The animals must be of a certain age and meet quality standards to be considered for sacrifice.
The four-year-old bull’s owner, 38-year-old Zia Uddin Mridha, previously revealed that his younger sibling originally came up with the moniker as a joke. Mr Mridha, who purchased the animal from a cattle market, said: “My younger brother jokingly named it Donald Trump after seeing the hair on its head. It is very calm in nature.”
