The sacrifice of a buffalo named "Donald Trump" in Bangladesh became a major topic of discussion on social media over the past few days.
Large numbers of people were reportedly visiting to see the buffalo before Eid al-Adha, and videos and photos related to it were being widely shared online. The rare albino buffalo with distinctive ‘blond hair on head’ was scheduled to be sacrificed on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.
Now, the Bangladesh government has stopped the buffalo's sacrifice at the last moment. According to reports, the decision was taken after the matter started gaining attention internationally and foreign social media handles began discussing it. Even Iran had used it to mock the US President.
Following instructions from Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, officials decided to refund the money paid by the buyer and move the buffalo to the National Zoo in Dhaka. Government officials said the step was taken to avoid unnecessary tension and controversy.
Why was the Buffalo named Donald Trump?
The buffalo was being raised at Rabia Agro Farm in the Narayanganj district of Bangladesh. Its owner, Ziauddin, said that his brother had jokingly named the buffalo "Donald Trump" because of its golden-colored hair, hairstyle, and overall appearance.
As news about the buffalo spread online, curiosity around it increased rapidly. Many people reportedly came to see it before Eid. Most visitors who saw the buffalo noted its resemblance to Trumo due to its golden-coloured hair and facial appearance.
The animal's owner, Ziauddin Mridha, said crowds had been visiting his farm daily to take pictures with the buffalo after it went viral online. “My younger brother jokingly named it Donald Trump after seeing the hair on its head. It is very calm in nature. Albino buffaloes are generally peaceful and do not become aggressive unless provoked,” he said.
Buyer had purchased it for Bakrid Sacrifice
A resident of the Rasulpur area, Mohammad Shoren, bought the 700 kg buffalo for Bakrid sacrifice. Reports said the deal was made at around 550 taka per kilogram, and the total price was said to be between 3.5 lakh and 3.85 lakh taka.
After the purchase, discussions around the buffalo became even bigger online. The buffalo became an international topic after Iran used it to mock Trump. On 22 May, the official X account of Iran in Russia posted, “Poor thing! Bangladeshi buffalo upset by comparisons to Donald Trump.”
Quoting RT, the embassy had added that the Bangladeshi buffalo that resembles Trump had lost its appetite after people flocked to see him.
Government steps in after the matter goes viral
As the topic started trending on foreign social media accounts and the online debate continued to grow, the Bangladesh government stepped in and stopped the sacrifice. Officials said the buffalo would now be shifted to Dhaka's National Zoo instead of being sacrificed during Bakrid.
The home ministry said that they stepped in fearing safety concerns, following a surge of public interest over the animal ahead of Thursday’s festival. A ministry 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.” Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed ordered the buffalo be spared from sacrifice and the buyer refunded.
The buyer of the buffalo said, “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.” Livestock department officials added that 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. He added that a separate shed and caregiver had already been arranged for it.
Albino buffaloes are exceptionally rare worldwide, occurring in roughly one in 20,000 to one million births. They are especially uncommon in South Asia, including Bangladesh, where buffaloes are dark-skinned. Such albino buffaloes go viral because of their creamy white or pinkish skin, sometimes accompanied by tufts of blond hair.