An albino buffalo in Bangladesh has been spared from being sacrificed during Eid al-Adha after gaining widespread attention online for its “resemblance” to US President Donald Trump. According to Reuters, the nearly 700 kg animal has now been transferred to the country's national zoo.
It is nicknamed “Donald Trump”.
Social media users were fascinated by the buffalo's unusual white markings and distinctive hair pattern, which many compared to Trump's trademark hairstyle, helping videos of the animal attract millions of views.
#Watch | People gather to see the viral albino buffalo with blond locks, nicknamed 'Donald Trump,' before it is sacrificed as part of the Eid al-Adha festival's 'Qurbani' ritual. pic.twitter.com/jrzX8go4LJ
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 26, 2026
The buffalo had initially been sold by its owner, 38-year-old Ziauddin Mridha, ahead of Eid celebrations. According to Mridha, it was his younger brother who first pointed out the buffalo's likeness to the US President and came up with the nickname.
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As public fascination with the animal intensified, authorities stepped in and bought the animal before it could be sacrificed.
"The livestock department requested us to take the buffalo from the owner as it is a rare animal," Mohammad Ruhul Quddus, officer-in-charge of Dhaka's Keraniganj Police Station, the location where the buffalo was relocated, told AFP.
"They said that the albino buffalo is still very young, and can be raised for a few years."
The buffalo has since been sent to the Bangladesh National Zoo in Dhaka, where it will be exhibited to visitors.
"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," a government official said.
Officials at the zoo said the decision was taken to safeguard the buffalo amid its growing internet fame and to allow the public to see it up close. The animal is now being kept in a dedicated enclosure and is expected to draw large crowds of visitors and photographers.
Mridha explained that the buffalo has a particularly gentle nature but requires intensive care, with regular nourishment and bathing essential to its upkeep.
Atiqur Rahman, curator of the National Zoo, said the animal would be carefully looked after by zoo staff.
"We have designated a shed for the albino buffalo and assigned a caregiver," Rahman told AFP on Wednesday. "He will be quarantined for two weeks."
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