‘Donald Trump’ Buffalo Spared from Eid Sacrifice After Going Viral

A rare albino buffalo nicknamed “Donald Trump” for its distinctive golden tuft of hair has been saved from ritual slaughter in Bangladesh after images of the animal swept across social media ahead of this week’s Eid al-Adha celebrations.

The buffalo had been slated for ritual sacrifice for the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, but authorities stepped in after it went viral in the Muslim-majority South Asian nation.

Photos and videos of the albino buffalo with its wispy golden locks, often shown neatly combed by its owners, quickly turned it into an internet sensation, but visitors also came from far and wide to see the animal on the farm where it lives in Narayanganj, near Dhaka.

Owner Ziauddin Mridha said it was his younger brother who gave the animal the name because of its hair. “It went viral, and many people came to see it,” Mridha said. He described the buffalo as unusually gentle, requiring constant care, including regular baths and frequent feeding.

Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed ordered the animal to be spared and the person who had purchased it for sacrifice to be refunded. The home ministry cited “security concerns” and an “unusual level of public interest” for its decision.

The buffalo will be relocated to Bangladesh’s National Zoo in Dhaka, where it will remain on public display among more than 2,000 other animals of 191 species.