By The Daily Caller (World News) | Created at 2026-05-29 16:15:44 | Updated at 2026-06-07 07:50:44
1 week ago
A rare albino buffalo in Bangladesh that went viral for resembling President Donald Trump has been spared from ritual slaughter, according to a ministry official.
The animal, weighing over 1,000 pounds and nicknamed “Donald Trump” for its blond tuft of hair, was sold and set to be sacrificed during Eid al-Adha when it generated a significant amount of public interest, according to The Guardian. Amid security concerns tied to the level of public interest, Minister of Home Affairs Salahuddin Ahmed spared the animal’s life and ordered it to be transported to the national zoo in Dhaka. In addition, Ahmed ordered the buyer to be refunded.
“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,” an unnamed ministry official said, according to The Guardian. (RELATED: Lonely Monkey Goes Viral, Suddenly Everyone Wants To Be His Friend)
Atiqur Rahman, curator of the National Zoo, also reacted to the decision to spare the animal’s life, according to France 24.
“We have designated a shed for the albino buffalo and assigned a caregiver,” Rahman said Wednesday. “He will be quarantined for two weeks.”
A rare albino buffalo in Bangladesh — nicknamed ‘Donald Trump’ for its distinctive blond tuft — has been spared from the Eid al-Adha sacrifice after a last-minute government intervention, and relocated to the capital’s main zoo https://t.co/SZ9yH46eCh pic.twitter.com/rbVrYMA2Wy
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2026
After videos of the rare albino buffalo went viral, crowds gathered at Ziauddin Mridha’s farm to catch a glimpse of the animal, according to The Guardian. Mridha said his younger brother nicknamed the unusually gentle animal “Donald Trump” after noting his blond hair resembled the president’s. In a video shared on X, a man can be seen brushing the animal’s blond tuft of hair. The video has been viewed over 800,000 times as of publication.
Albino buffaloes are rare in Bangladesh, as most cattle are dark, making the animal nicknamed “Donald Trump” distinctive, The Guardian reported.
Eid al-Adha, a major holiday in Islam, is known as the Festival of Sacrifice, according to USA Today. While the Islamic calendar typically follows the lunar cycle — making the date of the holiday vary year by year — in 2026, Eid falls on May 27. The holiday, which recognizes the prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son (Ishmael in Islam) ahead of God’s intervention, can be celebrated for several days, the outlet reported.
Over 12 million livestock, including buffaloes, are set to be sacrificed during Eid al-Adha, according to France 24.
