Buffalo named after Donald Trump draws crowds at Bangladesh zoo
People gather to see the Trump buffalo at the zoo.
Rajib Dhar/AP
With his golden mane and slender 700-kilo frame, the Donald Trump buffalo has attracted visitors from various parts of Bangladesh since arriving at the national zoo last week.
The rare albino buffalo became a sensation after a farmer noticed that his tuft of blond hair resembled the US president's signature hairstyle United, Donald Trump. After a video of the light-horned mammal went viral on social media, crowds began visiting the farm on the outskirts of Dhaka to see it up close.
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The animal was originally going to be slaughtered during the Muslim festival of sacrifice. However, citing security concerns, the government ordered his transfer to the capital's zoo, where large groups of visitors brave the intense heat to observe him.
On Tuesday (2), visitors gathered near the fence of the buffalo enclosure, recording videos with their cell phones. Some parents placed their young children on their shoulders so they could see better.
Trump-like buffalo saved from sacrifice and must go to Zoo
A zoo employee looked after the animal, combing its hair to the side and pouring water on it to keep it cool, while fans helped to alleviate the heat.
"There is a similarity to Donald Trump in the eyes, the hairstyle and the color of the skin," said Mohammed Nasim, a student in Dhaka. "And, just as Donald Trump has a remarkable personality and lifestyle, this buffalo, after going viral, began to experience something similar, receiving a lot of attention and special treatment."
The local press reported that the attraction even displayed a sign with the name "Donald Trump", which was later removed. The zoo's curator was fired on Saturday (30), although no official justification was released for the decision.
Not everyone approved of the honor.
"Naming a farm animal after one of the world's most influential leaders was certainly not the right thing to do," said Dhaka resident Mohammad Joynal Adedin, who visited the zoo to see the buffalo. "It seems disrespectful. I think the farmer made a bad decision."
'Donald Trump' buffalo attracts onlookers in Bangladesh
SALAHUDDIN AHMED / AFP
The buffalo had been sold ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday, known as the "Feast of Sacrifice." When Interior Minister Salahuddin Ahmed ordered the police to take custody of the animal, authorities returned the money to the buyer.
"Even before Eid, I saw posts on Facebook saying that 'Donald Trump' would be euthanized. Then I heard that he had been taken to a zoo instead," said Mohammad Habibur Rahman, a visitor from the southwestern city of Jashore.
"So I thought I should come to the zoo to see 'Donald Trump' personally," he said.
Source: G1