Viral ‘Donald Trump’ buffalo, weighing nearly 700-kilogram, saved from Eid al-Adha sacrifice in Bangladesh

A buffalo in Bangladesh has somehow become one of the internet’s most unexpected celebrities ahead of Eid al-Adha. Not because of anything it did. Mostly because people thought it looked strangely similar to US President Donald Trump.

The rare albino buffalo, famous for its thick blond tuft of hair and now widely nicknamed “Donald Trump,” was reportedly just moments away from being sacrificed for Eid before authorities stepped in and stopped it. The nearly 700-kilogram animal had already been sold for ritual slaughter, but growing public fascination around the buffalo eventually pushed the Bangladesh government to intervene.

Bangladesh government stops Eid sacrifice of albino buffalo

Bangladesh’s Home Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that the buffalo would now be transferred to the National Zoo in Dhaka instead of being sacrificed during Eid al-Adha celebrations.

According to officials, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed personally ordered that the animal be spared after concerns grew over public attention surrounding it. Authorities also confirmed that the buyer who had purchased the buffalo for sacrifice would receive a refund.

“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 ministry official told Reuters.

Mohammad Ruhul Quddus, officer-in-charge of Dhaka’s Keraniganj Police Station, also explained that authorities believed the buffalo was still young and capable of living for several more years.

“The livestock department requested us to take the buffalo from the owner as it is a rare animal,” he told AFP.

The buffalo has now officially been moved to the Bangladesh National Zoo, where caretakers have already prepared a separate enclosure for it.

Zoo curator Atiqur Rahman confirmed the animal would remain under quarantine for two weeks before visitors are allowed to see it publicly.

“We have designated a shed for the albino buffalo and assigned a caregiver,” Rahman said.

How the buffalo nicknamed ‘Donald Trump’ became internet famous

The buffalo belonged to 38-year-old farmer Zia Uddin Mridha.

According to the family, the unusual nickname originally came from Mridha’s younger brother, who thought the buffalo’s blond hair looked similar to Donald Trump’s hairstyle.

What started as a small family joke somehow spiralled into a full social media phenomenon.

Videos and photos of the animal quickly spread online, drawing huge crowds to the farm where it lived. People reportedly travelled from different places just to see the buffalo in person, click selfies and record videos with the now-viral animal.

Mridha said visitors, families and children gathered around the buffalo from morning till evening almost every day after it became famous online.

The farmer also described the animal as calm and unusually friendly. According to him, the buffalo needed extra care compared to other livestock, including regular bathing and close attention during feeding.

Despite the growing popularity, the buffalo had eventually been sold ahead of Eid al-Adha, which remains one of the biggest religious festivals in Bangladesh.

More than 12 million livestock animals, including cows, goats, sheep and buffaloes, are expected to be sacrificed across Bangladesh during Eid celebrations this year.

Albino buffaloes remain extremely rare in the country, where dark-coloured cattle are far more common. And while the animal’s unusual appearance clearly played a huge role in its survival, many online now seem convinced its accidental celebrity status may have saved it too.