A rare albino buffalo in Bangladesh was headed for sacrifice during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha before a burst of internet fame gave it a very different ending, as NBC News reported.
What happened?
Nicknamed "Donald Trump" for its blond, combed-over tuft of hair, the roughly 1,500-pound animal became an unlikely sensation after going viral online from a farm in Narayanganj, near Dhaka, per NBC News.
"It is just a symbolic name, and we gave it out of affection and fondness," the buffalo's former owner, Ziauddin Mridha, told the outlet. Mridha told the Indian news agency ANI that it was, in fact, his brother who bestowed the name.
Whether it was the name or the resemblance, the buffalo was a hit, drawing visitors to Mridha's farm, per NBC News. The attention drew government officials and a late-breaking decision to change the animal's fate, Reuters reported.
"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 shared with Reuters.
Rather than being sacrificed, the buffalo was moved to Dhaka's national zoo, Reuters reported.
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The buyer who had planned to purchase the animal for sacrifice will receive a refund.
Why does it matter?
The saga sheds interesting light on both traditions involving animal sacrifice and the impacts of viral fame.
As it turns out, the animal's unique resemblance saved its life. Mridha noted that the buffalo has a notably gentle temperament and requires significant care, including frequent bathing and feeding, per Reuters.
At that size and with the upkeep required, it's probably for the best that a zoo is stepping in to help the animal. Reuters noted that an albino buffalo like this one is unusual in Bangladesh. Its nickname and resemblance to the American president, though, kept it alive.
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What's being done?
For now, the animal will go on display in the national zoo in Dhaka. As NBC News noted, it now joins a pheasant from China and a frogfish from England as animals that were likened to Trump.
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