Home
+
Published : 30 May 2026, 01:52 AM
During the Eid holidays, the celebrity albino buffalo nicknamed “Donald Trump”, has become a sensation at the National Zoo in the capital's Mirpur after being spared from sacrifice.
It drew huge crowds on Friday, the second day of Eid-ul-Azha.
The influx of Eid holidayers was so high that even the attraction of caged tigers and lions seems to have been surpassed by the buffalo in cage No. “L-07”.
Although sold as a sacrificial animal, the buffalo was ultimately placed in the zoo following a last-minute government decision citing “security concerns” amid growing public interest in it.
Its owner named it after the US president for its distinctive blond tuft and considering its facial expression “resembling” Donald Trump.
The nearly 700kg animal, which was raised on a farm in Narayanganj, has also been reported by a number of international media outlets.
At the zoo, most of its visitors were children, with many making humorous remarks and taking photos.
Many of the visitors were also from outside the capital city.
Suborna Akter brought her 3-year-old son Sulaiman, identified by a single name, from Gazipur, hoping to see the buffalo.
She told bdnews24.com, “Sulaiman’s father is dead. So, I brought him to show the buffalo. I thought he might like seeing something strange.”
Arman Hossain, a businessman from Munshiganj, came with his 7-year-old son, identified only as Araf.
“I usually don’t come to the zoo at this time. After hearing about the buffalo on the news, my son insisted on going to see it. So, I’m here.”
Nahidul Islam, a Uttara resident who came with his wife and children, said, "Since the buffalo is named after one of the most powerful people in the world, there may be a matter of respect for him.
“If it were sacrificed, the headline would have been ‘Donald Trump’s been sacrificed’. Maybe that is why the buffalo was spared from the sacrifice."
Meanwhile, the zoo authorities say although the buffalo's skin is mainly white, it looks reddish or pink when exposed to the sun.
No “special” diet has been planned for the animal after it was brought to the zoo. A comfortable and scientific environment has been ensured for it.
A special shed surrounded by trees, about 40-foot wide and 300-foot long, has been allocated for the buffalo's housing so it can live in a natural and cool environment.
Its diet has been maintained like that of a normal buffalo. It is being fed 20-25kg of raw grass along with oilcake, gram and soybeans every day. In addition, the buffalo drinks up to 40 liters of water daily.
Regarding health management, the zoo’s Curator Atiqur Rahman said: “The buffalo cannot tolerate too much heat. That is why there are plans to provide adequate water, shower facilities, bathing facilities and fans if necessary.
“The main challenge for us is to save it from the heat. There are no other problems.”
He, however, could not clarify the reason for keeping the animal under special arrangements even though there were albino buffaloes in the country before.
Experts say pink or white buffaloes are not new to different farms in the country, especially in Savar, the northern region and the coastal areas. In 2023, such buffaloes were also reported in Gazipur.
Dhaka University Zoology Prof Mohammad Firoj Jaman said: "Albino is not a separate species; it is basically a manifestation of genetic traits."
Prof Jaman clarified that this is not a bacterial or infectious disease.
The meat of albino cows or buffalos is not harmful to human health, he added.
