An albino buffalo nicknamed "Donald Trump" has been spared from sacrifice in a religious festival in Bangladesh. The animal has its familiar hairdo to thank, after images of its golden tuft went viral online.
It had been slated for traditional sacrifice as part of festivities for the Eid al-Adha holiday, which Muslims around the world are marking this week, and which often includes animal sacrifices in some places. Thanks to its perceived resemblance to President Trump, the rare albino buffalo will live on.
The roughly 1,500-pound animal found its social media following at least a week ahead of Eid al-Adha, but it was a late intervention by Bangladesh's government that saved its life.
An albino buffalo named after President Trump for its unique hair is seen at a farm in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, May 20, 2026.
Mohammad Ponir Hossain/REUTERS
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed ordered the animal to be spared, and the person who had purchased it for sacrifice to be refunded. Ahmed said the animal would be relocated to the national zoo in Dhaka.
The home ministry cited "security concerns" and the "unusual level of public interest" for its decision to save the buffalo ahead of Thursday's Eid festival, according to a report by the Reuters news agency.
Photos and videos of the albino buffalo with its wispy golden locks — often shown neatly combed by its owners — quickly turned the "Donald Trump buffalo" into an internet sensation, but visitors have also come from far and wide to see the animal on the farm where it lives in Narayanganj, near Dhaka.
Owner Ziauddin Mridha described the animal as unusually gentle and said it needs careful upkeep, including frequent feeding and regular baths.
An albino buffalo named after President Trump for its unique hair is seen at a farm in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, May 20, 2026.
Mohammad Ponir Hossain/REUTERS
The buffalo will remain on public display at Bangladesh's National Zoo in Dhaka, authorities said, joining more than 2,000 other animals of 191 species.
And while the unique look saved the buffalo's life, it's not the first non-human to sport the American president's coiffeure. A decade ago, a golden pheasant named Little Red in China lost the tranquility of its life at a zoo in China after social media users noted the resemblance of its pouf of yellow feathers to Mr. Trump's look.
A golden pheasant is seen at Hangzhou Safari Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, November 13, 2016.
REUTERS
The adoring masses soon descended, and it's a fate that could now be in store for one gentle, well groomed albino buffalo in Bangladesh.
In:
