NARAYANGANJ: Crowds in Bangladesh are flocking to snap photographs with an unlikely social media star -- an albino buffalo with flowing blond hair nicknamed "Donald Trump" due to be sacrificed within days.
Owner Zia Uddin Mridha, 38, said his brother named the 700 kilogramme bull over its flowing helmet of hair resembling the signature look of the US president.
"My younger brother picked this name because of the buffalo's extraordinary hair," he told AFP at his farm in Narayanganj, just outside the capital Dhaka.
Mridha said a constant stream of curious visitors -- social media fans, onlookers and children -- have come throughout May, eager to see the internet sensation.
He watched as men poured a cool bucket of water over the bull's head, running a pink brush through its blond combover, neatly tucked between sweeping curved horns.
"The only luxury he enjoys is bathing four times a day," Mridha said, stressing that the similarities between the bull and the president stopped at the hair.
Officials from the livestock department said albino buffaloes are extremely rare, and appear white or pink due to a lack of melanin production.
Bangladesh is preparing for Eid al-Adha, the Islamic "feast of the sacrifice", later this month.
More than 12 million livestock -- including goats, sheep, cows and buffaloes -- are expected to be sacrificed during the holiday, when many poorer families get a rare chance to feast on meat.
Mridha said the stress of the crowds had caused the buffalo to lose weight, forcing restrictions on public viewing.
Still, children continue to peer through the gates for a glimpse.
Businessman Faisal Ahmed, 30, was among those who managed to get close, snapping photographs.
"Truly, the features are similar between the buffalo and President Donald Trump," Ahmed told AFP, after arriving with five friends and relatives to see the animal.
"My nephew took a one-hour boat journey just to come and see 'Donald Trump'," he added.
While the Trump buffalo has become a national star online, it is not the only buffalo with a nickname.
His companions include an aggressive bull named "Tufan", meaning "storm", a generously sized animal called "Fat Boy" and the gentle-natured "Sweet Boy".
One golden-haired bull was named after Brazilian footballer Neymar for his bleached-blond cut.
Mridha, who has cared for his four-year-old buffalo for the past year, looked with affection at the animal, snuffling through a bowl of fodder.
"I am going to miss Donald Trump, but that is the core spirit of Eid al-Adha -- making a sacrifice." - AFP
