In Bangladesh, an albino buffalo sporting a lick of hair startlingly similar to US President Donald Trump's signature coiffure, has been spared the chopping block and become something of a crowd favorite at a local zoo.

Visitors have been lining up at Mirpur National Zoo in Dhaka to visit the 700-kilogram (1,550-pound) bovine known as "Donald Trump" at his new home.

Last minute reprieve

Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star reported that the buffalo was initially destined to become an Eid sacrifice, but had been spared at the last minute following government intervention.

Home Minister ​Salahuddin Ahmed ordered the buffalo be spared and a local buyer ​be refunded after it was decided that the animal be moved to the national zoo in Dhaka.

"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 said.

The buffalo was raised at a local farm in Narayanganj, outside Dhaka, and since moving to his new lodgings has attracted a steady stream of curious visitors.

"I came to the zoo just to see Donald Trump!" the The Daily Star quoted 10-year-old Saiful Islam exclaiming.

According to reports, the farmer's brother named the buffalo after Trump because of its unusual hair and resemblance to the US president.

Authorities placed a sign on the fence identifying the animal as "White Buffalo (Donald Trump) Albino Buffalo."

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Edited by: Zac Crellin