Thousands of people are defying coronavirus lockdown in Bangladesh to see Rani. It’s a 20 inch (51 centimeters) dwarf cow. Rani’s owners claim it is the world’s smallest dwarf cow in Bangladesh.
The 23-month-old cow has become a media star. Scores of newspapers and television stations are throwing the spotlight on the tiny bovine at a farm near Dhaka.
Rani weighs only 57 pounds (26 kilograms). Its owners claim it is four inches shorter than the smallest cow in Guinness World Records.
“I have never seen anything like this in my life. Never,” said Rina Begum, who came from a neighboring town.
M.A. Hasan Howlader, manager Shikor Agro farm, used a tape measure to show onlookers how Rani dwarfs her rival Manikyam. She currently holds the world record.
Shikar Agro farm reportedly bought the cow from a farm in Naogaon shortly after its birth.
“People come long distances despite the coronavirus lockdown. Most want to take selfies with Rani,” Howlader told AFP. He added Guinness World Records had promised a decision in three months.
“More than 15,000 people have come to see Rani in the past three days alone,” he said. “Honestly speaking, we are tired.”
Guinness World Records said Manikyam, from the Vechur breed, was 24 inches (61 centimeters) high in June 2014.
Rani, the smallest dwarf cow, is a Bhutti, or Bhutanese, which is prized for its meat in Bangladesh. The other Bhuttis on the farm are twice Rani’s size.
‘We did not expect such huge interest,’ the farm manager said. ‘We did not think people would leave their homes because of the worsening virus situation. But they have come here in droves.’
Sajedul Islam, the government’s chief vet for the region, said Rani is a product of ‘genetic inbreeding’ and was unlikely to become any bigger. Islam said he had told the farm to restrict the tourist influx.
‘I told them they should not allow so many people to crowd the farm. ‘They may carry diseases here that threaten Rani’s health,’ he said.
Muslims perform ‘qurbani every year worldwide on the occasion of Eid-Ul-Azha. However, these days it has become more of a showoff parade, which we must avoid.
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