Despite nationwide transport restrictions amid record highs of Covid infections, thousands have flocked into rickshaws to see the miniature bovine.
A tiny 20-inch tall cow thought to be the world’s smallest has drawn thousands of visitors defying coronavirus restrictions to a remote farm in Bangladesh.
23-month-old Rani, who suffers from dwarfism, has become an unlikely celebrity over lockdown. Owner M.A. Hasan Howlader believes it may be the world’s shortest.
The current official world record belongs to a Vechur cow named Manikyam from the Indian state of Kerala, which measures 61.1 centimetres (24.1 in) from the hoof to the withers.
Despite nationwide transport restrictions amid record highs of Covid infections, thousands have flocked into rickshaws to see the miniature bovine at Shikor Agro farm in Charigram, 19 miles from Dhaka.
Bangladeshi authorities yesterday reported 11,525 new Covid cases, the highest in a day since the pandemic began.
Rani is a Bhutanese cow breed from the same subspecies as Manikyam, the zebu (Bos taurus indicus), also known as the indicine, or humped, cow.
The zebu originates in the Indian sub-continent and is used as a working animal.
It is also bred for dairy, beef, hides and dung, the latter of which are used for fuel and manure respectively.
It has a fatty hump on its shoulders, a large dewlap – loose skin hanging under the neck – and some have drooping ears.
The Vecchur breed is valued for the large amount of milk it produces relative to the quantity of food it requires. Conservation efforts launched in 1989 saved it from extinction.
The Bhutanese, or ‘Boxer Bhutti’, breed, on the other hand, is prized for its meat.
Howlader reported on 7th July that over 15,000 people had come to see Rani in the past three days alone after local newspapers and television channels reported on it.
Most visitors came to take selfies with the diminutive cow, leading Howlader to admit: “Honestly speaking, we are tired.”
Regional chief vet Sajedul Islam believes Rani’s condition is down to genetic inbreeding and believes it will not grow any bigger.
Guinness World Records have reportedly promised a decision within 90 days.
Source: Mirror News
