(Charigram) Thousands of Bengalis are defying a national confinement order to go to a farm near Dhaka and catch their eye Rani, a 51cm-high cow, the smallest in the world according to its owners.
The 23-month-old has become a national sensation since local newspapers and television made headlines. Photos shared on social networks also contributed to this madness.
Public transportation may come to a halt due to the current alarming situation on the pandemic front, and people are heading to this farm in Charigram, 30 km southwest of Dhaka.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” says Rina Begum, 30, from a nearby town.
Rani is 66 centimeters tall and weighs only 26 kilograms. The owners claim that its height is 10 centimeters less than its smallest congener ever recorded.
In front of dozens of curious people, MA Hasan Howlader, farm manager of Shikor Agro, uses a tape measure to try and prove that his beast is much smaller than Manikyam, a cow living in the Indian state of Kerala who currently officially holds the world record.
“People are coming from far away, despite the lockdown due to COVID-19. Most of them want to take a selfie with Rani,” he told AFP, confirming that Guinness World Records promised to rule within three months.
“In the past three days, more than 15,000 people have come to see Rani,” he said. “To be honest, we are tired of it.”
Guinness World Records certifies that Manikyam, of the Fishor cattle breed, was 61 cm tall in June 2014.
Rani belongs to the Bhutti breed, which is prized for its meat in Bangladesh. Other cows of this breed on the Rani farm are twice the size.
Sajid Islam, head of veterinary services in the area where the farm is located, explains that Rani is the result of inbreeding and is not expected to grow taller.
He says he urged the farm to limit the number of visitors.
“I told them not to let too many people get massages on the farm. They could bring diseases that could threaten Rani’s health.”
