Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, a bull in Sherpur has become the talk of the area. Because it moves like the lion, king of the forest, its owner has fondly named it "Lion". The asking price for the 35-maund Lion is Tk 15 lakh. The bull was to be taken on Tuesday, 3 June, to Gabtoli, the capital's largest cattle market.

Mousumi Hossain Mitu, daughter of Mst Nurjahan Begum Jharna of Krishnapur Daripara village in Sherpur Sadar upazila, has raised this Sahiwal bull for about four years. She was helped by her mother, her college-going son Mahbubur Abid Rafi and her brother Md Nazmul Hossain Milon.

Lion was born at Mitu's home, from a cross between a local breed and Sahiwal-Friesian. The reddish bull stands 66 inches tall, weighs about 35 maunds and has six teeth. It is thought to be the largest cattle in the upazila.

Despite its huge size, the bull is very calm and does not go against its owner's word. It has been fattened on a range of natural foods including straw, bran, broken rice, bananas, jackfruit, vegetables, grass, rice polish and oilcake.

Owner Mousumi Hossain Mitu said: "I have been raising the bull for four years. It is very calm. Just as the lion is king of the forest, this bull is the king of our house. So my mother fondly named it 'Lion'."

She said Lion was raised entirely by natural methods, costing at least Tk 800 a day. "This Eid I am asking Tk 15 lakh for it at the market," she said.

Mitu's son Rafi said he raised Lion like his own brother. "Today we are taking him to Dhaka to sell. It is very hard for all of us," he said.

Rafi's grandmother said it was very painful to sell the calf after bringing it this far. "We thought of Lion as a member of our family. We hope to get a fair price for the bull," she said.

Rafi's uncle Milon said the bull will not even look at its food unless it is shown affection, and it lows as soon as it sees him. On the price, he said they are asking Tk 15 lakh but it can be lowered through negotiation.

Local resident Helal Mia said everyone in Milon's family had raised the bull with great care. Raised naturally, it is probably the largest cattle in Sherpur, and he believes it will cause a stir at the market.

Upazila livestock officer Dr Palash Kanti Dutta said the bull was raised on natural feed, and its owner regularly took advice from the livestock office. It is fully fit for sacrifice, he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.