Tiger Babu, known as the biggest and "smartest" bull in Sherpur and the talk of the district's Eid cattle markets, has not been sold. The owner asked Tk 16 lakh for the 40-maund bull, which is devoted to its master. Tiger drew offers of Tk 8 lakh in the local market, but at the Diabari market in Uttara, Dhaka, the highest offer was Tk 6 lakh. So farmer Ranju Islam Likhon has brought him back home.

Likhon, of Palashkandi in Nakla upazila of Sherpur, said: "Tiger Babu was raised in my own herd. We raised him with great care. He is very calm. Everyone in our family has grown attached to Tiger, who is two years and eight months old. Still, since he was prepared for Eid, I decided to sell him at market. I brought him back because I did not get the price I wanted. As I did not fatten him by artificial means, I have no worries. I believe I can keep him at home a while longer and sell him at a fair price."

According to Likhon, Tiger is the most striking of the 16 cattle on his farm. Feeding and caring for the six-toothed bull costs Tk 1,600 a day. His favourite food is napier grass, and he is given nothing beyond government-approved medicines and feed.

He said Tiger had shown no unusual behaviour even after being taken to Dhaka and back, so he wanted to look after him for a while longer.

Likhon said prices for big cattle were very low at this year's Eid markets. Most buyers were aiming to buy cattle for Tk 1.5-2 lakh, so demand for big cattle was very weak. The highest price offered for Tiger was Tk 6 lakh. "I have no wish to sell at that price, so I brought him back. I will sell him later," he said.

Dr Sujan Mia, livestock officer at the Nakla upazila livestock office, said that since he joined the upazila a year ago, Tiger's owner had been in regular contact with the office, and they advised him whenever needed. With timely deworming and regular care, Tiger is now the biggest bull in the district. As he was not sold at Eid, he can be raised for a while longer, and the owner could even sell him at the next Eid, as Tiger has no health problems, he said.

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