‘World’s smallest cow’ could be a huge public health risk

Bangladeshis are flocking in the thousands to see the 26-inch long Bhutanese cow, according to AFP report. Rani resides in Shikor Agro farm outside of Dhaka, the country’s densely populated capital city, and his owners claim he’s 4 inches smaller than the cow currently recognized in the Guiness World Records as the globe’s smallest. Interest in Rani is understandable, but it comes at a perilous time. Bangladesh’s COVID-19 cases are higher than ever: cases swelled over 11,000 for the first time on July 6.

Hasan Howlader, the manager of Shikor Agro farm, told AFP that over 15,000 people had come to see Rani in the previous three days. “People come long distances despite the coronavirus lockdown,” he said. “Most want to take selfies with Rani.”

Bangladesh’s government introduced a “hard lockdown” across the country in late June as COVID-19 deaths reached new heights. During the first coronavirus wave in 2020, recorded deaths peaked at 55. A second wave in April saw a weekly average of 100 deaths. Cases and deaths fell in May, but shot up sharply in the middle of June. July 7 saw 200 recorded deaths and 11,162 new cases.

Around 4.2 million of the country’s 163 million citizens are fully vaccinated, according to the World Health Organization. Like other Asian countries, Bangladesh’ latest wave of COVID-19 is thought to be largely caused by the more infectious Delta variant. Bangladesh shares a border with India, which in mid-May saw as many as 403,000 new cases recorded in a day. Super-spreader events such as political rallies and the Kumbh Mela have been blamed for India’s catastrophic second wave in May.

Rani’s owners have applied to the Guinness Book of World Records, hoping to make her claim as world’s smallest cow official. The tiny cow is a result of “genetic inbreeding,” and is likely to stay at its current size, the region’s chief vet said, according to AFP.