The Bull Whose Climax Is Worth ₹50,000

A research institute in Hisar is cloning the best available bulls on its farm—cloning guarantees a constant supply of semen long after the bulls die

- Sayantan Bera

For a while, Anmol has been under the weather. The past few months were hectic. Now eight years and two months old, Anmol has been on a 3,000-km long road trip travelling to animal shows in different states. Travelling long distances on a truck is not easy when one weighs one and a half tonnes and is 5 feet 8 inches tall. Minus the tail, he is about 10 feet long. But the grueling rides were worth the effort. Anmol won multiple awards in Pushkar, Rajasthan, and Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

But he returned home with a liver infection—apparently from munching too many moongfalis (groundnuts in shell) while at the melas. Ever since, Anmol has been on a diet, recovering under the supervision of a veterinarian, and has shed about 200 kg of body weight.

Anmol is neither taking a bath regularly or oil massages. Morning walks, which are part of his daily routine, are temporarily suspended. He is also off his princely diet, which includes cashews, almonds, apples, milk and eggs (gives his coat a shine). Instead, his meals now consist of green fodder, plant protein and grain-based feed, plus saline drips and pills. Just the medicines cost around ₹35,000 a month, a small price for what he is worth.

Anmol, meaning ‘priceless’ in Hindi, is an elite bull belonging to the Murrah breed of buffaloes native to Haryana. Murrah buffaloes are known for their distinct physical features—tightly curled horns, jet-black skin and a massive physique. They are an indigenous breed prized for high yields, with the best buffaloes producing more than 20 litres of milk per day.

Not just within India, the Murrah has travelled far and wide, from Nepal and Bangladesh to distant countries like Brazil and Bulgaria, where they were used to improve local breeds.