A knee-high cow that became a sensation in Bangladesh has won posthumous recognition as the shortest on the planet, just weeks after its untimely demise.
Rani, just 50.8 centimetres high and weighing 26 kilograms, became an internet celebrity, with tens of thousands of people visiting the farm she lived on outside Dhaka.
But in August, just after her owners applied to Guinness World Records, the two-year-old bovine suddenly died due to a sudden internal build-up of gas.
Rani's owner Kazi Mohammad Abu Sufian said he received an email on Monday from Guinness World Records saying Rani's application had been accepted.
A statement on the Guinness website confirmed the miniature Bhutti cow's status, beating the previous holder, an Indian cow named Manikyam that stood 61 centimetres from hoof to withers.
"We sent several video of Rani in line with Guinness World Records prescriptions. We have also sent the post-mortem report to the Guinness authorities to see that there was nothing unusual about her death," Mr Sufian said.
Mr Sufian said he had also sent Guinness Rani's medical records, after they asked whether she had received hormone injections.
"Her carer burst out crying as soon as we told him the news."
Bhutti, or Bhutanese, cows are prized for their meat in Bangladesh.
The other Bhuttis on the farm are twice Rani's size.
According to the Guinness World Records, Rani's short stature was caused by inbreeding.
AFP/ABC
