Moskovsky Komsomolets: “King of the jungle”
More and more animals befriend Vladimir Putin.
The prime minister is getting in touch with his animal side, meeting tigers, polar bears... and now elk. Last Saturday, in the run-up to World Environment Day, Putin visited the Losiny Ostrov (Elk Island) national park in Moscow and met with a female elk named Lusha.
The prime minister was met at the park by an entire delegation, including the park's management team and employees, school-age environmentalists and, of course, the elk. Putin showered attention on the attractive Lusha, feeding her bread and carrots, which may not seem like much to a person but are delicacies for elks. "They're tasty. She likes it," said Putin, clearly moved. But at one point the prime minister apparently thought of something tastier, and asked: "Can I get you an ice cream bar as well?"
It's unclear what reaction he expected from the elk - perhaps he expected her to speak, nod or decline with a shake of her head and big ears. But Lusha modestly preferred to keep silent. Olga Fateyeva, an employee at the local elk-breeding facility, replied: "She's never tried one of those."
Putin then visited an open-air enclosure where injured and weak elk receive care. Currently the enclosure is home to elk calves who lost their mother in May and now receive care from a team of specialists. The calves also got a treat: the prime minister and the young environmentalists took milk bottles and started feeding the babies. And once again, the prime minister seemed strangely sentimental. "Wow, so funny!" he said, looking at the elk tenderly. "Look here, only piglets bite and chomp when they eat," Putin added. But then again: "So funny."
It seemed impossible to believe that this emotional man was Vladimir Putin, but it was Putin nonetheless. It appears that the prime minister loves animals more and more with every passing day. And it easy to understand why: animals do not ask for money, are not interested in their rights and freedoms and don't want to know whether the next Dissenters' March will be banned or not. Basically, they're just funny.
