Izvestia: "Putin enjoys watching – not hunting – animals"
In an interview with the U.S. magazine Outdoor Life, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin described in detail his masculine hobbies – travel, fishing, sports and wild life research. But in their effort to present the Russian leader in a macho light as Western media are inclined to do, the journalists cut the original text. The prime minister’s refusal to go bear hunting with the magazine’s correspondent was removed, as his refusal runs counter to this image of machismo.
During his conversation with Putin, Gayne C. Young, an Outdoor Life correspondent, did his best to evoke the prime minister’s hunting instincts.
He said Putin was popular with U.S. outdoors enthusiasts because he seemed unconcerned with “political correctness.”
“For example, it is highly unlikely that President Obama (or any past president) would ever allow himself to be photographed holding a scoped hunting rifle or with his shirt off, holding a fish he just caught, for fear it would offend someone,” Gayne said.
Putin answered jokingly in his usual manner.
“As recently as last summer, Obama was bathing in the Pacific Ocean in front of TV and photo cameras, and he was not wearing a tie, to put it mildly,” he said.
Gayne appreciated the humour, but decided to try to get through to Putin in a round-about way. He asked Putin to join him on a trip to Kamchatka when his schedule frees up to hunt brown bears. This fragment did not appear in the interview.
Putin replied that they could go on a hunting trip together, but only if hunting was a dire necessity, for instance, if the number of wolves was critically rising in some Russian region.
Putin said he is not a hypocrite but he believes that hunting can exist as part of leisure but only in some cases when animal reproduction is properly regulated.
“As for brown bears – one of the most popular hunting targets on Kamchatka – I don’t think I will ever go after them,” Putin said. “As far as I’m concerned, other animals do not have to worry. I prefer to watch them in their natural habitat and conduct research. I can assure you this is no less interesting than hunting.”
The Outdoor Life editors did not mention Gayne’s failed attempt to hunt together with the prime minister, as their story had been designed for Green Peace members and other animal defenders.
“What would you consider to be the best hunting and fishing adventures in Russia?” Gayne asked.
“I will tell you straight away that I am not a hunter,” Putin replied. “That is why I can only give you advice, relying on my friends’ and colleagues’ opinions who are experts. According to them, it is very popular to hunt for Manchurian wapitis in the Irkutsk Region and in the Republic of Buryatia.”
“Trips to Yakutia to see bighorn sheep, giant elk and reindeer are interesting,” the prime minister added. “They say there is good hunting for wolves on the Taimyr Peninsula, in Kamchatka and Chukotka.”
Bighorn sheep and reindeer are registered in Russia’s Red Book and can only be hunted for scientific purposes with a special permit. But, as Izvestia found out, Putin did not invite any U.S. hunters to join the ranks of poachers.
“Some populations of bighorn sheep are found in the Red Book (Pugoran and Yakut species – Izvestia), but generally hunting bighorn sheep is not prohibited,” Nikolai Kurilov, a deputy chairman and department head at Rosokhotrybolovsoyuz (Russian Hunting and Fishing Union), said. “As for reindeer, only insular populations cannot be hunted. Otherwise, hunting is allowed all over the tundra.”
Anastasia Savinykh
