Putin gifts lion and bears to North Korean zoo

November 20, 2024 4,416

Russia transferred more than 70 animals, including an African lion and two brown bears, to a zoo in the North Korean capital Pyongyang from Moscow’s zoo, the Russian government said on Wednesday.

The animals were “a gift from (Russian President) Vladimir Putin to the Korean people,” the government said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin Visits North Korea — Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a welcoming ceremony in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024.Getty Images

Alexander Kozlov, Russia’s natural resources minister, oversaw the relocation of the animals, which were transported by plane to the Pyongyang Central Zoo accompanied by veterinarians from the Moscow Zoo.

Pictures published by the Russian government showed a white cockatoo traveling in a crate and Kozlov receiving a tour of the Korean zoo from local officials.

Russian Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov visited the central zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea during an official event to transfer over 70 animals from Russia to North Korea as part of the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. — A bird is unloaded in a wooden crate upon arrival in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. Russian Natural Resources Ministry / AFP – Getty Images

Russia in April donated birds, including eagles, cranes along with parrots to the Pyongyang Central Zoo.

Pyongyang and Moscow have forged closer ties since Putin visited the country in June and concluded a treaty with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Kim gifted Putin a pair of Pungsan dogs, a local breed, during that trip. The two also took turns driving each other around in a Russian-built Aurus limousine.

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