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Vladimir Putin to pilot hang-glider at head of endangered Siberian crane migration Vladimir Putin to pilot hang-glider at head of endangered Siberian crane migration
(about 2 hours later)
He has shot grey whales in the Pacific, saved journalists from wild tigers and released leopards in the Caucasus, but President Vladimir Putin is set to show a more gentle side to his animal antics when he takes on the role of a surrogate parent later this week to lead endangered cranes through the Siberian skies. He has shot grey whales in the Pacific, saved journalists from wild tigers and released leopards in the Caucasus, and this week Vladimir Putin's latest episode of animal antics will take him into the Siberian skies as a surrogate parent at the head of a flock of endangered cranes.
The stunt-prone Russian head of state will personally pilot a motorised hang-glider during a stop-over in the far north of the country on his way to the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Forum in Vladivostok. The stunt-prone Russian president will personally pilot a motorised hang-glider during a stop-over in the far north of the country on his way to the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) Forum in Vladivostok.
There are only 20 White Siberian Cranes – of the type that will shortly be looking to Putin – left in the world. He will launch the birds on the first leg of their 5,000km migration and, if all goes to plan, they will spend the winter in central Asia. There are only 20 Siberian white cranes left in the world. Putin will lead the birds on the first leg of their 5,000km migration and, if all goes to plan, they will spend the winter in central Asia.
Six months into his third presidential term and a month from his 60th birthday, Putin will have to don white overalls and a special "beak" to be recognised by the cranes, Yuri Markin, an ornithologist and director of the Oksk Nature Reserve where the young birds were raised, told the RBC news website. Six months into his third presidential term and a month from his 60th birthday, Putin will have to don white overalls and a special "beak" to be recognised by the cranes, Yuri Markin, an ornithologist and director of the Oksk Nature Reserve, where the young birds were raised, told the RBC news website.
Guided migrations for young birds that would otherwise not know where to go were made famous by the 1996 Hollywood blockbuster "Fly Away Home", in which a lonely girl befriends a group of geese, overcomes crashes and the loss of her own mother to fly an ultralight to take them to their wintering grounds.
Putin has cultivated an image as an animal lover during his time at the top of Russian politics and has even been given a tiger cub as a birthday present.Putin has cultivated an image as an animal lover during his time at the top of Russian politics and has even been given a tiger cub as a birthday present.
During a televised phone-in session last year when he was prime minister, a viewer asked why Putin looked more comfortable with tigers and leopards than his own ministers. "The more I know people, the more I like dogs," Putin replied. "I simply like animals."During a televised phone-in session last year when he was prime minister, a viewer asked why Putin looked more comfortable with tigers and leopards than his own ministers. "The more I know people, the more I like dogs," Putin replied. "I simply like animals."
But observers will be carefully watching the latest stunt for any signs of a set-up. There was widespread disbelief in 2008 when Putin appeared to save a television crew from a rare Amur tiger in the Far East by shooting the escaped beast with a tranquiliser gun.But observers will be carefully watching the latest stunt for any signs of a set-up. There was widespread disbelief in 2008 when Putin appeared to save a television crew from a rare Amur tiger in the Far East by shooting the escaped beast with a tranquiliser gun.
And even the Kremlin's press service was forced to admit last year that footage and photographs of Putin striding away from a dive in the Black Sea with Greek amphorae that he "found" was planned in advance, with the amphorae having been planted on the sea floor.And even the Kremlin's press service was forced to admit last year that footage and photographs of Putin striding away from a dive in the Black Sea with Greek amphorae that he "found" was planned in advance, with the amphorae having been planted on the sea floor.
A row about Putin's date with the endangered cranes was already under way in Moscow before official confirmation of the stunt.A row about Putin's date with the endangered cranes was already under way in Moscow before official confirmation of the stunt.
Russia's oldest scientific magazine, Vokrug Sveta, lost its chief editor, Masha Gessen, on Monday after she resisted pressure to send a reporter to cover the event. "I'm leaving Vokrug Sveta #thankstoPutinforthat," Gessen tweeted later that day. Russia's oldest scientific magazine, Vokrug Sveta, lost its chief editor, Masha Gessen, on Monday after she resisted pressure to send a reporter to cover the event. "I'm leaving Vokrug Sveta #thankstoPutinforthat", Gessen tweeted later that day.
She said that she considered the request to publish material about Putin's involvement with the Siberian White Cranes to have been "editorial interference". She said that she considered the request to publish material about Putin's involvement with the Siberian white cranes to have been "editorial interference".
The outspoken journalist is also the author of a critical biography about Putin that was released last year with the title, "The Man Without A Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin." The outspoken journalist is also the author of a critical biography about Putin that was released last year with the title "The Man Without A Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin".
Putin has been undergoing special training to be able to fly the motorised hang-glider and will take part in the "Flight of Hope" that begins in the Yamal District of northern Russia as long as the weather is favourable, Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Russia's Vedomosti newspaper on Wednesday. Putin has been undergoing special training to be able to fly the motorised hang-glider and will take part in the "Flight of Hope" that begins in the Yamal District of northern Russia as long as the weather is favourable, Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, told Russia's Vedomosti newspaper on Wednesday.
After helping the birds on their way, Putin will take to a more conventional plane on Friday to go to Vladivostok, where he will greet heads of state from around Asia and the Pacific at the annual APEC summit, which Russia is hosting.After helping the birds on their way, Putin will take to a more conventional plane on Friday to go to Vladivostok, where he will greet heads of state from around Asia and the Pacific at the annual APEC summit, which Russia is hosting.
Guided migrations for young birds that would otherwise not know where to go were made famous by the 1996 Hollywood film Fly Away Home, in which a girl befriends a group of geese, overcomes crashes and the loss of her mother to fly a microlight to take them to their wintering grounds.