Russian President Vladimir Putin has presented North Korea with a unique gift of animals, including a lion and two bears, as a gesture of goodwill, according to Russian officials.
This exchange reflects the growing relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang, as both nations strengthen political, military, and cultural ties amid ongoing challenges with the West. Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have frequently highlighted their mutual respect and friendship.
Russia’s natural resources ministry shared the details in a statement, noting that the animals—“an African lion, two brown bears, two domestic yaks, five white cockatoos, 25 pheasants of various species, and 40 mandarin ducks”—were transported from the Moscow Zoo to the Pyongyang Zoo. A video shared on social media showed the animals being carefully unloaded from a government plane and the lion settling into its new home at the zoo.
This isn’t the first time the two leaders have exchanged symbolic gifts. Putin previously gifted Kim 24 purebred horses, a known favorite of the North Korean leader. In return, Kim sent Putin a pair of local hunting dogs.
The two nations, both facing significant Western sanctions, recently signed a defense pact pledging mutual military support in case of an attack. Western nations, alongside Ukraine and South Korea, have accused North Korea of deploying over 10,000 troops to assist Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.
