Russian President Vladimir Putin has gifted North Korea several animals, including an African lion, two brown bears, domestic yaks, white cockatoos, pheasants, and mandarin ducks, as a gesture of goodwill between the two countries.
This gift, which was transferred from the Moscow Zoo to the Pyongyang Zoo, highlights the growing political, military, and cultural ties between Russia and North Korea, particularly as the two nations have strengthened their relations amid Russia’s ongoing offensive in Ukraine.
The animals were transported to Pyongyang on a Russian government plane, with images showing them in cargo boxes being unloaded and the lion being settled into its new enclosure.
Putin’s gift follows an earlier exchange in which he sent Kim Jong Un 24 purebred horses, while Kim reciprocated with a pair of local dogs.
The two countries, both under significant Western sanctions, signed a mutual defense pact earlier this year, agreeing to provide military assistance to each other if either is attacked.
Reports suggest that North Korea has recently sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia to support its military efforts against Ukraine.
