Putin sends African lion, brown bears and cockatoos to North Korea as gift of support

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computer5784467@reddit

sending a zoo to a dictator that starves his people so that the dictator can help Russia's dictator with ethnic cleansing is the most colonial shit I've read in a while. thankfully, most other former colonialists are most of the way to civilised, while Russia just keeps doubling down on this savagery.

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litbitfit@reddit

Cock a too. is a big insult, he just called Kim a cock a tool.

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westcoast5556@reddit

Probably the first time ever Putin has been honest

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Old_Wallaby_7461@reddit

It's not really colonial as much as it is medieval

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PerunVult@reddit

Interestingly, while it might feel like that, it's not really so.

Historically gifts of exotic animals to foreign monarch were a way of currying favour since ancient times, but in modern times practice remains relevant in significantly evolved form. It's less about impressing specific ruler this days, and more about winning over general populace, even if briefly, by filling out zoo "tickboxes". China in particular seems to leverage Pandas as almost ambassadors, to be sent and recalled based on diplomatic standing.

This article appears to be a nice overview of the practice.

https://medium.com/anne-marie-kingsland/diplomacy-and-animal-gift-giving-a-20th-century-evolution-7e483c2c4980

Now, putin is a dictator, due to heredity kim is IMO more of a absolute king than dictator, ruzzia is a continental colonial power, Invasion of Ukraine is a ruzzian imperialist war and all that. But ironically this zoo animal exchange is probably the most diplomatically normal thing ruzzia did since 2022 and NK... dunno, last few decadess?

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Hapchazzard@reddit

Saying it's like in colonial times is being generous, this sounds more like something a Bronze Age despot would be doing lol.

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PerunVult@reddit

Russia has transferred more than 70 animals, including an African lion, two brown bears and 45 pheasants to a zoo in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

The animals transferred from Moscow Zoo, were “a gift from Vladimir Putin to the Korean people”, the government said. The delivery also included two domestic yaks, 40 mandarin ducks and five white cockatoos.

Huh?

1 Lion

2 bears

45 pheasants

2 yaks

40 ducks

5 cockatoos

adds up to 95

Why did article open with "more than 70" instead of "more than 90"? I mean, 95 IS more than 70, so it's not false or anything, but usually writing "more than 90" would be more appropriate here.

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A_Concerned_Viking@reddit

Maths hard when only write words

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deeptut@reddit

Russia has transferred more than 70 animals, including an African lion, two brown bears and 45 pheasants to a zoo in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

We're sure that's not just to bring some meat on the tables in North Korea?

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Crafty_Gain5604@reddit

There’s that German racism! Wunderbar!

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Snoo48605@reddit

It has nothing to do with race, but everything with the people suffering famines because of the most dictatorial regime in the world

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PerunVult@reddit

LMAO.

List doesn't include cats or dogs, animals usually featured in "racist" portrayals of East Asian cuisine. I'm using quotes here, because cat and dog meat IS in fact a feature in some East Asian regional cuisines, though apparently falling out of favour. South Korea has entire minor row about banning dog meat farming.

Bear meat has long if niche history, pheasants are a delicacy and staple game bird (to the point they are apparently bred for mock hunting in UK), Yaks have been kept for milk, wool and meat for over 2000 years in Himalayas (I guess Yaks serve similar purpose to Sheep).

Less than half of the list: lion, cockatoos and to my surprise, Mandarin Ducks, have not historically been used for food, and I'm pretty sure even those animals were eaten in their respective regions if food situation got dire enough and opportunity presented itself.

Personally I'm surprised Mandarin Duck isn't deliberately kept or hunted for food. It's a duck, after all. Wild ducks were and still are very widely hunted.

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computer5784467@reddit

imagine being a person that hides behind accusations of racism to whitewash a regime that regularly forces its own people onto famine, a regime that, at the same time it starves its own people still finds weapons to help another dictatorship attempt a genocide. imagine genuinely thinking that stuff like https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65881803 shouldn't be called out.

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FeeeFiiFooFumm@reddit

They're gonna taste great

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empleadoEstatalBot@reddit

Putin sends African lion, brown bears and cockatoos to North Korea as gift of support

Russia has transferred more than 70 animals, including an African lion, two brown bears and 45 pheasants to a zoo in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

The animals transferred from Moscow Zoo, were “a gift from Vladimir Putin to the Korean people”, the government said. The delivery also included two domestic yaks, 40 mandarin ducks and five white cockatoos.

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.

“Historically, animals always have played a special role in relations between states. They have been given as a sign of support, kindness and care,” he said.

Ties between Russia and North have strengthened during the Ukraine war, with North Korea recently sending 10,000 troops to bolster Russian forces. This June the two countries signed a mutual defence pact that includes a clause requiring the countries to come to each other’s aid if either is attacked.

A box containing a white cockatoo is unloaded from a Russian cargo plane at the International Airport in Pyongyang.

A box containing a white cockatoo is unloaded from a Russian cargo plane at the international airport in Pyongyang. Photograph: APDuring that trip North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave Putin a pair of Pungsan dogs, a local breed. The two also took turns driving each other around in a Russian-built Aurus limousine.

The pact has magnified western concerns about potential Russian aid for North Korea’s missile or nuclear programmes.

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

North Korean state media KCNA reported on Thursday that rare animals had been received as gifts from Putin.

On Thursday the two countries signed a protocol on cooperation after meetings covering trade, the economy, science and technology in Pyongyang, according to North Korean state media KCNA.

There were few details in the KCNA report, but Russia’s Tass news agency said on Tuesday that the countries agreed to increase charter flights following the meeting, citing Russia’s ministry of natural resources.

Between January and September, the number of tourists travelling between Russia and North Korea amounted to over 5,000 people, with more than 70% travelling by air, it said.

With Reuters

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