The former KGB spy Vladimir Putin, notorious for burnishing his macho image,
has taken his love of wildlife to new heights in a slightly less testosterone-fuelled stunt on Wednesday. He was seen leading a flock of endangered Siberian white cranes on their migration to Asia - using a motorised hang-glider.
The cranes, raised in captivity, did not know how to fly south, and environmentalists had to devise an imitation lead bird to show them the way. It was part of the 'Flight of Hope' project to protect the endangered species. He did tis in a baggy white costume with a spacious helmet in a bid to fool the birds, and flew in a motorized deltaplane light aircraft surrounded by several of the young cranes.
The president was visibly delighted on landing, and told broadcaster Rossiya 24: 'They got used to it. They are not afraid, they are overtaking the deltaplane. They are overtaking, approaching the wing from the left, from the right, from above. Well done. Beautiful guys. Cute. They are three months old but already quite big.'
Earlier in the day, reports of Putin's planned stunt spawned an array of amused comment on the internet. Macho stunts by Putin, who turns 60 in October, have helped his image with some portions of the electorate - but have occasionally tripped him up.
The stunts are a source of continual irritation for Mr Putin's opponents, who regard them as contributions to a cult of personality lionising an authoritarian leader.
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