All news

Bear is Russia's symbol, but so is world's largest tiger, Putin notes

The Russian president added that the metaphor of China as a dragon and India as an elephant was coined not by him, but by Chinese President Xi Jinping in his address to the Indian delegation headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

VLADIVOSTOK, September 5. /TASS/. While the bear is widely recognized as a symbol of Russia, President Vladimir Putin reminded the audience at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum that Russia is also home to the world’s largest tiger — the majestic Siberian tiger.

"The bear is, of course, a symbol of Russia," Putin said, "but the largest tiger in the world is the Siberian tiger, which can be found right here in the Far East, where we are speaking today."

Putin noted that the metaphor of China as a dragon and India as an elephant was coined not by him, but by Chinese President Xi Jinping in his address to the Indian delegation headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Today, around 750 Siberian tigers remain in Russia. Listed in both the international and Russian Red Data Books, these animals came close to extinction in the mid-20th century due to uncontrolled hunting. Their survival in the wild today stands as a clear testament to ongoing conservation efforts.