For the Russian Prime Minister Who Has Everything

An unknown (to the general public, anyway) well-wisher has given Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin an unusual gift for his 56th birthday: a two-month-old Ussuri tiger cub. The super-macho Putin invited members of the Russian media to his house on Thursday for a surprise late-night viewing of the cub, snuggled in a tiger-print bed in Putin’s home.

AP via Google News:

He called Russian journalists to his country home late Thursday without telling them why. Past midnight, after asking them “not to make noise, make a clatter or squeal,” Putin ushered the curious journalists into the room where the tiger cub was waiting.

As president and now prime minister, Putin is known for his tough talk and macho image. But children and animals seem to bring out a softer side.

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AP photo / RIA Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, pool

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin poses with his new friend at the Novo Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow on Thursday night.