In an act of bravery that could (almost) be made for TV, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin saved a Russian film crew from an enormous escaped tiger in eastern Russia Sunday, adding yet another set of images to his cultivated portfolio of manliness.
The incident took place in a national park in Russia's Far East, where Putin was visiting a team of scientists involved in a conservation project to save the endangered Amur tiger, the world's largest cat, which can reach lengths of 10 feet (three meters) from head to tail.
"We probably came too close to her," said Violetta Sergeyeva, a film director from Rossiya, Russia's main television station. "She suddenly got loose and rushed us. A miracle saved us."
That miracle happened to be Putin, who -- clad in camouflage fatigues and desert combat boots -- availed himself of a tranquilizer rifle and found his mark. After sedating the beast, Putin went on to assist the scientists as they measured the tiger's enormous canine fangs and fitted a satellite transmitter around its neck.
Once done with his Herculean labor, Putin spoke to the film crew about the conservation efforts: "First of all, we must thank our colleagues -- Americans, European colleagues -- for being involved with this together with our scientists during a difficult time for Russia, when no one was paying attention to this."
The Amur tiger, which is native to the region surrounding the Ussuri River, has recently reached its highest population level after approaching extinction in the 1940s, according to the environmental group the WWF.
Almost exactly a year ago, another series of photographs from eastern Russia flooded the media, after then President Putin was captured bearing his muscular torsowhile fishing and riding horses on vacation in Siberia. In photographs released exclusively to the Russian media, Putin was also seen brandishing a rifle.
jtw -- with wire reports
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