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Putin has a heart for baby seals
last update: Mar 02, 2009 09:44 AM
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's usual tough-guy image has a soft spot after all. He condemned the hunting of baby Whitecoat / Harp seals. In a ban on seal hunting coming ?
During a meeting with his cabinet he was quoted saying "This is a bloody business and it clearly should have been banned long ago."
Following protests by environmental groups, many countries have banned the large-scale hunting of Whitecoat /Harp seals.
It is not the first time that Putin showed he has compassion for wildlife and nature. He had a controversial oil pipeline around Siberia's Lake Baikal re-routed in 2006 and was shown on tv with the tiger cub he had been given for his birthday.
Masha Vorontsova, director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare in Russia is not too optimistic yet "It should not be confused with an actual ban. Remember, 35,000 baby seals will still be killed in the White Sea next month unless Russian ministers act swiftly to complete their pledge" she said.
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