Meghan McCain Reacts To Vicious Attacks
Conservative Pundit Slams Donald Trump
Don't worry, animal lovers -- the shot wasn't to kill or hurt the whale: Putin was helping researchers collect skin samples and tag the local whale population of Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists as "critically endangered." Quite the grand gesture of environmental stewardship, and one very much in line with Putin's self-created image as a rugged, adventuresome wilderness enthusiast (check out Putin pulling a similar stunt circa 2008, shooting a tiger with a tranquilizer dart).
Vladimir Putin, Macho Man
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin holds a crossbow as he floats in a rubber boat Wednesday while studying gray whales off the Kamchatka Peninsula. He used the weapon as he helped researchers tag and collect skin samples from the mammals.
The Kamchatka trip was in keeping with Putin's self-created image as a rugged man of adventure. Here, Putin sits in a Be-200 aircraft during a firefighting flight in the Ryazan province on Aug. 10. The ex-Russian president pushed a button to dump 24 tons of water on a wildfire in Ryazan, and the pilot credited him with a direct hit.
Putin seems to relish outdoor adventures -- and being photographed while on them. This April photo shows, Putin, second from right, helping scientists measure a polar bear on an Arctic island. Putin has expressed concern for the fate of polar bears threatened by climate change.
A former KGB agent, Putin found that his dedication to physical fitness resonated with the Russian public during his eight years as Russia's president. Here, he goes for a swim while vacationing in the mountains of Siberia in August 2009.
Putin, center, snaps fire wood across his knee during his Siberian vacation. The 56-year-old stepped down as Russia's president more than two years ago, but his duties as prime minister -- traveling, reaching out to the Russian people and keeping Russian business owners in line -- have kept him in the public eye.
Putin feeds a horse during the same vacation. The trip came just days after he traveled to the bottom of Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake, in a military submarine.
Putin isn't shy about displaying his athletic prowess. In this photo from 2009, Putin, a judo black belt, demonstrates his skills at a sports school in St. Petersburg. He has also released a DVD called "Let's Learn Judo With Vladimir Putin."
In August 2008, Putin was credited with saving a TV crew from an attack by a Siberian tiger. The tiger lunged at the crew during a visit to a reserve in Russia's Far East. Putin reportedly shot it with a tranquilizer gun. Here, Putin locks a collar with a satellite tracker onto the tiger.
Putin holds the tranquilizer gun that he used to stop the tiger. "Vladimir Putin not only managed to see the giant predator up close but also saved our television crew too," a presenter said on Russian television.
In 2005, Putin flew in a fighter jet as part of a training mission that included supersonic flight and launching a cruise missile over the Arctic. (Source: AP)
Unfortunately, The Associated Press reports, at the same time as the expedition, Putin's beloved state-owned oil company, Rosneft (which is remembered for helping to bankrupt and then take over private rival Yukos) happened to be conducting an offshore drilling survey just a few miles away, which the The International Fund for Animal Welfare has previously criticized as being disruptive and dangerous to the area's marine life, particularly the gray whale. BP and Exxon were also accused of harming the whales via their oil-surveying operations in the area.
Still, Putin didn't let himself get too bogged down in those details, describing instead the elation and joy he felt at seeing Eschrichtius robustus in its natural habitat. As the ITAR-TASS news agency reports:
And yet, for all of his enthusiasm, Putin managed to hit only one of four targeted whales with his crossbow. One of the scientists accompanying Putin tactfully explained this away to the press by noting the extra-challenging environmental factors at play: "Usually they do not work in such weather conditions amid very high waves.""When they are jumping up out of the water, that is certainly spectacular," the premier added with excitement, illustrating his story with gestures. "I liked it here, and liked the nature, now I take with a greater respect all that the scientists are doing," the prime minister said. Alongside, Putin also managed to discuss how to help the experts in their work.
PHOTOS: Americans Honor Troops On Memorial Day Weekend
Tropical Storm Beryl Makes Landfall In Northeastern Florida
Alan Simpson Lashes Out At GOP 'Madness'
VIDEO: Cop Kills Naked Man Allegedly Eating Another Man's Face
Panetta: Bin Laden Doctor's Sentence 'Disturbing'
5-Time World Boxing Champ Found Dead
Simon Johnson: The End Of The Euro: A Survivor's Guide
Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans Filing For Disability Benefits At Historic Rate
Peter S. Goodman: Too Complex To Regulate: JPMorgan's Losses Highlight Need For Simplicity
Florida Plan to Purge Voter Rolls Triggers New Voter Rights Showdown
WATCH: Thousand Plus Protest NC Baptist Pastor Who Called For Gays To Be Put Behind Electric Fence
Ethan Nadelmann: Obama's Hypocritical War on Marijuana
Syria Denies Allegations That Its Forces Killed More Than 100 People
2 More Buddhist Monks Set Selves On Fire In Tibet
Dario Franchitti Wins Indy 500
Iran: Why Stop Now?
TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads
Barney Frank Takes Strong Position On JP Morgan Fiasco
Brothers Face Death Row In Separate States For Separate Crimes
Bristol Palin: I Made A Mistake
