You can’t make this up.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was present in May 2014 when three tigers were released into Russia’s Amur Province. The Siberian tigers are named Boris, Kuzya, and Ilona—unofficially nicknamed “Putin’s tigers.” At the time of their release, the only name the world recognized was that of their presidential companion. The big cats quickly made names for themselves: In the 14 short months they have been free, they have been credited with the deaths and devourings of at least two bears, countless goats, a domestic dog, and the invasion of neighboring China.

 

Kuzya

The New York Times reported Kuzya’s “invasion” of China in October 2014. He was not quite 2-years-old at the time, but made his way into China by swimming a river separating the two countries. Kuzya’s radio trackers were unable to account for his location and worried that the infamous Chinese black market would swallow up their leader’s unofficial mascot.

Both Chinese and Russian officials worked to ensure Kuzya’s safety. The two countries are experiencing better relations with one another of late as they ally themselves against the Western powers, and China feared that the death of Putin’s wild pet would hinder the progress.

The snafu led British and other papers to find humor in the incident.

“Putin’s Tiger Cub Defects—to China,” a headline from the Daily Mail said.

It was the Chinese who needed to fear the striped Russian—not the other way around. Kuzya began killing livestock left and right, culminating in an infrared photograph of him eating a domestic dog. When satisfied and satiated, he turned for home and swam back to Mother Russia.

Wildlife expert Ma Jianzhang of the Chinese Academy of Engineering told Indian newspaper MiD-DAY that future visits by Kuzya are possible as the river freezes in winter, providing a land bridge back to the hunting grounds.

 

Ilona

The lone female of the three tigers, Ilona wasn’t interested in invasion as much as she was asylum. She too made a break for China in the last half of 2014 while Kuzya was in another part of the country. Chinese officials scrambled to take down poaching traps and install game cameras in an effort to locate and protect her, but trackers were unable to find signs of her ever crossing into China.

Ilona was predetermined by the researchers as a mate for Boris, the third released tiger, but Boris abandoned her and left the area to hunt elsewhere.

 

Boris

Boris bode his time before breaking onto the national news scene. He kept to himself while Kuzya was in China and Ilona was wandering.

His appetite was his ticket to eventual fame. The Moscow Times reported Tuesday that he had killed and eaten a bear—his second.

The remains were found in Russia’s Amur region where Boris was first released. Officials told the Moscow Times “there wasn’t much left of Boris’ feast by the time we got to his hunting ground.” There was no way to determine if the bear was a brown or Asian black bear.

Boris’ first bear meal came in 2014. He killed a 3-year-old boar in August.

 

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