PEACOCKING

Weird Russian Stunt Sending Peacocks to the Frontline Backfires

The social media post announcing the “gift” to the troops had to be deleted after it was inundated with “insults against the president.”

A Russian zoo has attempted to do its part in the country’s war against Ukraine by sending two peacocks to the battlefield to “inspire” troops in intense combat.

The Lipetsk Zoo announced the special delivery in a post to the social networking site VK on Tuesday. “For guys in difficult combat situations, the beauty of birds inspires and brings a piece of joy. This is not an advertisement for the zoo, but a gift from the heart. We hope that the beauty of these birds will brighten up soldiers’ everyday life in combat,” the zoo wrote.

A brief video shared with the post showed a masked soldier standing in front of an enclosure with the peacocks. He said every soldier would have a chance to gaze at the birds and get a bit of “spiritual peace.”

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It was not clear where exactly along the frontline the peacocks were located.

Almost just as quickly as the zoo announced the news, however, it was forced to delete the post. A representative for the zoo told local media it had removed the post due to a barrage of comments mocking Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying “insults against the president are unacceptable.”

Other commentators appeared baffled by the stunt in general.

“What are peacocks going to do there?” one person wrote. Others wondered how long it would be before the birds are killed.

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