Putin’s crane is found after losing its way

In this image made available Friday, Oct, 18, 2013 from Rossiya television, the crane, called Raven, is in enclosure in Tyumen region of Siberia where it was spotted by locals, before being taken to Moscow. AP

MOSCOW — One of the Siberian cranes that Russian President Vladimir Putin helped teach to fly south last year lost its flock along the way, but has been found and brought to Moscow.

In September 2012, Putin flew on a motorized hang glider as part of a project to teach the endangered birds who were raised in captivity to later follow the aircraft on their migration south to Central Asia.

One of the cranes was recently spotted in the Tyumen region of Siberia and identified by a tag on its right leg as belonging to “Putin’s flock.”

The crane was flown by airplane to Moscow, where its arrival Friday was covered by state television. The white bird, called Raven, will spend the winter in a wildlife reserve.