Clarissa's Blog

There is a much loved tiger called Amur in one of Russia’s zoos. The administration of the zoo brought in a male goat called Timur so that the tiger could hunt the goat and eat him. The tiger, however, decided not to harm the goat and instead became his friend.

The story went viral in Russia. My guess is that people are tired, on some level, of feeling constantly at war with the world and welcomes the videos of Amur and Timur playing happily together. The administration of the zoo installed webcams in the area where the tiger and his new friend live, and now everybody can watch the two play together.

This week, however, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s office. The story of the tiger and the goat, the plaintiff says, promotes gay relationships, which is illegal in Russia. Both Amur and his friend are male, and even though they are not engaging in anything sexual, the very fact of their cohabitation might lead children to think that it’s OK for two males to enjoy a non-traditional relationship. The constant discussions of the pair on social media can give kids the wrong idea about what’s normal, the plaintiff claimed.

I want to believe the complaint is a PR stunt but with the way things have been in Russia, anything is possible. The Attorney General’s office is currently investigating if there is gay propaganda in the story of the tiger and the goat.