Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Hides Birds Down Pants to Protect Them From Chinese Smog

Buildings are seen through thick haze at the central business district in Guangzhou, China. Alex Lee / Reuters

A Russian citizen detained after allegedly attempting to smuggle exotic birds out of China in his trousers defended his action by saying he had wanted to protect the birds from pollution.

Chinese customs officers stopped a 43-year-old man, identified as Naum Pokrovsky, on June 6 during checks at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport after noticing a bulge in the cuff of his pants, Shangaiist reported.

The officers then searched Pokrovsky and uncovered two exotics birds from the lining of his pants.

An environmentally conscious Pokrovsky defended his action by saying he had wanted to "protect the birds from Chinese smog," by taking them to Singapore, the report said.

According to a pollution report released by  China's Ministry of Environmental Protection in June, only 3 out of 74 major Chinese cities meet air quality standards.

See also:

Cat Caught Smuggling Cell Phones Into Prison

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more