Vladimir Putin gets a rare tiger cub for his birthday, doesn't say from who, calls jouranlists late at night for a photo shoot

Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin received a 2-month-old female rare Ussuri tiger cub as a birthday present. Putin called Russian journalists to his country home late at night without telling them why, and then presented them the cub. He refused to say who gave him the cub for his 56th birthday.

Fewer than 400 Ussuri tigers are believed to survive in the wild, most of them in Russia and some in China. They are the largest tiger species, weighing up to 600 pounds.

Putin said a good home will be found for the tiger, presumably in a zoo or wildlife preserve. He is thinking of calling her Mashenka or Milashka. AP