KRGV.com

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AP) President Vladimir Putin has struck back at the Russians who ridiculed his effort to lead young Siberian cranes in flight.

Like the youthful protesters in the streets of Moscow, some of the endangered birds refused to follow Putin as he took off in a motorized hang glider.

Putin said "it's true that not all flew right away. The ones that didn't fly were the weak cranes."

Putin's barb came as he wrapped up the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vladivostok on Sunday.

On his way to the Pacific port, Putin stopped off at a Siberian research center to take part in a project to teach birds that were raised in captivity to follow the light aircraft so they could be led on their southern migration.