The Prime Minister of Laos, the President of Tatarstan, and the Mayor of Kazan visited the Kazan Zoo.

      Honored guests inspected the conditions for keeping the gifted female Laotian elephants

      The Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Sonex Siphandone, the President of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, and the Mayor of Kazan, Ilsur Metshin, visited the Kazan Zoo. They inspected the conditions for the new inhabitants of the zoo – two female Asian elephants.

      Photo: Denis Gordiyko

      Five-year-old Sakhar and four-year-old Udacha were a gift from the President of Laos, Thongloun Sisoulith, to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, in honor of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries. The decision to place the animals in Kazan was made after Rustam Minnikhanov proposed the republic as a site for the elephants' care. The initiative was supported by the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sergey Lavrov, and the Minister of Culture of Russia, Olga Lyubimova. The animals arrived in the capital of Tatarstan last week. Preparation for their relocation took several months and required inter-agency cooperation. Transportation was carried out in strict accordance with international IATA standards for the transport of live cargo. Before the flight, a delegation consisting of employees of the Kazan Zoo and specialists from the Rosselkhoznadzor visited Laos to assess the condition of the elephants and prepare veterinary documents. During the flight, the animals were accompanied by their usual keepers from Laos. To minimize stress, the elephants were provided with their usual diet, including their favorite sugar cane. According to specialists, the flight went smoothly. For the new residents, the Kazan Zoo prepared infrastructure that meets the highest standards for keeping large animals. The enclosures are equipped with spacious walking areas, pools with waterfalls, training grounds, and veterinary control rooms. Special attention was paid to the flooring: the internal enclosures are covered with special sand that protects the joints and sensitive soles of the elephants. During the visit, Sonex Siphandone familiarized himself with the conditions of care and communicated with the Laotian keepers who arrived in Kazan with their charges. Specialists from Laos will stay in the city for some time to share their experience in caring for Asian elephants with the staff of the Kazan Zoo. The guests also visited the winter enclosure of the elephant house, where a nine-year-old elephant named Filimon already lives; he was transferred from the Moscow Zoo in 2023.

      The meeting concluded with a ceremony for the transfer of the certificate of official donation of the animals. In response, Rustam Minnikhanov presented the Prime Minister of Laos with a letter of gratitude from the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, reports the press service of the President of Tatarstan.

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      Shock and awe of tourists, motorcades, "Alligators," ASEAN leaders, and lots of chak-chak – in a photo story

      The first day of the Russia-ASEAN summit in Kazan is coming to an end. 23:13 17.06.2026 Business Online - Kazan

      Sakhar and Udacha: Minnikhanov announced that two female elephants from Laos have settled in the Kazan Zoo

      The President of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, announced on his social media that today, together with the Prime Minister of Laos, they officially settled the elephants named Sakhar and Udacha in the Kazan Zoo. 21:07 17.06.2026 TRK Tatarstan-New Century - Kazan

      The Prime Minister of Laos, the President of Tatarstan, and the Mayor of Kazan visited the Kazan Zoo

      Honored guests inspected the conditions for keeping the gifted female Laotian elephants

      The Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Sonex Siphandone, 19:52 17.06.2026 Administration of Kazan - Kazan

      News from neighboring regions on the topic:

      The Prime Minister of Laos inspected the conditions for keeping the elephants gifted to Russia in Kazan

      The Prime Minister of Laos inspected the conditions for keeping the elephants gifted to Russia in Kazan. 18:27 17.06.2026 NTA-Privolzhye - Nizhny Novgorod

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      June 15. /MEDIA TALK/. In Kazan, on the sidelines of the Russia-ASEAN summit, a meeting took place between the Prime Minister of Russia, Mikhail Mishustin, and the Prime Minister of Laos, Sonex Siphandone. 23:51 15.06.2026 IA Media Talk - Moscow