DAVOS, January 23 (RIA Novosti) - Two Siberian brown bears presented by Dmitry Medvedev and his wife to the Swiss city of Bern are expecting cubs, Switzerland’s President Ueli Maurer revealed on Wednesday.
“I’d like to remind you of your lovely present, two young bears. They are currently hibernating, but in summer they will have cubs,” Maurer told Prime Minister Medvedev, who is heading the Russian delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The orphaned bears, caught in the taiga by hunters, were presented by Dmitry and Svetlana Medvedev during their state visit to Switzerland in September 2009. The cubs were named Misha and Masha and settled at Bern zoo.
Medvedev, whose surname comes from the Russian word 'medved' meaning bear, said this information “was almost perfect for the beginning of the talks.”
Bears have been kept in Bern at the city's expense since 1513. The city's name comes from the German word for bear, and the animal is featured on the local flag and coat of arms.
The animal is also a Russian national symbol and features on the ruling party's flag.
