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German wildlife park renames 'Putin' the boar

April 20, 2022

A Bavarian animal park has renamed a wild boar previously named for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. After the war in Ukraine, things became awkward.

https://p.dw.com/p/4A7dH
A boar now known as Eberhofer, pictured earlier in April when still called Putin, at a wildlife park in Mehlmeisel, Bavaria.
Image: Nicolas Armer/dpa/picture alliance

A Bavarian animal park opted to change the name of one of its wild boars, previously named after Russian President Vladimir Putin, holding a ceremony Tuesday complete with a baptism, of sorts, in a popular water stock cube mixture that the animal enjoys.

The Mehlmeisel wildlife park in Bavaria had been mulling a name change for a few weeks.

After an online vote that also saw famous Ukrainian names floated like Zelenskyy and Klitschko, after the boxing brothers Vitali and Wladimir, "Eberhofer" was chosen as an apolitical alternative to the current predicament.

Putin an awkward name to call among guests

The animal park's operator Eckard Mickisch said he named the boar for Putin three years ago when it arrived given that it was a purebred Russian hog weighing nearly 200 kilograms (440 pounds), around three times more than wild boar typically found in Germany.

Mickisch said it became uncomfortable calling the hog's name after war broke out.

He also had concerns about Ukrainian visitors, hundreds of thousands of whom have arrived in Germany following Russia's war of aggression. Ukrainian refugees are granted free admission at Mehlmeisel.

Animial keeper Eckard Mickisch and the boar formerly known as Putin
According to keeper Mickisch, boar Eberhofer was baptised in water infused with Maggi stock cubes, which he's 'mad for'Image: Nicolas Armer/dpa/picture alliance

From world leader to fictional policeman as namesake

Out of love and pity, the animal park announced on social media a contest for a new name.

After 2,700 suggestions, Mehlmeisel animal park opted for Eberhofer, the name of the policeman in a popular book series set in Bavaria by Rita Falk. Mickisch also quipped that the park had invited Franz Eberhofer to attend the baptism but had not heard back.

On Tuesday, the beast formerly known as Putin received its new name in a ceremony marked by a marzipan and biscuit cake decorated with five happy hogs.

However, with the seizure of everything from yachts to property belonging to Russian oligarchs following the invasion of Ukraine, baptizing the boar formerly known as Putin under a new name at Mehlmeisel presented a minor nod to the good old days of oligarch excess, with the park promising, "a grandiose boar banquet for him and his whole pack."

ar/msh (dpa, Reuters)