The gorgeous white-feathered gyrfalcon named Alpha came from Russia’s Kamchatka, had champion hunting parents, and was personally gifted to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud by Putin last Monday. The one thing that made her famous, however, was an embarrassing red-carpet incident, in which the bird got overexcited and relieved herself on the Saudi palace’s floor.

Some media jeered at the incident, suggesting that the falcon would face severe punishment and even accusing Russia of trafficking endangered species.

Responding to claims that the bird was brought over to Riyadh “illegally,” the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment disclosed about the gyrfalcon’s heritage. In a Facebook post, it explained that both Alpha and her sister, later gifted by Putin to UAE crown prince, were bred in a specialized Far Eastern falconry and had all the necessary documents and permissions to 'emigrate' to the Gulf monarchies.

As a bonus, the ministry enclosed a minute-long video that showed “the miracle of birth of this unique bird” – that is, the moment Alpha’s egg hatched. The original clip has since clocked nearly 20,000 views.

As for actual “repercussions” from the Saudi side, Alpha probably has little to fear: after all, the kingdom’s royals are so obsessed with these prized birds of prey that sometimes entire commercial planes are being booked for their transportation. Any bird lovers out there would know that these flights too would have little chance of getting away clean.

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