Chelyabinsk hosted the opening ceremony of the 2014 World Judo Championships. The primary subject of the marvelous show was the history of judo, and everyone's attention was drawn to the tournament's mascot – the tiger Zhorik.

The entire world knows the fantastic story of the Amur tiger cub, Zhorik, as he served as the mascot of the 2012 European Judo Championships.

In the run-up to the tournament, local residents supported by President Vladimir Putin saved the tiger from imminent death. A renowned Chelyabinsk veterinarian performed a complicated surgery, having removed part of the tiger's neb.

The public raised money and bought the animal from its former owners. The tiger found a good home at the Utyos Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Predators.