London: Russian President Vladimir Putin bathes in antler blood extracted by painfully hacking off a deer's horns and is 'constantly' accompanied by a doctor specialising in thyroid cancer, reports claim, Daily Mail reported.
Putin was introduced to the unusual remedy by now Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, and apparently enjoyed a soak in a "bathtub containing an odorant extract from blood-filled deer antlers" in the mid-2000s.
While there is no concrete proof that the red deer antlers of Altai, natives to Siberia, help with body rejuvenation, Putin is said to be have declared war while 'suffering medical problems hidden from the Russian people'.
The reports come from the investigative Project (or Proekt) media, which is blocked in Russia and is now functioning from abroad, Daily Mail reported.
It added that the President isn't the only fan of animal-blood based treatments; a former official said big names in the Kremlin's elite circle -- including Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and head of Gazprom Alexey Miller -- have antler extract flown over.
Other officials are also said to enjoy the Karelian resort Kivach, where they receive daily enemas, a procedure hailed by some for its detoxing benefits.
Bathing in the blood of severed antlers, as well as drinking it, is thought to be a centuries-long tradition in Russia and is also said to exist in China and Korea, according to the Siberian Times.
The alleged benefits of the procedure are myriad, from 'age reversal' for women and increased 'libido and sexual performance' for men, the publication adds.
One farm in the Altai mountains said on its website: "Extract from red deer antlers acts as a strong tonic, especially for men's potency," Daily Mail reported.
"It strengthens the body's bones, muscles, teeth, eye sight and hearing, cures pleurisy, pneumonia, asthma, joint pain, osteoporosis, and problems with the spine," it added.
Investigative reports also claimed on Friday that Putin always has a thyroid cancer doctor by his side.
