Yekaterinburg zoo has finished elections of the living symbol of 2012. The winner is an animal which looks like a little dragon.

      According to the zoo's official website, Bengalese monitor lizard named Benya has become a winner of the online voting. More than 1500 people took part in the elections.

      Six animals pretended to be called the living symbol of coming 2012 year - the Dragon Year, according to Chinese calendar. They all were chosen by their appearance, so the final voting consisted only of those candidates who looked like mythical dragons. 

      Besides monitor lizard Benya, iguana Misha, bearded dragon (agama) Solomeya, Mexican heloderma Khariton, the common basilisk Chudik, the Solomon Islands skink Rikki took part in the contest. You can see all these animals on the Yekaterinburg zoo's official site. Besides photos, there are special electoral programmes written for each candidate personally. In particular, the contest's winner Benya promised her voters "calmness and self-confidence in the coming 2012 year". 

      As a winner, Benya will be presented with a special sign to be set up on the lizard's enclosure. 

Sources: Lenta.ru Ekazoo