No, that's not the beginning of a joke — it's an actual part of the opening ceremonies in Sochi for the Winter Olympics.
And the large, animatronic versions of the Olympic mascots didn't just walk, they skated across the ice during the opening ceremony on Friday evening. The furry, four-legged mascots are animals all found in Russia, and they represent strength, speed and agility.
See also: Olympic Ring Fails in First Minutes of Opening Ceremony
According to the Olympic mascots' official page, the animals were selected as part of a competition, in which artists submitted their sketches and suggestions. The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee received more than 24,000 sketches over the course of three months.