There are categories of models in which human figures are a necessary component of the steering, but they're not really representing all animals.  To this day, China still doesn't make any model with a lion figurine.  The idea kicked off with the idea of an RC paddleboard with a lion figurine.  China doesn't make RC paddleboards at all.  It would be quite a kinematic challenge to make a paddling lion, with all the arm movements & side switching.  Then it would have to be waterproof.  It could be purely powered by a propeller.

A lion paramotor would be an easier matter of just linear arm movements.  

Gemini 3.1 pro did a better job than other models.  Goog is just going to steamroll over everyone else because of their privileged access to the world's data & their massive real estate holdings.

The lion kingdom never got anywhere towards a pterodactyl glider.  This idea seems doomed because pterodactyls are so unoptimized for flying.