The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival, by John Vaillant. 329 pages.

I maintain that truly fine writers of natural history are among the most eloquent and masterful of all authors. Case in point: Sir David Attenborough. John Vaillant is in this class.

In December 1997, Yuri Trush, squad leader of Inspector Tiger, was notified of a tiger attack near Sobolonye, located in Russia's Far East. So starts Vaillant's exploration of the social, political, anthropological, ecological, mystical and natural history of the far eastern region of Russia and China and its inhabitants, including the Amur tiger. The geographical region is a crossroad of multiple ecosystems: "timber wolves and reindeer share terrain with spoonbills and poisonous snakes, and twenty-five point Eurasian vultures will complete for carrion with saber-beaked jungle crows." Vaillant dubs the region a "boreal jungle." It is unique on earth and nurtures the greatest biodiversity of any place in Russia.

Due to over hunting (various parts of the tiger bring big money in China) and logging (one of the only means of making a living in the region), the Amur tigers are becoming endangered, and for this reason Trush and others were employed by Inspection Tiger with the charge of restoring law and order to the forests of Primorye. "Tigers are similar to drugs in that they are sold by the gram ... and their value increases according to the refinement of both product and seller. But there are ... key differences: tigers can weigh 600 pounds; they have been hunting large prey, including humans, for two million years; and they have a memory."

Vaillant makes the argument, supported by scientific and anecdotal evidence, that tigers are capable of abstract thinking, assimilating new information, ascribing it to a source (or even a motive) and responding accordingly. In other words, taking vengeance.

Vaillant interviewed members of Inspection Tiger; hunters, poachers, and loggers; tribes people, villagers and scientists to craft this fascinating and lush story of one tiger and how it terrorized the people in the area, weaving it together with the history of Siberian tigers and the impact Russia's political, economical and social development have had on tigers and the ecosystem. It is thrilling, chilling, provocative and awesome writing.