The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival (Vintage Departures)

Right from the start, this account of man versus nature reads like the very best fiction novels, drawing you in through visceral, powerful prose. Not simply a recount of the hunt for a rogue, man-eating Amur ('siberian') tiger in the Russian Far East, John Vaillant's exceptional work weaves a much more far reaching study of human existence and survival in and with nature, wildlife and nature conservation from this one isolated incidence of tiger predation upon humans and the subsequent hunt to exterminate the noble killer. With this second effort, Vaillant has shown the ability to tell a true story about the real world around us that rivals the spellbinding writing of John Krakauer and Mark Kurlansky. Furthermore, this book is extremely personal for me - I KNEW these people in this book. Not so much the hunter/poachers, per se, but the Russian Federal anti-poaching rangers, such as Yuri Trush, who are the main protagonists in this true story. Between March 1996 and October 1997 I made five trips to the Russian Far East, using U.S. wildlife law enforcement special agents to provide training to Department Tiger of the former Ministry of Environment's Primorsky Krai Ecology Committee, headed by the venerable Vladimir Schetinin. My last contact with Trush, Schetinin and the other Operation Amba (another moniker the Department Tiger rangers went by) was just two months before the events chronicled here in late 1997. Vaillant's exhaustive research delves deep into the backgrounds of everyone involved here - not just the heroes but also the ostensible villains - and gives a more than fair account of how everyone came to this place at this time in this condition, including the man-eating tiger itself, bringing in geopolitics, human and feline evolution, genetics, and contemporary economics that makes what could have been just a 10-page treatment in OUTSIDE magazine into a dazzling, can't-put-down, 329-page classic of man versus animal, and more. The cast of an Amur tiger paw you see here was given to me by the park manager of Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve in eastern Primorskiy region. The book is a trade paperback, 8" long by 5" wide, which gives you some idea just how HUGE the paws of these largest of all cats can be. While walking with US & Russian rangers in Lazovsky zapovednik that October of 1997, one of my US colleagues was talking into his video camera as he and I brought up the rear of our small group trampling through tiger terrain, narrating how he "didn't need to outrun the tiger, he just had to outrun me." Seems from Vaillant's grand account that if a tiger is pissed off enough, shot at far too often, and hungry enough, he or she has the awesome physical prowess, the cerebral brain power and the indomitable will to devour all in it's way. The competition for scarce resources may yet see the total extinction of this species within a very short time if we cannot find alternative lifestyles and economic opportunities for all of our citizens, whether they are city or rural dwellers. The tigers' very life depends on it. As does ours, because if there's not enough room for both top-line predators, man and cat, how much longer before the earth overturns our unhappy little apple cart...? One of the very best written books on nature conservation and the connections between human civilization and our fellow earthlings. A must-read book.

Very good writing, really hope we get to the tiger hunt soon — I’m on page 100 and so far there’s a LOT of Russian history which isn’t really germane to the story.

It feels like a disservice to call this book a true adventure story or a book that falls into the nature genre. It is much more. In fact, this book may cover more fields than any other book I have read of its length. It is a labor of love that was fully realized, and deserves to be read by more. On its surface, this is the story of the hunt for a man-eating tiger in the Russian forest, the Taiga. In the course of telling the story, fascinating enough to keep your attention all be itself, the author covers a lot of ground. Here are some of the highlights that I really enjoyed. * History of the Tiger. The author goes into detail about both native Russian and Chinese history concerning the tiger. It may be easy to scoff at any who would revere the tiger as a god, but by the end of this book you will see how easy it would be to let something like this happen. * Russian geography. This book takes place at the far end of Russia, past Siberia, where Russia and China meet. I had never heard of Primorye, but the abundant and unique wildlife and ecosystem there sounds unique to the world. The author struggles to even describe it at the beginning, and it is the only place where tigers currently live in such frigid temperatures. * Communism and perestroika. The good and the bad are highlighted through human triumph and tragedy, mainly the latter, as the tale unfolds around a number of small villages. The towns on this end of Russia are practically ghost towns at this point. * Psychology of human & animal relations. This was one of the most interesting facets of the book. What makes animals tick? How different are humans from animals? How do they communicate? * Tigers. Vaillant covers the biology and history of the tiger. It is awe-inspiring, and will cause you to look at this animal in a new way. His description and anecdotes of the vengeance of tigers are chilling . . . So much more is covered in this small book. It is an excellent read and one that will stay with you long after you close the book. The Tiger is a unique tale that will alter how you view the world. Highly Recommended.

I’ve always been fascinated with stories of life in harsh environments and I love mysteries, spy novels, and historical fiction. When the BBC ran a brief piece on the series of events recounted in this book, it seemed like a good time to take a break from my reading routine and I was not at all disappointed. The book is an amazing account of both the impact of political and economic change wrought by perestroika and its impact on both the human and animal populations of the far East of Russia, and especially the Amur tigers which are unique to that area. The book manages to weave very complex discussion of geopolitical and economic events into the retelling of the events leading up to the death of a hunter/trapper/poacher and the subsequent investigations and tracking down of a man-eating tiger. By the end of the book one can only feel immense sorrow for all of the characters in the story; not only the people left to fend for themselves in an unforgiving land, and the desperate situation the Amur tigers face as they lose their status as the majestic masters of the wild, as their numbers dwindle due to habitat destruction, poaching, and as their human neighbors slowly lose respect for the tigers’ position as a sacred part of the natural environment all these beings share. As it happens the humans and the tigers in this story share the same fate: They are all in decline and it’s a tragedy of monumental proportion. All in all the author has done an amazing job of telling this tale with respect and empathy for all the players, and this book is well worth a careful read.

このものがたりは、決して猛獣狩りの本ではありません。もしもあなたが、ハンターと野獣の息詰まる知恵比べのストーリーを期待して買うなら失望するでしょう。そういう人は、吉村昭の羆嵐や、Peter Capstick の Death in The Long Grass の方がお気に召す事と思います。しかし、共産主義からペレストロイカを経て、余りにも目まぐるしく変わるロシアの国全体の一部として翻弄されるシベリアの自然と、そこに住む人々までを視野に入れて、地球規模の自然環境の緩慢な衰弱から死を残念に思う気持ちがあるなら、買って損はないでしょう。（猛獣狩りやアニマルトラッキングが大きく関わってくるのは、後半部分から後です。あなたは、それまで辛抱出来ますか？）

From page one I was totally engrossed by Valliant's thorough treatment of his characters, their circumstances, and the history that brought them all to this place and time.

Although the story is about a man eating Siberian, or more appropriately, Amur tiger in the far east region of Russia, it is actually about creating awareness about this beautiful, but endangered species of cat. The author keeps the true story intense, but departs from the main story a number of times for developing characters involved in it and in the process explains in detail the history, geography, economy, ecology, ethnicities and culture, predators and prey in the region, and of course the relationship between men and the beast. In fact, the authors goes into further details and educates the readers on different political eras of Russia, Sino-Soviet relations of the past and Sino-Russian relations as of now, animal behaviour, even predator ' prey relationships studied in Africa, anthropology, palaeontology, etc. and he does all of this so very beautifully never losing track of the original story of the man eating tiger. It is amazing to note how learned the author and how well researched this book is. The author brings the knowledge out from diversified subjects as they apply to this confrontation between men and tiger. The book has many tragic events described graphically, but in the end it leaves hope in that the awareness is growing all over the world and that Amur Tigers may survive living in the wild. I grew up reading very lively and graphic stories of man eating tigers of India written by Jim Corbett and many local Indian hunters. I remember many of those stories and am still able to recall hunters describing the man eating tiger's behaviour. This book either endorsed those viewpoints or expanded my knowledge on tiger behaviour especially after it becomes a man eater. When I received my book from Amazon.ca, its thickness and page appearances discouraged me for I am a slow reader. How am I ever going to finish this voluminous book I said to myself. But lo and behold, I completed in two days. This shows how interesting and intense this book is.

I found the history very intersting and learnt a lot from reading it!! Can recommend it to all readers looking for a more profound history;

In this book, John Valliant mentions of ethnologist Jacob Von Uexkull’s concept of umwelt ( an imaginary soap bubble around each creature to represent its own world and when we then step into one of the bubbles our reality is transformed…” Umgebung is the objective relative we live in; but each of us experiences it differently from our own umwelt (subjective reality). This reference in the story is poignant – did the tiger step into the umwelt of its victim to kill it? The gruesome site where Andrei Markov a tayozhnik (forest dweller) was killed rather annihilated by the tiger in a remote taiga (forest) in Russia left the investigators and Markov’s friends or for that matter everyone around shocked and bewildered. Such ferocious brutality against man was unknown. The Inspection Tiger (the team charged to address tiger related issues in the taiga) saw in the evidence an intentional and calculated act; as if the tiger had marked out Markov, dictated the narrative and executed its plan to perfection. But why was the tiger angry with Markov? John Valliant recounts this fascinating story of man and tiger encounters that took place in December 1997 in one of the remotest part of Russia, Primorye near Sea of Japan. The encounter itself is riveting, but Valliant is in no hurry to tell the story. His narrative fills in rich details of the Primorye region, the taiga, its indigenous people, the townspeople – the displaced Russians, life post perestroika in this bleak region and the insatiable Chinese appetite for tiger organs. The discussions of each of these elements are engrossing in themselves and they also have a significant bearing on this story. Siberia evokes a sense of remoteness, Primorye or Maritime Territory, is farther south of Siberia; its biggest city Vladivostok is closer to Australia than Moscow! The taiga in this region is as remote a place on earth as can be. In its vastness and desolation there are no witnesses. The closest material evidence was Markov’s friend who could only hear the threatening growls from the site . The evidence of what happened was in the white book - snow- the meticulous record keeper. It is fascinating to see how much the investigating team reconstructed from the tell tale signs in the snow at the attack sites. In this region, between the epochal changes in Russia the plight of the common people became pathetic. During the communist regime many western Russians were displaced or shunted to the taiga, an area alien to them. That is how both Markov the victim ( a suspected poacher) and Trush the Inspection Tiger leader ended in this remote part. Post perestroika the townships in Primorye were stripped off their economic activity and became desolate islands of habitation. Very few could get jobs and the rest of the townsfolk were reduced to primitive living - hunting gathering in the taiga in the 20th century. Markov turned to fur trapping, bee keeping and in that bare existence poaching with lucrative returns was too difficult to resist. Many times Trush took a lenient view of illegal activities dismayed by the poverty of the tayozhniks. The indigenous people Udege, Nanai and Orichi have lived off the taiga for centuries. Their myths and legends have led them to believe the tiger is just and fair and their collective memory has groomed them to live in mutual respect with the tiger. The Dunkai family, of Nanai lineage, whom Markov met before his final encounter recalled that they had come face to face with a tiger and were not hurt. (They did not indulge in poaching) It was the city dwellers, the displaced Russians, the whites, who were attacked, as they lacked the understanding of the unwritten code of the taiga. The leap of faith required for this was beyond them. The taiga is not only remote but also unique; its diverse ecosystem defies classification. The Taiga Matushka (mother) provides for all and has its own nuances, unwritten rules, discerning sounds and many immanent features of which the author helpfully apprises the reader. Some are intriguing, how animal or humans making tracks serve ‘unintended courtesy’ for those who will use the same route (be it animal or beast); it saves energy something in short supply; how the entire ecosystem could collapse if the humble Korean pine nut were to disappear. The tiger by design nature’s majestic, lonely, nomadic yet the most efficient killing machine. The myths and legends surrounding it add to its potent and mystical presence. The tiger in question literally wields a psychic leash on Markov- Why did Markov refuse requests from friends to stay back and return to his cabin when he knew that there was something amiss between him and the tiger? Tiger’s gaze can mesmerize and its roar can be soul shattering and its power brute and lethal, yet it can catch a fly in its paw and release it unharmed. The locals aver that if a tiger does not want to be seen you will not be able to see it. The investigators on the Markov site become aware of the tiger’s presence by the barking of the dogs, they can’t see but can feel its potent presence and its intent in informing the of his presence. The loggers mention how the tiger is known to keep a count of those living in its area, it can wait for even a month to avenge those he feels abrogated on him. It almost seems that tigers are believed to be capable of abstract thinking. In this loci and with the given set of characters something had changed, Markov had done something which had disturbed the delicate balance between man and the top predator. Valliant’s portrayal of the events in December of 1997, of the encounters with the tiger in the taiga and the response by Inspection Tiger read like a thriller, the final showdown breathtaking. His analysis of the forces at play is scholarly yet accessible. The various research stories are informative, delightful as also they help in explaining our atavistic tendencies once we humans are thrown in primal settings. One aspect of the book which stood out was Valliant’s mastery of the language and his eye for detail. His power of expression and his vivid description create a multidimensional experience for the reader to visualize in slow motion the tiger bursting and landing on its victim, hear the snap of a twig, sharpened sounds of funeral bells in snow laden ground, the unmistakable yet unseen presence of the tiger, the amba the powerful one and the messages in the snow. It is sad that this majestic creature is under severe threat now due to indiscriminate killing and lack of serious attention it deserves. As Valliant rightly brings out in the epilogue that Taiga matushka is for men and the tiger. A multipronged approach is needed to address the complexities that exist if this beautiful being is to be protected. I enjoyed reading this book and which gave me many insights these will help whenever I read a similar story. The book shed light on many other aspects such as the efforts of many Russians who were willing to stick their neck out during the Communist regime to protect this rare species as well as other conservationists who led to the formation of Inspection Tiger.