A tiger crouches in the stillness of the Siberian taiga. His breaths are ragged from effort. He's spent days stalking around the cabin, his eyes trained on the man's every motion. There's a saying in the taiga--a tiger sees you one hundred times before you see it once. The man, with his sawed-off shotgun and sloppily homemade bullets, doesn't stand a chance against this four-hundred pound monster.Vaillant uncovers this attack (and the ones that followed) piece by piece, only to discover that the tiger seemingly had a plan. Tigers are vengeful creatures--they don't hunt indiscriminately, but rather stalk and murder in premeditated attacks which sometimes last days. There are some books that take you far, far beyond any experience you've ever had in your life--The Tiger is one of those stories. Vaillant does a great job describing the poverty-struck village where townspeople are all but forced to poach for food or money. The tiger, of course, is worth an exorbitant amount of money--if he doesn't get you first. Thus, the Soviet government appointed a team of men to enforce strict anti-poaching laws. The team leader, Yuri Trush, becomes wrapped up in the mystery of the tiger and is determined to stop its reign of terror.
While telling the story, Vaillant goes on many tangents--all of which are informative, relevant, and interesting. He weaves in scientific studies about tigers as well as humans, how their behaviors have changed and evolved, and historical accounts of tigers.
This book is, quite frankly, all that is man--I can't imagine any father, brother, boyfriend, etc., not being completely wrapped up in this hunter vs. hunted tale. However, Vaillant's impeccable writing and research makes this a great read for anyone interested in nature, conservation, history, behavioral psychology, and, of course, survival.
Beth gives it five out of five carrots!
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