Start the Week Saving Tigers, Green Crime and Cli-fi
Nov 10, 2025
Wildlife biologist Jonathan Slaght shares his efforts to save the Amur tiger, revealing insights from his fieldwork in Russia. Novelist Juhea Kim discusses her cli-fi stories, exploring humanity's delicate balance with nature and advocating for activism through art. Criminal psychologist Julia Shaw delves into the psychology of green crime, explaining why people exploit the environment and how understanding these motives can help combat ecological devastation. Together, they highlight the urgent need for emotional storytelling in conservation.
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Amur Tigers Rebounded Through Cross-Border Science
- The Amur (Siberian) tiger population fell to 20–30 in Russia but recovered to ~500 through international conservation efforts.
- Cross-border science and protected areas were crucial to that recovery, despite political upheaval.
An Unlikely Conservationist's 30-Year Commitment
- Dale Mikkel arrived in January 1992 with no Russian, expertise in moose, and a three-year plan that became a 30-year commitment.
- His passion and persistence anchored long-term conservation work on the ground.
Soviet Protected Areas Helped Conservation
- The Soviet Union's strong protected-area laws and social taboos against poaching significantly helped tiger conservation.
- Authoritarian governance still produced effective conservation infrastructure that later collapsed after the Soviet fall.
