Best of the Spectator The Book Club: The Journey to Save the Siberian Tiger
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Dec 11, 2025 This week’s guest, Jonathan Slaght, is an author and conservation writer dedicated to the Amur tiger. He shares fascinating insights about the intricacies of tiger ecology and conservation efforts in Russia's Far East. Listeners will learn how 19th-century borders impacted tiger habitats, the pivotal role of Soviet measures in their recovery, and the challenges of counting these elusive creatures. Jonathan recounts gripping field stories, including the dramatic capture of a tiger cub named Olga, and discusses the ongoing threats to these magnificent animals.
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Range Lies East Of Siberia
- The Amur tiger lives in the Russian Far East, not Siberia, concentrated in the Amur River basin on the Russia–China border.
- 19th-century border shifts and the Qing Willow Palisade reshaped habitat and pushed tigers north as settlers cleared land.
History Drove A Rapid Decline
- Treaty-driven border changes and immigration in the 19th century split tiger habitat and intensified hunting pressure.
- Tiger numbers crashed from ~3,000 in 1850 to just over 500 by 1940 due to habitat loss and live-cub capture.
Soviet Protection Aided Recovery
- The Soviet system enabled the only 20th-century tiger subspecies to increase in Russia through reserves and legal restrictions.
- Early biologist Lev Kaplanov's surveys and recommendations (stop shooting adults, stop collecting cubs) were pivotal.
