ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris)

[peter]

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SOBOLONYE TIGER, PEACOCK, PIKUNOV AND VAILLANT

a - The Sobolonye tiger

In December 1997, near the village of Sobolonye in the Bikin Valley, a man was killed and eaten by a male tiger. Yuri Trush, the squad leader of an Inspection Tiger unit (one of six in the territory whose purpose was to investigate forest crimes) and the men of his unit went after him.

Some weeks later, after he had killed another man, the tiger was shot. In mid-air. In spite of the bullits fired by Yuri Trush himself, Yuri Pionka en Vladimir Shibnev, the tiger:

" ... hit Yuri Trush at full speed - claws extended, jaws agape. The impact was concentrated on Trush' right shoulder, and his rifle was torn from his hands. Trush, now disarmed with the tiger upon him, threw his arms around his attacker, grasping fistfuls of his fur and burying his face in the animal's chest. He was overcome in every sense: by the inexorable force of the tiger; by the point-blank blast of Pionka's and Shibnev's rifles; by the impossible softness of the tiger's fur, the muscles taut as cables underneath. Like this, man and beast went down together, bound in a wrestler's embrace ... " (The Tiger, pp. 275-276). 

When they were skinning the tiger:

" ... they came to understand that it had been shot an extraordinary number of times - not just by them and Markov (the man killed and eaten by the tiger); this tiger had absorbed bullits the way Moby Dick absorbed harpoons ... " (The Tiger, pp. 282). 

b - Peacock and Pikunov

The Sobolonye tiger was about 10 years of age when he was shot in 1997. In 1992, he might have been very close to a group of American kayakers visiting the Russian Far East. One of them was Doug Peacock.

While waiting for permission, they met Dmitry Pikunov. He adviced them to visit the Bikin Valley. They did and Pikunov joined them. Somewhere in the valley, Pikunov saw the track of an adult male tiger in the mud. Peacock later wondered if it was the Sobolonye tiger:   

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Here's the link to Peacock's story: http://www.dougpeacock.net/siberia

c - Vaillant

When preparing this post, I reread most of Vaillant's book. Although he only focused on one incident, the book is a kind of monument. Compared to most other books, it really stands out. When you can, buy it:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Here's a map of the Russian Far East. Sobolonye is situated in the Bikin Valley:

*This image is copyright of its original author

Here's two photographs with some of the tigermen he talked to. I won't repeat they were loaded with experience, but they were. Anyone with questions about Vaillant's remarks on tigers and bears in the Russian Far East should direct them at these authorities.    

Center left (first photograph) is Dmitry Pikunov:

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

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