Owls in the Ice. How the Largest Eagle Owl in the World Was Saved

This is a book about the fishing owl, one of the largest owls in the world. And it is an American's book about Russia. The feathered giant inhabits pristine forests near water bodies rich in fish, and such conditions can still be found in Russia's Primorye in the Far East. That is why the meeting between aspiring ornithologist Jonathan Slat and the mysterious and rare bird took place here — a meeting that changed the scientist's life. Together with his Russian colleagues, Slat sets out to find fishing owls with the aim of developing a plan to save the endangered species. They face frosty nights with shifts in tents, mad races on snowmobiles over melting river ice, hopes and luck, and annoying mistakes. The main characters of the book are fishing owls: agile hunters, devoted parents, performers of mesmerizing duets — they are impossible not to love alongside the author. There are also “secondary” characters — people accustomed to surviving in the harsh conditions of taiga forests. Much in Russia is exotic for the American, and this adds a special color to the tales of the everyday lives of field researchers and the (often excessively) hospitable residents of Primorsky Krai. Dramatic and lyrical scenes, sharp and ironic observations — everything in the narrative is subordinated to the idea of the beauty and vulnerability of the wilderness.