The tiger was already dead when they spotted it, the hunters said—a furry, ocher mound against the snowy backdrop of Primorye, a sprawling region eight time zones from Moscow, in Russia’s Far East.

The seven men took a picture with the massive Amur tiger, their arms casually slung around each other’s shoulders, the straps from their Soviet-era rifles hanging askew. The warmth of the carcass had already begun to melt the snow.

Four of the men smiled as they looked over the photo. But they demurred when wildlife crime researcher and National Geographic Explorer Allison Skidmore leaned in and asked if she could photograph their prized tiger picture. It’s been illegal to kill tigers in the country for nearly 75 years, they