AI Brings Wildlife Literature to Life in Russia

An iconic book on Caucasus predators gets an augmented reality reboot, merging biology with immersive tech.

In the Russian city of Sochi, a legendary field guide to the wild is getting a futuristic update. The book Who Rules the Forest—a collection of stories about the predators of the Northwestern Caucasus by biologist and professor Anatoly Kudaktin—is being reissued with help from artificial intelligence and augmented reality.

Originally written to educate readers on how to behave during encounters with wild animals, Kudaktin’s work is being revived by the Sochi Geographical Society. The organization has partnered with biologists, software developers, and publishers to bring the text into the digital age. The updated edition will include a companion mobile app that uses AR to animate illustrations on the page, turning static drawings into dynamic wildlife videos as readers point their smartphones at the book.

The project aims to preserve the scientific and educational legacy of a renowned Russian naturalist while making environmental knowledge more engaging and accessible. By layering immersive tech over conservation storytelling, the team hopes to foster greater ecological awareness—and help humans and wildlife coexist more safely.

The first edition of the “animated” reprint is expected to launch in the near future.