In the summer of 2016, temperatures in western Siberia reached nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The warm summers there in recent years have led to the melt of the upper layers of permafrost. Mud and sinkholes are starting to become regular features of the landscape. So, too, is animal disease. That summer, the nomadic peoples in the region noticed that reindeer were dying off in large numbers. By the end of August, more than 2,000 reindeer perished. In addition, 42 local villagers got sick that month and one of them, a twelve-year-old boy, died.
