{"id":7605,"date":"2021-06-18T17:27:56","date_gmt":"2021-06-18T09:27:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=7605"},"modified":"2021-06-21T16:08:54","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T08:08:54","slug":"nguyen-van-thai-pangolin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/nguyen-van-thai-pangolin\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Nguy\u1ec5n V\u0103n Th\u00e1i Facts: Meet The Award-Winning Pangolin-Saving Hero We Don\u2019t Deserve"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nguy\u1ec5n V\u0103n Th\u00e1i wins Goldman Environmental Prize for saving pangolins<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Pangolins are the world\u2019s most illegally traded mammal – one is captured by poachers every five minutes, according to the\u00a0IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group<\/a><\/span>. But one man is working to reverse the wrong done to the shy woodland creature.<\/span><\/p>\n

This week, Vietnamese conservationist\u00a0Nguy\u1ec5n V\u0103n Th\u00e1i<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0was awarded the acclaimed Goldman Environmental Prize for his pangolin protection efforts. We bring you eight facts about him, and the story about how he came to become a pangolin hero.<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. He grew up close to nature<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\"\"\"Nguy\u1ec5n
\nImage credit:\u00a0<\/span>iphegenia1<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Th\u00e1i grew up in Ninh B\u00ecnh Province next to C\u00fac Ph\u01b0\u01a1ng National Park, Vietnam\u2019s\u00a0oldest national park<\/a><\/span>, according to\u00a0Sierra Club<\/em><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Its lush forests are home to some of Asia’s rarest animals and plants, including the Clouded Leopard, Asian Black Bear and – of course – the pangolin.<\/p>\n

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2. It was his childhood dream to protect wildlife<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\"Nguy\u1ec5n
\nSave Vietnam\u2019s Wildlife visits a kindergarten for its Valuing Nature in Childhood Program
\n<\/span><\/em>Image credit:\u00a0<\/span>Save Vietnam’s Wildlife<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Th\u00e1i\u2019s dedication to preserving wildlife has its roots in his childhood. Having witnessed poachers killing a mother pangolin and her baby when he was just eight years old, he knew from an early age that he wanted to save pangolins when he grew up, as wildlife photographer and his close colleague Suzi Eszterhas told\u00a0Sierra Club<\/span><\/em><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

He went on to pursue a Masters in Environmental Science at the Australian National University to fulfil his dream. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Wildlife Management from the University of Kent and the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, according to Save Vietnam\u2019s Wildlife<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. His team has rescued almost 1,600 pangolins<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\"Nguy\u1ec5n
\nImage credit:\u00a0<\/span>Save Vietnam\u2019s Wildlife<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Th\u00e1i started his own nonprofit organisation, Save Vietnam\u2019s Wildlife, in 2014. It seeks to rescue and rehabilitate endangered animals, while raising public awareness. Headquartered in the C\u00fac Ph\u01b0\u01a1ng National Park, it has\u00a0more than 60 staff and volunteers<\/a><\/span>\u00a0on the team.<\/span><\/p>\n

Save Vietnam\u2019s Wildlife has saved\u00a01,540 pangolins<\/a><\/span>\u00a0as of 2020, as reported on Goldman Environmental Prize. A ChannelNewsAsia<\/em> report states that it is also trying to\u00a0breed Chinese pangolins<\/a><\/span>, which face a higher risk of extinction.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. He helped to put in place a global ban on pangolin trade<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\"\"\"Nguy\u1ec5n
\n<\/span><\/em>Image credit:\u00a0<\/span>Save Vietnam’s Wildlife<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Th\u00e1i\u2019s push for pangolin protection goes beyond Vietnam\u2019s forests<\/a>. In 2015, he spoke at the Wildlife Conservation Network Expo in San\u00a0Francisco\u00a0to raise awareness about the species\u2019 plight.<\/span><\/p>\n

His support helped put in place a\u00a0total trade ban on pangolins\u00a0in 2016, which was initiated by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species. All 182 member countries agreed to completely ban the international trade of pangolins, according to\u00a0The Guardian<\/a><\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5. He worked with the government to improve wildlife policies<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Th\u00e1i\u2019s group is behind a number of wildlife policy changes in Vietnam. The government now imposes heavier punishments for possessing snares or hunting dogs in no-hunt zones,\u00a0D\u00e2n Vi\u1ec7t<\/em><\/a><\/span> reported.<\/span><\/p>\n

It has also raised protection levels for three endangered species, including the pangolin. The group also convinced the government to change health insurance laws to exclude the cost of pangolin scales in 2014, wrote\u00a0Sierra Club<\/em><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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6. He trains government rangers with drones<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\"Nguy\u1ec5n
\nRangers destroying a poacher camp
\nImage credit:\u00a0<\/span>Save Vietnam’s Wildlife<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Besides rescuing pangolins, Th\u00e1i has set up an anti-poaching unit to train government rangers to protect wildlife and strengthen law enforcement. He teaches them how to identify different animals, navigate with GPS, and even use drones, according to CNN<\/em><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

These rangers comb through wide expanses of forests to weed out poacher camps. Their work has reduced illegal activities by\u00a080 per cent<\/a><\/span>, according to\u00a0Goldman Environmental Prize<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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7. He is the second Vietnamese to win the Goldman Prize<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\"Nguy\u1ec5n
\nNg\u1ee5y Th\u1ecb Khanh, the first Vietnamese winner of the prize
\n<\/span>Image credit:\u00a0<\/span>Heinrich-B\u00f6ll-Stiftung Southeast Asia<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Th\u00e1i isn\u2019t the first Vietnamese recipient of this prestigious prize. In 2018,\u00a0Ng\u1ee5y Th\u1ecb Khanh<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>received the award for her research and push for cleaner forms of energy.<\/span><\/p>\n

She is the executive director of Green Innovation and Development Centre, a non-governmental organization based in Hanoi, and has worked with government agencies to steer Vietnam away from coal power.<\/p>\n

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8. He plans to use his prize money to expand his nonprofit<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/lite-youtube>\n\t\t\t
\nVideo credit: Goldman Environmental Prize<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In his\u00a0acceptance speech<\/a><\/span>, Th\u00e1i shared that he plans to use his prize money from the award to expand the capacity of Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, so it will become one of the \u201cstrongest and biggest NGOs working in wildlife conservation\u201d. We stan this man\u2019s passion!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Facts about Nguy\u1ec5n V\u0103n Th\u00e1i<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Pangolins are highly sought after for their flesh, which some people falsely believe to be a cure-all. For years, poachers have stormed forests in Asia, snatching pangolins from their burrows and cruelly selling them on the black market.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nguy\u1ec5n V\u0103n Th\u00e1i has made it his life\u2019s mission to turn this around, working to protect the shy, harmless animals with rehabilitation, training, education and advocacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

We hope that more people will come to know of the threats facing Vietnam\u2019s wildlife, and get involved to restore balance to its forests.<\/span><\/p>\n

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