The pangolin is the most trafficked animal on Earth. It is said that over a million pangolins were trafficked in the past ten years, and this is only a modest estimate.
Similar in appearance to armadillos, pangolins are the world’s most heavily poached and trafficked mammal—and three out of four Asian pangolin species are critically endangered.
Because their scales are believed to cure everything from asthma to cancer, pangolins are heavily used in Chinese and Vietnamese traditional medicine. While pangolin scales are a perfect defense against predators, when stressed or threatened, pangolins curl up into a ball, making them an easy target for poachers.
Thai Van Nguyen knew of the pangolin situation in his country, and he decided to help these vulnerable animals in any way he could. And so in 2014, Nguyen established Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, and from that year to 2020, the organization has rescued over 1,500 pangolins from the illegal wildlife trade.
Nguyen also established Vietnam’s first anti-poaching unit, which, since 2018, has destroyed 9,701 animal traps, dismantled 775 illegal camps, confiscated 78 guns, and arrested 558 people for poaching—leading to a significant decline in illegal activities in Pu Mat National Park.
This year, Nguyen received the Goldman Environmental Prize award, an award given to environmental activists.
He truly is deserving of the award.
Learn more about Nguyen’s life over at Good News Network.
(Image Credit: Save Vietnam’s Wildlife/ Good News Network)
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duno if you know they added a pagolin hero to dota 2 awhile back
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