Saola Tracks #11: A new Saola Foundation video, Saola in the news, and remembering some conservation giants
Dear Friends of Saola,
The year has barely begun, yet we already have a number of good things to share about Saola, especially regarding our efforts to bring global attention to this crucial conservation endeavor. 2022 is off to a most promising start for Saola, and your continued support this year will be so important for us.
First, we are delighted to roll out and introduce a brief video, which will serve as an introduction to the Saola Foundation and our mission. We are indebted to filmmakers Roberto Helou and Florence Ryan for their help with this project. You can watch and enjoy their ca. 3 minute result here (English subtitles will appear if you click on the “cc” once the video starts).
Earlier this month, The Guardian newspaper in the UK published a major article on Saola conservation, by Czech journalist Veronika Perková. You can read the online version here. For a deeper dive, this podcast has the extensive interview Veronika did with Saola Foundation President Bill Robichaud, as part of her research for the Guardian story.
Last week, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s award-winning radio program, “As It Happens”, interviewed Bill for about ten minutes. You can listen to their exchange here (starting at about 37:45 into the program).
Remembering some conservation giants
In the midst of all the good news for Saola and the Saola Foundation in recent weeks, we also join in mourning the recent losses in quick succession of three pivotal and inspiring figures in nature conservation, E.O. Wilson, Richard Leakey and Thomas Lovejoy. Our Saola Foundation Board Chair, Steve Burns, offers some insightful and heartfelt reflections on their legacies and impact, here.
And in 2021, we lost one of the Saola Foundation’s dear friends and founding donors, Dr. Lee Talbot, who passed away at age 90. Lee also had an extraordinary career, including stints as Director General of IUCN, advisor on environment to three US Presidents, and racing car driver (he continued to race cars – and win! – into his mid-80s!).
He was a principal architect and co-author of the US Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the World Heritage Convention. Lee was also at home in the field. Remarkably, he was undoubtedly one of the few, and perhaps last, humans to have seen all five species of rhino in the wild, as well as the now-extinct Kouprey.
Later in his career, Lee fought for more than 20 years for protection of the Saola’s home of the Annamite Mountains, in his role as a conservation advisor to the Lao government on management of Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area and mitigating the environmental impacts of the Nam Theun 2 hydropower project. Lee leaves an extraordinary legacy, and is sorely missed.
In our next e-newsletter, we will share some encouraging project updates from the field, and announce our next live webinar. Watch this page…