Being a follower of some key organisations and people that are working relentlessly on the protection of pangolins and other small mammals in Nepal, I am pretty stoked to share that Dr Tulshi Laxmi Suwal was awarded by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) for her work to protect pangolins and their habitat.
Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world and unfortunately, increasing population leading to growth of towns and cities as well as forest fires are putting pangolin habitat at major risk. Dr Suwal received a £40,000 award from WFN Patron, HRH The Princess Royal alongside five other winners at the Royal Geographical Society, London on 26th April.
The fund from the award will be used by Tulshi to conduct Nepal’s first impact assessment to focus on the effects of fires on the critically endangered Chinese pangolin. Her project aims to create ten sustainable Community Pangolin Conservation Groups to monitor pangolin populations and their habitats and equip them to manage fires and plant trees.
Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK charity supporting grassroots conservation leaders in the Global South. Over 30 years it has channelled £20 million to more than 200 conservationists across 80 countries.
In 2022, Sonam Tashi Lama was awarded the Whitley Award for his work with Red Panda Network to help red pandas and the communities they live in.
Incredible to see the success of Nepali wildlife experts this year and last year!
Watch the livestream of the event from the RGS below.
