Hanoi (VNA) - Dr Vo Quy, one of the leading naturalists, zoologists andornithologists of Vietnam died this week aged 88.

DrQuy, known as the father of conservation in Vietnam, was from the centralprovince of Ha Tinh and worked as lecturer at a number of universities,including the University of Hanoi (former name of Hanoi National University)and Hanoi Agriculture University. He also lectured at Wiscosin University inthe US and Oxford University in the UK.

Hewas the founder and active member of many Vietnamese organisations related tonature and environment conservation, including the Vietnam Association ofBiologists, Vietnam Association of Protection of Natural Resources andEnvironment, Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange, and Education forNature.

Hewas also a member of the Commission of National Park and Protected Areas, theWorld Commission of Protected Area, and the Species Survival Commission of theWorld Conservation Union.

Beingkeen on nature since he was small, Quy pursued an ornithology major when hestarted studying at the Biology Faculty of the University of Hanoi in 1956.

Quydiscovered a new species of pheasant (Lophura hatinhensis) in Ke Go area, Ky Anhdistrict of Ha Tinh province when he was in his 30s. Quy then conductedresearch to prove that a bird, which was called ga lung (lung chicken) bylocals, was a new type of pheasant. It wasn’t until 20 years later that theInternational Committee for Bird Preservation approved his research and namedthe newly found species "Vo Quy pheasant" in 1975.

Quy,along with his colleagues and students filed for recognition of more than 1,000species and sub-species of birds in Vietnam. He also published a total of 14books, including The Birds of Vietnam, the first zoological book written by aVietnamese scientist with a description of nearly 800 species. He was also thetranslator of three environmental books. In addition, Quy published more than100 papers and studies on ornithology, biodiversity, sustainable development,long-term effect of herbicides on environment and living resources.

Forhis great contributions to education and research, Quy was awarded 12 medalsand orders by the Government.

Healso received a number of honours and awards, including the WWF Gold Medal in1988, the Global-500 Award from UNEP in 1992, the highest award of IUCN, theJohn Phillips Medal in 1994, the Bruno-Shubert Award, I Category of Germany in1994, the PEW Scholars Award of the University of Michigan, the Blue PlanetPrize of Japan in 2003, the Certification of Appreciation of the WorldAssociation of Representatives for Descendants, in 2004. In 2008, he wasselected as one of the Heroes of the Environment by Time Magazine.

Quydonated 150,000 USD worth of prize money to natural resource protectionresearch at Ha Tinh, and the Blue Planet Prize worth more than 350,000 USD forenvironmental officer training.

DrQuy’s death is “a big loss for Vietnam’s conservation field, as well as for thenational and international researcher community,” said PanNature, anorganisation dedicated to protecting and conserving diversity of life andimproving human well-being in Vietnam, for which Quy was a consultant and supportersince its establishment.-VNA