Dr. Trang Nguyễn — a wildlife conservation scientist with a PhD from Cambridge and the founder of WildAct — needs little introduction. She has been recognized as one of Forbes Asia’s 30 under 30, called a conservation “hero” by Sir David Attenborough on BBC’s Planet Earth III, and had her inspiring story, which includes going undercover to bring down illegal ivory poaching rings in Africa after surviving cancer, covered widely. But much of her work has been behind the scenes or at least in corners devoted to conservations. Her recent arrival on the social media scene, amongst memes, music videos, and TikTok challenges, represents a shift in approach.
The relationship between bees and elephants; an introduction to gibbons and pangolins; why migratory birds are at risk in Vietnam; what a forest patrol team member does on duty; the many ecosystems in a single Vietnamese national park; the daily tasks required to run WildAct; how a pair of conservationists juggle work and marriage; the horrors of shopping mall petting zoos and the impact chocolate can have on biodiversity: these are amongst the many topics populating Trang’s Instagram page. While viewers may end up binging a few dozen, the format and intent are clear after viewing just a few. Narrated by Trang, the upbeat, digestible videos introduce subjects related to Vietnam’s wildlife, conservation challenges, what WildAct does and why, Trang’s personal story and experiences, and some helpful advice for how viewers can act more responsibly.
“In the beginning, I was actually against doing Instagram videos,” Trang says of the steady stream content that began appearing on her personal page several months ago. Noting in an email with Saigoneer that she doesn’t consider herself a media person and does not enjoy making the videos, she explained that it’s all for the greater good. The videos, her team convinced her, “could become a powerful way to bring conservation stories from Vietnam to the public, especially stories that people rarely hear — about rangers, local communities, wildlife trade, or difficult social issues connected to conservation.”
“Different people connect through different mediums. Some people are touched by books, some by films, some by documentaries, some by social media… At the end of the day, I think storytelling is one of the most important parts of conservation. Because people only protect what they care about,” she explained. While it took some convincing from Hoàng Nguyễn, WildAct’s communications and fundraising advisor, Trang eventually acquiesced to lending her image, voice and fame to share stories that endeavor to inspire people into caring.
The aims of the videos are straightforward. First and foremost, Trang wants to make knowledge accessible as part of holistic efforts to foster the love and respect for the natural world required for conservation. Hopefully, the videos will also result in donations that support WildAct’s many efforts which include patrolling forests, research that leads to evidence-based conservation, local and ethnic minority empowerment, women leadership training and empowerment, and broad education initiatives.
Hoàng, the leading charge behind the project, explained the decision to make the videos and the process for recording. He recognized that personal channels are more effective in reaching audiences and decided they should be in English, as opposed to the bilingual posts on WildAct’s Facebook, to reach a wide audience that includes educated Vietnamese. He set an ambitious goal of at least 15 new videos per month, but the WildAct team’s expertise and wealth of material developed for other platforms make this more achievable than it might sound. They write the scripts based on what they’ve published elsewhere or what Trang and the team have discussed in regular meetings. Trang always approves the scripts before shooting, which can take a bit of convincing when they involve her personal life.
While videos touching on Trang’s private affairs, such as one introducing her husband, a conservationist who works with sunbears, attract huge audiences, it is another, more difficult topic that Trang is most proud of. “One of the strongest reactions I received was after we released a video on gender-based violence in the wildlife conservation sector. A lot of people reached out to me privately — through Instagram, emails — sharing their own personal experiences, thanking me for speaking out, and asking me not to stop talking about these issues,” Trang said.
“At the same time, when the video spread more widely in Vietnamese media, there was also a huge amount of backlash and trolling. People reacted very aggressively. But what stayed with me most were the quieter messages from Vietnamese women and conservationists saying: I cannot speak publicly because I’m afraid of the reaction, but I experienced this too. And many told me: ‘Please don’t become silent.’”
Trang’s determination to remain loud not only puts her at risk of public criticism but also leaves her with less time to do what she is truly passionate about. “My perfect working day would honestly be going back 15 years ago — spending months in the forest, following wild animals and observing their behaviour. That was the reason I first fell in love with conservation. It is where my passion is, where my expertise is, and honestly, where I feel happiest. But as you become a manager, a director, or a founder, you slowly lose that privilege. Your days become meetings, fundraising, donor calls, budgets, paperwork, management… and a lot of things you may not even enjoy,” she summarized.
While Trang is upbeat and the team diligent, conservation is hardly a realm of unbridled optimism. Challenges abound. As the nation prioritizes economic growth and societies around the world gravitate to transitory joys that replace human thought with vapid impulses, nature suffers. Hoàng noted that he has the most hope for younger generations who are more open to discussions of sustainability and viewing wildlife as having intrinsic value beyond its use by humans. Once they are in positions of power, they can implement the institutional stewardship necessary to make meaningful change that isn’t beholden to bottom-line economics.
In the meantime, WildAct does what it can while recognizing that energy and attention are expensive, and not all issues are equally surmountable. The rise of shopping mall petting zoos, a key WildAct focus, illustrates how and why they select certain topics. “As a wildlife conservationist, I want to say this clearly: this is a horrible idea, for both animals and children,” Trang says of them in a recent video. The terrors of these set-ups are easy to explain and, when supported by heartbreaking imagery, allow the problem to resonate emotionally. Meanwhile, solutions are accessible and achievable: simply choose not to visit and instead support activities that involve animals in their natural habitats so children can learn about actual behaviors and develop an understanding that animals are not sources of amusement for people, but sensitive living creatures of intrinsic value.
WildAct’s work regarding shopping mall petting zoos can have a significant impact on public perspective and thus impart important change. But small victories such as turning people off these zoos, are not enough. In societies where it's acceptable to lust after US$9,000 a night hotel resorts while organizations struggle to raise the monthly US$300 salary for park rangers who patrol forests protecting endangered species, it’s easy to lose hope.
Trang understood, as she shared with Saigoneer: “I think nowadays it is very easy to feel overwhelmed, disappointed, or even hopeless about the state of the planet. But I think hope is very important. And in order to have hope, you need to act. The good thing is that conservation does not only happen in forests or laboratories. Small daily actions still matter — reducing single-use plastic, consuming less, supporting ethical businesses, changing diets, speaking up for nature, or simply paying more attention to where products come from. Real change happens when people act out of love, empathy, and hope.”
This idea of change occurring from love and hope brings us back to Trang’s realization that “people only protect what they care about.” If we want to save our precious plants, animals, and ecosystems, we must help others know and thus care about them. Share Trang’s social media videos and Saigoneer’s Natural Selection pieces with friends, family and co-workers so they can hopefully develop a deeper respect and appreciation for our wondrous natural world. Maybe you will hear Trang’s voice the next time you are thinking of buying new clothing rather than refashioning something you already own. Maybe you will opt to dine in a restaurant instead of ordering delivery. Perhaps you will hear the haunting cry of a gibbon the next time you are planning a trip and, instead of a luxury room, you settle for something more humble and donate the difference to the operations tirelessly working to ensure we still have a world worth admiring.
Photos courtesy of WildAct.
