Nature lovers give critters a social media presence

MALAYSIANSKINI | Film director and wildlife researcher Leong Shen Nyan, 38, does not recall the exact moment that made her want to become a conservationist.

“I think it’s an accumulated experience from my travels when I was young,” she told Malaysiakini before going on to describe how her father would bring the family on trips to various islands on the South China Sea for snorkelling, as those were the nearest travelling options.

“I have fond memories of those trips and the image of colourful fishes and coral reefs still stays in my mind,” she recalled.

When Leong was 17, she stayed in New Zealand in a home that was surrounded by nature.

She described her host as an outgoing and nature-loving person.

“Seeing how New Zealanders live harmoniously with nature with mutual respect shaped some of my perspectives on nature. I guess these experiences all added up to gradually cultivating a love for nature in me and when there came an opportunity to further my study in environmental science, I immediately took it.

“My lecturer also played an important role in painting the wilderness in a positive light for me and I started discovering various Malaysian jungles after that,” explained Leong.

Right place, right time

She said her journey of becoming a conservationist had a lot to do with being in the right place at the right time...