Boonsong Lekagul
Encyclopedia
Dr Boonsong Lekagul was a Thai
medical doctor, biologist
, ornithologist
and conservationist
.
He was born at Songkhla
in southern Thailand and received a medical degree from Chulalongkorn University
in Bangkok
in 1933. In 1935 he established Thailand’s first polyclinic
in Bangkok. At first a keen hunter
, he became a strong conservationist as he saw Thailand’s forests and wildlife becoming fragmented and destroyed. In 1952 he founded the Association for the Conservation of Wildlife. In the mid-1950s, he and the ACW lobbied for a bird sanctuary on the banks of the Chao Phraya River
to protect the only known nesting site in Thailand of the Open-bill Stork. In 1962 he founded the Bangkok Bird Club (the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand since 1993) and worked actively with the International Council for Bird Preservation and the World Wildlife Fund.
and subspecies
named after Boonsong Lekagul in honour of his work as naturalist
and conservationist
:
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
medical doctor, biologist
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
and conservationist
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
.
He was born at Songkhla
Songkhla
Songkhla is a city in the Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. As of 2006 it had a population of 75,048...
in southern Thailand and received a medical degree from Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
in 1933. In 1935 he established Thailand’s first polyclinic
Polyclinic
Polyclinics in England are intended to offer a far greater range of services than can be offered by current general practitioner practices and local health centres. In addition to traditional GP services they would offer extended urgent care, healthy living services, community mental health...
in Bangkok. At first a keen hunter
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, he became a strong conservationist as he saw Thailand’s forests and wildlife becoming fragmented and destroyed. In 1952 he founded the Association for the Conservation of Wildlife. In the mid-1950s, he and the ACW lobbied for a bird sanctuary on the banks of the Chao Phraya River
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It runs through Bangkok, the capital city, and then empties into the Gulf of Thailand.-Etymology:...
to protect the only known nesting site in Thailand of the Open-bill Stork. In 1962 he founded the Bangkok Bird Club (the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand since 1993) and worked actively with the International Council for Bird Preservation and the World Wildlife Fund.
Eponymous species
Several speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
and subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
named after Boonsong Lekagul in honour of his work as naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
and conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
:
- Boonsong’s Roundleaf Bat, Hipposideros lekaguli Thonglongya & Hill, 1974
- Boonsong’s Variable Squirrel, Callosciurus finlaysoni boonsongi Moore and Tate, 1965
- Hill Blue Flycatcher, Cyornis banyumas lekhakuni
- Grey-eyed BulbulGrey-eyed BulbulThe Grey-eyed Bulbul is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family.It is found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Iole propinqua lekhakuni - Boonsong’s Keelback, Opisthotropis boonsongi Taylor & Elbel, 1958; snakeSnakeSnakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
in the Colubridae family endemic to ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. - Lekagul’s Horned Frog, XenophrysXenophrysXenophrys is a genus of amphibian in the Megophryidae family.It contains the following species:* Perak Horned Toad Xenophrys aceras* Aural Horned Toad Xenophrys auralensis* Kinabalu Horned Toad Xenophrys baluensis...
(MegophrysMegophrysMegophrys is a genus of frogs in the family Megophryidae. They commonly have elongated upper "eyebrows" and are thus known as Asian horned frogs...
) lekaguliMegophrys lekaguliMegophrys lekaguli is a species of frog belonging to the family Megophryidae. It is only known from fast-flowing, rocky streams and their vicinity in Chanthaburi and Sa Kaeo Provinces in Eastern Thailand...
(Stuart, Chuaynkern, Chan-ard & Inger, 2006), megophryidMegophryidaeMegophryidae are a large family of frogs native to the warm southeast of Asia, from the Himalaya foothills eastwards, south to Indonesia and the Greater Sunda Islands in Maritime Southeast Asia, and extending to the Philippines. As of mid-2008 it encompasses approximately 70-100 species of frog...
frogFrogFrogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
from Eastern ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
Awards
- Honorary member of the World Wide Fund for NatureWorld Wide Fund for NatureThe World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
, 1971 - Commander (Third Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White ElephantOrder of the White ElephantThe Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant is the most awarded order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Siam.The Order consists of eight classes:...
, 1974 - Corresponding FellowFellowA fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the American Ornithologists Union, 1974 - Honorary doctorate in Forestry, Kasetsart UniversityKasetsart UniversityKasetsart University is a public university in Thailand and a top-ranked Public University in Thailand. It is ranked No.401-500 in the world by QS. It was also the first agricultural university and the third oldest university in Thailand...
, 1976 - Honorary member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, 1978
- J. Paul GettyJ. Paul GettyJean Paul Getty was an American industrialist. He founded the Getty Oil Company, and in 1957 Fortune magazine named him the richest living American, whilst the 1966 Guinness Book of Records named him as the world's richest private citizen, worth an estimated $1,200 million. At his death, he was...
Wildlife Conservation Prize from the World Wildlife Fund US, 1979 - Honorary doctorate in sciences, Chulalongkorn University, 1979
- Order of the Golden ArkOrder of the Golden ArkThe Most Excellent Order of the Golden Ark was established by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands in 1971 as an order of merit. Although not awarded by, it is recognized by the government of the Netherlands as a legal order. It is awarded to people for major contributions to nature conservation...
from Prince Bernard of the Netherlands, 1980 - Knight Commander (Second Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand, 1985
Publications
Books authored or coauthored by him include:- Boonsong Lekagul. (1968). Bird Guide of Thailand. (Illustrated by the author).
- Boonsong Lekagul; & Cronin, Paul. (1974). Bird Guide of Thailand. (2nd edition). (Illustrated by the senior author). Association for the Conservation of Wildlife: Bangkok.
- Boonsong Lekagul; Askins, Karen; Jarujinta Nabhitabhata; & Aroon Samruadit. (1977). Fieldguide to the Butterflies of Thailand. Association for the Conservation of Wildlife: Bangkok.
- Boonsong Lekagul; & McNeely, Jeffrey A. (1977). Mammals of Thailand.
- Boonsong Lekagul; & Round, Philip D. (1991). A Guide to the Birds of Thailand. (Illustrated by Mongkol Wongkalasin and Kamol Komolphalin). Saha Karn Bhaet Co: Thailand. ISBN 974-85673-6-2