Endangered deer threatened by illegal logging in 'sanctuary'
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Rampant illegal logging inside a wildlife sanctuary in Sagaing Region is destroying the habitat of an endangered species of deer and could lead to its extinction from the area that scientists say contains the largest remaining number of the species whose
According to the Smithsonian Institution in the United States there are only about 1,500 Eld’s deer left in the wild, with the majority of them in the 279-square kilometre Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary in Sagaing’s Kanbalu Township.
Efforts to protect the area, however, have been hampered by illegal logging, residents of the area say.
“One truck with illegal logs was recently seized,” a resident of the area told Eleven Media on condition of anonymity. “We knew who owns the truck, but no action was taken against him,” he said.
Residents in the area are very angry that authorities are treating the case as though no one knows who owned the seized truck, another resident of the area said.
They said illegal logging was thriving due to a lack of policing, corruption and a feeble response to the crime. A lack of jobs in the area and poverty in villages are also fuelling illegal logging, they said.
The species, also known as the Thamin deer, is facing a double threat: loss of habitat and hunting. “The deer are disappearing because of deforestation and hunting,” said Si Si, who lives near the sanctuary.
Residents said a group was formed to protect the area last year but it has not yet started functioning.
They said international non-governmental organisations have been providing aid for the sanctuary but said the government needed to do more to protect the area, including educating people about the importance of conservation.
Some village residents said they did not even know what the difference was between legal and illegal logging.
