Widespread rainforest destruction as Madagascar mafias poach hardwood and terrorize authorities
Armed bands are decimating rainforest reserves in northeastern Madagascar, killing lemurs and intimidating conservation workers, despite widespread condemnation by international environmental groups.
Several local sources report large-scale logging of valuable hardwoods in Mananara-Nord Biosphere Reserve, Masoala National Park, and Makira. “The terrestrial part of Mananara biosphere has been devastated,” a Malagasy source told mongabay.com. “[Villagers] have been threatened with beheading if they continue to embarrass the bolabolists [illegal timber-cutters]. The message came from the timber barons of Antalaha. Several hundreds of cutters are now in the Biosphere of Mananara carrying official forms with all necessary signatures.” The timber mafia is also threatening and intimidating park authorities. According to National Radio Maroantsetra a park ranger from ANGAP, Madagascar’s protected areas agency, had both of his feet broken representatives of timber barons in the town of Mananara. …
