Source : Vietnam Net Bridge, 07 Jul '06
By : Lao Dong
  

A Javan rhino in Cat Tien National Park (Photo: World Wildlife Fund).

The latest survey by Vietnamese and international scientists has verified that Cat Tien national park is home to 1,610 flora species and nearly 1,490 fauna species, including 103 rare animals such as Javan rhino, gayal, fresh-water crocodile, white-necked crane, and red-necked hill partridge.

With these natural blessings, Cat Tien has the most abundant biological diversity in Vietnam, and is a veritable natural laboratory for natural scientists.

However, these treasures are not protected properly. In early June, a report was dispatched to leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and to the Chairman of the People’s Committee of central highland’s Lam Dong Province in which the park is located, from the park’s director, Tran Van Mui. His report stated: “Serious deforestation is taking place in hamlets 3 and 4, Phuoc Cat 2 Commune, Cat Tien District, Lam Dong Province. All illegal logging is highly organized and the denuded areas are at the core of the Cat Tien national park.”

Luu Van Hao, chief of the forest protection bureau of Cat Tien park, confirmed that “In May 2006 alone, more than 26ha of bamboo and forest was destroyed in hamlet 3, Phuoc Cat 2 Commune. At village 4 of Phuoc Cat 2 Commune, local people felled forest to build a road through the area.”

Experts from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indochina expressed their concerns about the situation in Cat Tien park. “Since 1999, after the existence of Javan rhino, one of the rarest animals in the world, in Cat Tien was confirmed, Cat Tien has attracted the interest of the whole world. There are projects to preserve these rare rhinos, which are in one of the few remaining communities of this rhino in the world,” said WWF Indochina David Murphy.

Despite enactment of such projects, the latest report reveals that Cat Tien has just seven rhino left. A project states that 5,000ha of forest is reserved as habitat for the rhino in Cat Tien, but in reality these rare animals are still threatened by illegal encroachment on the land by immigrants, illegal forestry and hunters.

The destruction of habitat and illegal hunting of rhino are direct consequences of the dereliction of duty by forest protection agencies, primarily in ending poaching and moving residents out of the national park.

This lack of action and the environmental impacts on Cat Tien must be dealt with swiftly by the local government and scientific organizations to ensure not that Cat Tien can become a world natural heritage site to back greed for tourism dollar, but rather to ensure the protection of seriously endangered animal species.