Mara, a threatened mahogany tree species found in Western South America, is increasingly logged illegally in Madidi National Park and Amboro National Park.
According to this Mongabay article, “after mara and other trees are cut down, coca crops – from which cocaine is made – are often planted illegally in the new clearings.“
Unfortunately, park authorities say they are “powerless to stop the onslaught.”
“The protection of Madidi National Park’s 1.8 million ha (4.4 million acres) is tasked to just 26 rangers. Two of these rangers were assigned to the San Fermin protection camp before Uzquiano removed them due to safety concerns. Because of the hostility of the local population, Uzquiano says that at least four rangers are necessary to properly monitor the area and coordinate enforcement with the military. He added that other improvements are also sorely needed. “The camps that we have are falling apart,” he said. “It is necessary to improve the infrastructure, the communication, and to improve our coordination so that the park rangers feel supported.”