50 hectares of forest in Cat Tien National Park have been completely cleared, falling within the habitat of the rare one-horned rhinoceros, Rhinoceros sondaicus annamensis, which is only found in Vietnam, with an estimated population of only 2-5 individuals remaining. Some local households have illegally cleared forest land in hamlets 3 and 4 of Phuoc Cat II commune, Cat Tien district, Lam Dong province to create farmland.
The Lam Dong provincial government is urgently coordinating with Cat Tien National Park to address the consequences, including reorganizing the residents trapped in the core area instead of waiting for a relocation project to move people away from the rhino habitat. It is still unclear where the precious rhinos have migrated to.
N.H.T. – Đ.T.N.
