Failure and disappearance of the primary forest: Angélique Razafindrazoary, the Malagasy heroine who fights against the trafficking of precious wood
In the heart of the east coast of Madagascar, on the banks of the Pangalanes Canal, lies a natural treasure in danger: the primary forest of Vohibola. Spread over 2,000 hectares, this forest is home to unique biodiversity, with exceptionally rich flora and fauna. Unfortunately, in the space of fifty years, this forest has lost most of its tree cover, victim of the voracity of wood traffickers.
A woman courageously stands up to defend this jewel of nature: Angélique Razafindrazoary. For eight years, she has been waging a fierce fight against the poachers who are devastating the Vohibola forest. In her quest to protect this fragile ecosystem, she puts her life in danger, relentlessly confronting unscrupulous traffickers.
In the heart of the Vohibola forest, Angélique and her team regularly discover the ravages caused by poachers. Freshly cleared clearings bear witness to the greed of these lawless individuals. The ground strewn with shavings of precious woods, such as nanto and mahogany, reveals the extent of the pillaging perpetrated in this remote region of Madagascar.
The trafficking of precious woods such as nanto, intsia and ebony is a well-established clandestine activity in the region. Poachers cut and saw the trees directly in the forest, before furtively transporting them at night on flat-bottomed boats through the forest canals. These rare species are then resold in Tamatave, the coastal metropolis, to be used in construction or transformed into charcoal.
To counter this incessant pillaging, Angélique founded the Razan’ny Vohibola association in 2016, in collaboration with the elders of the surrounding villages. Despite the patrols carried out by a dedicated team, including Justin, the agents regularly face death threats and attacks from traffickers. Violence and impunity reign supreme in this unequal fight to preserve the Vohibola forest.
Despite the many obstacles encountered on the ground, Angélique Razafindrazoary refuses to give up. Her commitment to environmental protection has recently earned her the position of Front Line Defenders as a representative of environmental whistleblowers. Her poignant testimony on the dangers faced by environmental defenders in Madagascar will be presented in Dublin, highlighting the daily struggle of nature’s unsung heroes.
The Vohibola forest has already lost half of its surface area in the space of fifty years. Angélique dreams of seeing it classified as a protected area by 2025, a measure that would guarantee international recognition of the value of this natural treasure and would make it possible to mobilize funds for its long-term preservation. Despite the obstacles and threats that mark her path, Angélique remains hopeful of saving what remains of the Vohibola forest, a true symbol of the fight against deforestation in Madagascar.
Through her relentless fight to preserve the Vohibola forest, Angélique Razafindrazoary embodies the hope and determination of environmental defenders around the world. Her story, marked by courage and resilience, is a call to action to save the last sanctuaries of endangered wilderness.