A son of a deputy director at Yok Don National Park in Dak Lak Province has illegally cut down five trees of precious species in the park.

The son has only been identified as Huy, whose father is Ho Van Cau. Huy committed the offense last month in two of the park’s forest subzones, 477 and 484, Do Trong Kim, deputy head of the Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, told Tuoi Tre Thursday. The total weight of the felled trees with scientific name Xylia xylocarpa is not yet known, Kim said. Yesterday a ministry working group led by Kim visited the two subzones to learn more about the incident and determine the damage. Kim said the group would meet with the park’s leader about the case. According to the park, 89 cases of deforestation were discovered last month, with 174 trees cut down as a result. Kim blamed the alarming situation on loose management by forest protection officers. In addition, local authorities have not done enough to prevent deforestation, nor coordinated closely with the park in forest protection. Although determined to protect forests, some communal authorities are afraid of being targeted by illegal forest exploiters for revenge, Kim said. Besides Huy, other illegal loggers are also children or relatives of officials in Krong Na commune, according to a report, the working group said.