Looking from satellite images, many Vietnamese forests are still covered in green. Forest cover has increased, and the area of natural forests has been better preserved than before.
But behind that green color is an alarming reality, many forests are gradually becoming "empty forests", "silent forests".
The tree is still there, but wildlife is being wiped out day by day.
More than 17,000 wire traps removed in Pu Mat National Park, more than 12,000 in Cat Tien National Park and tens of thousands of other traps in conservation areas show a "silent war" taking place in the forest.
Traps made of cables, motorbike brake cables or small steel are hung all over the paths of animals like pre-set deaths.
It is no longer simply hunting for a living. It is an act of destroying the ecosystem.
A forest is not only made up of green trees. The soul of the forest lies in the singing of birds, the footprints of animals, the existence of predators and the natural ecosystem chain.
Animals disappear, forests also lose their ability to regenerate and balance themselves. Many seed-spreading animals are gone, and forest trees lose their natural growth opportunities.
Predators are destroyed, causing the population to become unbalanced. Forests at that time are just "green shells".
What is worrying is that although the law has regulations on handling acts of hunting and trapping wild animals, reality shows that deterrence is still not strong enough.
If it were strong enough, tens of thousands of traps would not have been able to cover the forests for so many years.
Many people set traps for profit from wild animal meat, wildlife trafficking, or serving sick parties.
Some subjects consider eating wild animals as "classy", as a specialty, unintentionally contributing to a chain of crimes against nature.
As long as there are buyers, as long as there are people who enjoy wild animal meat, there will be hunters.
Therefore, it is necessary to take stronger action against the act of hunting and consuming wild animals.
Cases of hunting, setting traps on a large scale, re-offending or using homemade guns must be prosecuted for criminal liability.
In addition, it is necessary to crack down on wholesalers who purchase and consume wild animal meat and wildlife trafficking rings.
If we only trap people and let the consumption stage slip away, the forest protection battle will never end.
However, the law alone is not enough. People living near the forest need to be supported with sustainable livelihoods so as not to depend on hunting.
A civilized country cannot let forests with only trees remain without life. It is impossible for children in the future to enter the forest only to hear the sound of the wind and no longer see wild birds and animals.
