Apr 21 2024 5 mins
The shihuahuaco tree is one of the giants of the Amazon rainforest, reaching heights of up to 60 metres. But it is coveted for its hardwood, one of the most precious and sought-after types of wood in the world. Peru exports it to China, but also to Europe and in particular France, which is one of the main buyers of this tropical timber used for parquet flooring in homes and on terraces. Some 500,000 tonnes have been exported from Peru in the last 10 years. Scientists are now warning that the shihuahuaco tree faces extinction. They estimate that the trees could disappear from certain regions of the Amazon within a few years. Our correspondents report.