According to Mongabay, intensive illegal logging, driven by growing consumer demand in China, has decimated Pterocarpus erinaceus (rosewood) trees in Senegal's southern region of the Casamance, which borders the Gambia.. Despite the introduction of an export ban and increased border patrols, trafficking has worsened, with the Gambia becoming a hub for smuggling rosewood to China from the Casamance region in Senegal. It has been reported that approximately 1.6 million rosewood trees were illegally logged from the Casamance and exported from the Gambia to China between June 2012 and April 2020. The inefficacy of bans and patrols can in part be attributed to the high levels of unemployment and poverty in the region that pushes locals to participate in the illegal trade. In addition, corruption exists on both sides of the Senegal-Gambia border, further facilitating trafficking and the illegal trade._ Deforestation from this illegal trade has disrupted local ecosystems, influenced rainfall, and overall decreased agricultural productivity. This affects local communities that rely on the forest for livelihoods.