Today's biggest threat to the Ashaninka people and to Benki comes from illegal logging — the people who come into the beautiful forest and cut down ancient mahogany trees, float them down the river to world markets. Benki knew this. He could see what was happening to his forest, to his environment, because he was taken under his grandfather's wing when he was only two years old to begin to learn about the forest and the way of life of his people.
Hoy día, la mayor amenaza para el pueblo asháninca y para Benki es la tala ilegal; la gente que va al bosque hermoso y corta los antiguos árboles de caoba y, tranportándolos río abajo, los exporta al mundo. Benki lo sabía. Podía ver lo que le sucedía en el bosque, en su entorno, porque su abuelo lo adoptó cuando sólo tenía 2 años de edad para empezar a enseñarle el bosque y el modo de vida de su pueblo.