An environmental activist climbed a large banyan tree in Vilimale’ on Wednesday to halt ongoing efforts to fell it.
Ahmed Niyaz, founder of the Maldives Space Research Organisation, climbed approximately 25 feet into the canopy and remained on a branch after some limbs had already been cut. Police later negotiated with him, and he descended voluntarily. He was not arrested.
The tree is one of two mature banyans earmarked for removal after a show-of-hands vote during a community meeting with President Mohamed Muizzu in November 2025. Residents have complained that the trees’ roots are damaging nearby houses. Opponents argue that technical measures could protect structures without destroying the trees.
It remains unclear which agency is carrying out the work. Police said the trimming was being conducted in line with regulations and that officers assist when trees create safety hazards.
The decision has drawn criticism from conservationists. Former President Mohamed Nasheed previously highlighted the historical significance of the trees, noting that one had stood since the time of Sultan Shamsuddeen and that political prisoners once rested beneath it when Villingili served as a jail.
President Muizzu has said that cutting trees is not government policy but that exceptions can be made when livelihoods are affected. He instructed the Environment Ministry to plant at least 300 replacement trees on the island as part of the national five-million-trees programme.
Photos from the scene showed Niyaz lying across a severed limb with a bag nearby. Eyewitnesses said he stayed aloft for a prolonged period before agreeing to come down.
