THE FUSE

Howard Hendricks and Sam Ferreira are undoubtedly correct in observing that elephant management is among the most demanding responsibilities confronting conservation authorities. Few people with any familiarity with African protected areas would deny that managers are frequently required to navigate extraordinarily difficult circumstances in which ecological integrity, human safety, biodiversity conservation and animal welfare do not always point towards the same outcome. Conservation, particularly in a landscape as vast and socially complex as the Kruger National Park, is rarely an exercise in certainty or simple moral choices.