“There are good reasons why Africans don’t view their fauna with the same sentimentality that Europeans do”. After reviewing the “respect tinged with fear” that characterizes the attitude of Africans toward the wildlife whose destructive incursions they have to live, the essayist draws a parallel with the the way Europeans once regarded the wolf and the bear. The difference is that Africa’s big beasts have not been exterminated by their human co-inhabitants.

“In whatever form it takes – the slaughter of the ‘big five’ by white hunters in the colonial era, or the demand for ivory and rhino horn which continues to drive poaching today – the biggest danger to Africa’s animals has always come from outside the continent. And while in Hollywood’s imagination, it is usually westerners like Joy Adamson or Dian Fossey who are thought to be at the forefront of the conservation struggle, there are many Africans who take a leading role in preserving their wildlife.” —Guardian.UK