Perhaps some of you have recently heard about the dilemma facing elephant management in South Africa, particularly the burgeoning population in Kruger National Park, and the proposal to reinstate elephant culling as a measure to control populations. If you are interested in this debate, and want to learn more, I wanted to let you know that we recently completed a 'Scientific Assessment of South African Elephant Management' which was submitted to the Minister of Environmental Affairs & Tourism in December 2007.

My name is Njisuh Zebedee Feka from Cameroon. With over 240 ethnic groups, this country is generally referred to as Africa in miniature because of its diversity of ecosystems people and varied climate. Starting with stunning hot deserts and savannas in the north, the eco-zones change gradually to tropical humid forests to the south, with a fair extent of degraded low-lying mangrove forests. The landscapes on which these ecosystems flourish are also diverse –hills, mountains chains, plateaus, extensive low lands to the majestic volcanic Cameroon Mountain.

After graduating with an honours degree in botany and ecology from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, I was looking for a chance to improve my understanding of the environmental field outside of South Africa. MESPOM has been a great opportunity to meet other people from all over the world and gain new perspectives on what the environmental field is really all about.