Elephant management dilemma refers to the ethical problem of how the humans should act on the overpopulation of the elephants in the wildlife reserves. It is an ethical dilemma proposed by Ian Whyte in which the intervention of the humans is also in questioned. Elephant population is growing due to the management and regulation of the wildlife reserves. However, the growth of the elephant population also increase the dangers for other organisms in the reserves such as the destruction of their habitat especially the woodlands (Wray, 2004).
According to Ian Whyte, managing a reserve for biodiversity and managing for elephants are two approaches that are mutually exclusive. Whyte believes that the regulation of the elephant wildlife is not influenced or caused by the management of a reserve for biodiversity (Whyte, 2001). These two approaches could also occur at the same time since the management has to pick a side since overpopulation could destroy the biodiversity. The two approaches are mutually exclusive due to three reasons. First, elephant could be considered to be a special organism. The behaviors of elephant are complex due to its large brain which is an advantage for them against other organisms living in the wildlife reserves. Even if the approach is for the balance of biodiversity, elephant overpopulation should also be considered as a special case.
Another reason is that even if the priority of the management is the maintenance of the biodiversity, there should be a method implemented to reduce the population of the elephants. This is because the overpopulation of the elephants could affect the biodiversity (Whyte, 2001). Since the two approaches could not affect each other, then their method in reducing the population of the elephants are also mutually exclusive. Lastly, the choice has to be made for the elephant management dilemma whether any approach is selected. The moral problem of the concept is balancing the sacrifice for the life of a small number of elephants to the possible life of a large number of other species. Any of the approaches could be used since they both have sacrifices to be made.
References:
Whyte, I. (2001). Headaches and heartaches - the elephant management dilemma. New York: Oxford University Press. Environmental Ethics: Introductory readings. 293-305.
Wray, M. (2004). Overpopulation of elephants: A mighty dilemma. Retrieved from http://www.scienceinafrica.com/old/index.php?q=2004/september/elephant.htm.
