Date: Wednesday, 25 May 2016 Time: 4pm Venue: McDonald Room, Menzies Library, Fellows Road, Australian National University Joint Seminar with the Fenner School of Environment and Society (CMBE, ANU), sponsored by the South African High Commission. This event will be followed by a reception. After a broad overview of the changing directions in conservation science in South Africa’s national parks during the 20^th century, I will focus on a case study that combines many elements of that history and demonstrates its complexity. In the 1970s the question of controlling what were considered to be ‘’locally over abundant’’ species in protected areas sparked international deliberation among scientists and wildlife managers.  This debate continues to resonate and illuminates clearly how ideas about nature are enmeshed in societal values rather than being based on science alone.     Jane Carruthersis Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at the University of South Africa, Pretoria, and has published extensively on the history of conservation and science.