South Africa has unveiled a new national elephant management strategy emphasizing the animals’ cultural and heritage value, alongside coexistence with local communities. While lauded for acknowledging these aspects, conservationists express concern that the strategy’s emphasis on “adaptive management” and “flexibility” may weaken existing protections for elephants. The plan’s vagueness regarding specific conservation measures raises questions about its effectiveness in safeguarding the species’ future. Critics fear the flexible approach could allow for increased culling or less stringent protection in certain areas. The strategy aims to balance conservation with socio-economic needs, but details on how this will be achieved remain unclear. Ultimately, the success of the plan hinges on concrete implementation and a commitment to robust elephant protection measures.