In South Africa's Pilanesberg National Park, the longtime government practice of culling -- killing adult elephants to control herd sizes -- tore apart the complex social fabric of elephant culture, a fabric that is not unlike that of the traditionally close-knit African village. As a result, orphaned elephants grew up exhibiting unusually violent behavior, such as attacking and goring rhinos. But elder elephants were recently introduced into the Pilanesberg population to re-socialize the young and the experiment is working. That example offers a resonant reflection of the healing taking place for the human children being "re-parented" by Marion Cloete at Boikarabelo.
