This book examines the concepts of 'rarity' and 'nativity' respectively, in order to determine their proper place in the conservation rationale. It addresses the potential tension between the call for wildness and the intensive management characteristic of wildlife rehabilitation practice.

Contents: Part I: Exploring Conservation's Basic Assumptions: Extinction; Rarity; Nativity. Part II: The Conservationist's Role Redefined: Humans and nature: is conservation meaningful?; How is nature to be safeguarded? Conservationist, custodian of wildness. Part III: A New Emphasis in Conservation: The problem with species: reviewing units of importance; Wildlife rehabilitation as conservation strategy?; Conservation and individual worth; compatibility: problems and answers. Part IV: The Upshot; Implications for Action: Managing wildness?; The new conservation; Bibliography; Index.