It is rare to spot an environmentalist smiling, but nearly 3,000 are now in party mood in Durban, South Africa. Delegates to the fifth World Parks Congress, which is discussing the best way to run the world's nature reserves, are being cheered by ten days in posh hotels overlooking the Indian Ocean. They are spending part of the time on "field trips" to luxury tourist sites. Meeting celebrities has helped, too. Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Queen Noor of Jordan have come and said warm, supportive things. More seriously, a lot of the smiles are because conservationists think they have scored an important victory.
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