in the case of the mysterious disappearing buffaloes, several predispositional theories were floated, including one particularly interesting disclaim about an under-the-table operation meant to protect the creatures rather than harm them. it was a case that required me to take up from scratch, discarding the usual suspects and looking into the heart of the community's efforts to preserve. what i found was not malice but a deeply rooted commitment to conservation, a story that truly needed to be told.