Two software tools decision making in wildlife management were developed as part of the Transboundary Mammal Project, a joint initiative between the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Namibia (MET) and the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF). This project aimed to improve the management of selected rare and high value species in Namibia by building a knowledge base for better informed decision making. The knowledge base was required to encapsulate current knowledge and experience of conservation experts and specialists. To provide an electronic representation of this knowledge base a hypermedia Information System for Rare Species Management (known as IRAS) was designed and implemented. The research therefore explores the disciplinary interstices of information technology, conservation and ethics, against the cultural background of a post-colonial society in which the deficits of the past constrain the impact and the efficacy of technological interventions.