James Fairhead and Melissa Leach attempted to examine the alleged recent deforestation that occurred in Guinea, West Africa. Social scientists working in the area asserted not only that deforestation was occurring but also that it was caused by negligent land management by the locals. Upon closer inspection and collecting a large amount of empirical data, Fairhead and Leach discovered that historical vegetation data, including aerial photographs, contradicted the conclusions made by the social scientists and that the locals were actually very methodical in their land management. With this, Fairhead and Leach proposed that social narratives may not necessarily be truthful and should be cross-examined with historical data. Social narratives are built upon many smaller narratives which usually tell a story that is agreeable with current paradigms, and in the case of Guinea, the paradigm is that of the deforestation of African rainforests. The implications of this study shows the possible shortcomings of ethnoecology. By immersing oneself within a single culture’s narrative, it may prove to be limited in scope, as one’s view may become too colored by the culture’s narrative and fail to observe the bigger picture.