Ongediertes around the Square Kilometre Array core site: The role of social capital and collective action in black-backed jackal management

The erection of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope has drawn national and international attention to South Africa’s semi-arid Karoo region as it promises to identify and understand some of the fundamental laws... [ view full abstract ]

The erection of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope has drawn national and international attention to South Africa’s semi-arid Karoo region as it promises to identify and understand some of the fundamental laws and structures of the universe. To ensure the ultimate functionality of the instruments, additional properties are being purchased around the core site to act as a buffer zone. As the purchased land will be withdrawn from agricultural production and placed under conservation management, farmers on neighbouring privately-owned land have grown increasingly concerned since the expectation is that such a buffer zone will become a safe haven for numerous fauna, especially mesocarnivores, such as black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas). By conducting semi-structured interviews and making use of participant observation, my research aims to unravel the political forces at work in human–black-backed jackal conflict on the boundary of the SKA core site. This paper addresses how human–black-backed jackal conflict and the management of black-backed jackals on the boundary of the SKA core site influences, and is influenced by, the degree of social capital in circula. Ostrom (2009) and Ostrom and Ahn’s (2003) work on social capital is specifically relevant as they point to the importance of collective action which is central to successful wildlife and, in this instance, predator management in agricultural communities. Social capital provides a comprehensive view of human–black-backed jackal conflict, the management of black-backed jackals, and the associated social and political relationships as it contributes to a greater understanding of how various dimensions and levels of social relationships are related. The aim is to contribute to a sustainable relationship between humans and black-backed jackals, and to improved black-backed jackal management in and around the SKA core site.