The entangled relations of humans and Nile crocodiles in Africa, c.1840-1992

The nature of European explorers’ and hunters’ perceptions of the wildlife they encountered during their travels, and how this shaped their responses to it, has been surprisingly little studied. This may in part be because of the wealth of primary material and the dearth of secondary sources. Animal studies has come of age in recent decades, with a focus on how humans have conceptualised and related to animals, but much of this new field concerns domesticated or captive animals and has tended towards philosophical, political and theoretical approaches. Yet there is much to be gained from a historical exploration of the abundant sources on Europeans’ encounter with wildlife, notably during the height of colonial exploration and adventuring in Africa. This review focuses on the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) in Africa. Crocodiles had a major impact on European travellers, elicited extreme reactions and reveal an irrational difference in attitudes to large mammalian predators, as opposed to reptilian. The oft-repeated statement that Nile crocodiles kill more humans and are more hated than any other predator (or even, all other predators) in Africa is still current. The expansion of human settlement and activities into the habitats of crocodiles and increasing demands on water supplies is resulting in escalating conflicts and some experts regard crocodiles as a ‘growing threat to rural livelihoods and development’. If these important apex predators of the continent’s waterways are to be conserved, then a good place to start seems to be with an exploration of the long history of interactions with them that have shaped expert and public perceptions of crocodile

Alejo Carpentier, Gabriel García Márquez, Salman Rushdie : three moments in the problematics of magic realism

Chapter One begins by outlining the space magic occupies in Western culture, clarifying what I mean by the term "magic". I examine aspects of indigenous American sacred traditions which have influenced and which prefigure magic realism. I review the development of the aesthetic in its Latin American context, touching on the Chronicles, the role of nationalism and erotic rhetoric, the influence of European modernism and the role of the intellectual in Latin American society. Chapter Two examines the development of a realist aesthetic in Europe since the Enlightenment. This review of its manifestations and counter-traditions in European culture is founded upon a discussion of aspects of the philosophy of Kant. I focus on the influence of Surrealism which is particularly illuminating of Latin American magic realism. The impacts of anthropology and psychoanalysis on Latin American writers are also reviewed. Chapter Two includes a review of formulations of magic realism influential in the field of English studies and concludes with a working definition which is used as a basis for the discussions of the three novels analysed in this study. Chapter Three is a study of the development of Alejo Carpentier's version of magic realism culminating in the writing of The Kingdom of this World in 1949. Through using both European and indigenous American techniques and perspectives he hoped to create a literature which could represent the complex realities of Latin American life and establish a mythology for the founding of a unified Latin American identity

Introduction to special issue: Coexistence with Reptiles

This general introduction focuses on two major topics. First, the nature of reptiles and the poor (but improving) state of the study of reptiles and perceptions of their cognitive and social capabilities. Second, on what we mean by coexistence with wildlife, and how studying coexistence might improve our civility to other kinds of creatures in the future. I guest edited this special issue on coexistence with reptiles, commissioning articles on coexistence with crocodiles in East Timor (Sebastian Brackhane), Solomon Islands (Jan van der Ploeg), Philippines (Merlijn van Weerd, Myrna Cureg, Marites Balbas and Jan van der Ploeg) and urban Vadodara in Gujarat, India (Raju Vyas), and cobras in India (Janaki Lenin) and Komodo Dragons on Komodo (Maria Rosdalima Panggur, Ayu Wijayanti and Ardiantiono)

National Park Science: a Century of Research in South Africa

In this 512-page monograph, Professor Carruthers sets out to explain in scientific and political contexts the changing philosophies and shifts in focus of the research agendas shaping scientific research in South Africa’s national parks. The focus is thus not on all conservation or conservation science in South Africa, although her discussions of the histories of the country’s 19 national parks include many references to other parks and institutions. Within this framework of national parks, the dominance of the Kruger National Park in the history of national parks science and administration in the country means it occupies a significant amount of the discussion, though the other parks are each considered

Coexistence for whom?

This perspective essay considers ethical and conceptual questions around who coexistence is for, who it affects, and who is to make it happen. It first considers some approaches to thinking about human-wildlife coexistence, debates on the utility of the concept and reasons for its current emergence into the mainstream. It next outlines the preliminary conception of the concept underlying this essay. The discussion considers challenges for a narrow conservation-oriented framing of human-wildlife coexistence, and offers insights from the literatures on stewardship and relational values for thinking about these

Fire, smoke, and expertise in South Africa’s grasslands

Fire as a management practice in South Africa’s grasslands inflamed heated debate throughout the twentieth century. Imported ecological ideas meshed with home-grown sectoral land management traditions to reinforce a powerful anti-burning narrative among experts. Farmers, however, developed their own theories on burning, and the history of fire research, policy, and management reveals a series of entanglements between ecological theory, management policies and recommendations, and practice, which complicate narratives grounded in historiographical traditions focussed on critiquing settler and colonial expertise. This paper recommends three distinctions to make when thinking about the history of scientific expertise: first, between an individual’s abstract theorizing and their “thinking in the field;” second, between the influence of accepted scientific findings, and the thinking guiding official policies of land management sectors; and third, between official policies and actual land management practices. This paper provides overviews of long-term fire use in the country’s grasslands, the ecology of grasslands and fire in South Africa, of early debates over fire, and scientific fire research and management in the country. It assesses the contributions of key actors to developing knowledge and policy on the ecological effects of fire in grasslands, using their trajectories as a means of reconsidering scientific expertise in light of recent developments in South African historiography in particular, and in the “new imperial history” more generally. The paper provides a more nuanced view of the development of fire research, policy and management practice in South Africa’s grasslands over the course of the twentieth century

The challenge of compassion in predator conservation

This paper argues that compassion for wild animals and the humans living alongside them should be integral to wildlife conservation. Nowhere is this more apparent than in predator conservation, and case studies are used to explore the consequences of wild animal attacks for human victims. Some arguments for extending compassionate consideration to animals seen as individuals are considered, along with the challenges these pose for predator conservation. A way forward from this apparent impasse is suggested, drawing on the capacity approach to embrace human with animal actors. The paper concludes with implications for predator conservation and recommendations, including incident responses sensitive to the traumatic impacts of attacks, and more collaborative approaches to handling human-wildlife interactions taking account of the capacities of local humans and wildlife

Using predator attack data to save lives, human and crocodilian

As human populations grow and transform undeveloped terrestrial and aquatic habitats, human–wildlife conflict inevitably increases. This is particularly problematic for large predators and the humans who live alongside them. Relatively little research has been conducted on alleviating adverse human encounters with one of the most significant predator species in Africa, the Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus. This short communication raises questions about some of the general statements made to explain the incidence of attacks by crocodiles. Some of the limitations of the data on such attacks are considered, with recommendations on what kinds of data are required. Data collection and analysis, and how they can inform more effective mitigation efforts, are discussed

Synthesizing Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus attack data and historical context to inform mitigation efforts in South Africa and eSwatini (Swaziland)

While damage-causing animals are a major challenge for conservation across Africa, and Nile crocodiles are allegedly responsible for more attacks on humans than any other species, data is lacking. This paper analyses 67 years of reported Nile crocodile attacks on humans in South Africa and eSwatini (1949-2016), identifying patterns in attack incidence in space and time, as well as victim demographics. Our literature review and archival searches identified records of 214 attacks. Most attacks occurred in natural water bodies, with attacks in dams increasing since 2000. Hotspots for attacks are identified. Most victims were attacked while swimming or bathing, followed by fishing, domestic chores, and crossing waterways. There was a significant relationship between gender and activity when attacked. Children (<16) account for 51% of all attacks, with a higher fatality rate compared to adults. Most victims were male (65%), with teenage boys the largest individual category. We conclude with recommendations for conservation policy and management to mitigate attacks by Nile crocodiles

On the explanation for quantum statistics

The concept of classical indistinguishability is analyzed and defended against a number of well-known criticisms, with particular attention to the Gibbs' paradox. Granted that it is as much at home in classical as in quantum statistical mechanics, the question arises as to why indistinguishability, in quantum mechanics but not in classical mechanics, forces a change in statistics. The answer, illustrated with simple examples, is that the equilibrium measure on classical phase space is continuous, whilst on Hilbert space it is discrete. The relevance of names, or equivalently, properties stable in time that can be used as names, is also discussed.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figures; to appear in Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physic