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African Wildlife Conservation, Transformational Leadership, and Pragmatic Decolonization of the Safari
Abstract:
<p>The image of an indigenous tracker directing the white khaki-clad driver of a Land Rover guiding affluent white tourists on safari is reflective of Africa’s colonial legacy. Sightseers pay handsomely for the opportunity to bask in the presence of wild game and take selfies with megafauna in the background. With rare exception, their desire for experiencing wildlife encounters lines the pockets of indurated investors in safari lodges, while also subsidizing wildlife conservation in protected areas. In South Africa, Kruger National Park and its adjacent private reserves hold about half the world’s White Rhinos, and tourist dollars play a critical role in conservation efforts devoted to protecting the megaherbivore; however, the uneven dispersal of tourism revenue plays a role in the shaping of a cultural landscape marked more often by poverty than by wealth. On the one hand, exclusive safari lodges for the moneyed characterize private reserves, where rhino are viewed in their natural habitat. On the other hand, within the vicinity of the reserves are landscapes of despair, where half of working age adults are unemployed. Given that, it should come as no surprise that 67% of the Kruger’s rhinos have been lost to poachers within the past decade. Unfortunately, as exclusive safari lodges continue to emerge across the region, far too few owners show evidence of genuine concern for the people dwelling in villages close to the wildlife reserves. This paper explores transformational leadership as imperative to African wildlife conservation and the pragmatic decolonization of the African wildlife safari.</p>
Keywords: Africa, Wildlife Conservation, Tourism
Authors:
Mike DeVIVO, Grand Rapids Community College; Submitting Author / Primary Presenter
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African Wildlife Conservation, Transformational Leadership, and Pragmatic Decolonization of the Safari
Category
In-Person Paper Abstract