Abstract:
The endangered oribi antelope Ourebia ourebi is highly dependent on privately
owned lands for its continued survival in South Africa. Despite the fact that conserving oribi may
result in costs to farmers in the form of land use restrictions and pressures from illegal hunting,
there is evidence that South African farmers are willing to conserve oribi on their lands. However,
to date, no research has been conducted to examine farmers’ understanding of how to manage
their lands for oribi or their motivations for conserving this species. We conducted 50 in-depth
interviews with private landowners in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, to investigate why farmers
are willing to protect oribi, their perceptions of the threats to the species, and their understanding
of how land should be managed to benefit oribi. Respondents’ willingness to conserve oribi was
driven primarily by an affinity for the species and wildlife in general. Respondents perceived illegal
taxi hunting to be the greatest threat to oribi. Taxi hunts are organized, illegal hunting events
that involve multiple participants and packs of dogs, who hunt at night on farms without the permission
or knowledge of farmers. Although some respondents managed their lands specifically to
benefit oribi, most were unsure which land management practices would support oribi conservation
efforts. Farmers require legal support to more effectively conserve oribi. In addition, they
would benefit from outreach and awareness programs on how to manage their lands for oribi.
