Contested natures: conflict over caracals and cats in Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract

In the mid-2010s, residents of Atlantic Beach Golf Estate (ABGE) in peri-urban Cape Town became embroiled in a dispute over how to respond to a wild predator, the caracal (Caracal caracal) killing domestic cats (Felis catus). It was revealing of the policy challenges posed by both these predators for urban ecology, of social conflict over notions of 'nature', and how cats can be framed as family members worthy of protection or as a danger to wildlife themselves. Conservation authorities resisted requests for permission to capture, remove or radio-collar and monitor any caracals on the ABGE, even after a caracal entered a home and killed a cat. This contrasted with Cape Town's policy on Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) where significant resources are allocated to reducing the spatial overlap between baboon home ranges and houses, and where negotiated protocols exist for the lethal management of individuals that persist in entering urban areas despite non-lethal deterrents. It also contrasts with the lethal management of caracals inside penguin (Spheniscus demersus) colonies. Policy towards the ABGE was shaped by its history as a security/eco-estate bordering a nature reserve, but the outcome - inconsistent policy regarding caracals that incentivises affected residents to take matters into their own hands - was sub-optimal for environmental managers, affected residents and caracals. Relatively high-income ratepayers committed to living with 'nature' (albeit curated) in places like ABGE are potential allies in assisting environmental officials better protect penguins and caracals, thereby facilitating more biodiverse ecologies with predators in urban Cape Town.