ABSTRACT
The rewilding of private land in southern Africa is, alongside national parks, one of the most successful conservation actions in history, bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction as the foundation of a rapidly growing wildlife economy. There are surprising parallels between the historical transformation from feudalism and serfdom to the modern age of liberalism, free-markets and democracy, and the conditions for the economic rewilding of ungoverned spaces. The institutions governing wild life are outdated, and no longer fit for purpose. They were created in an earlier age when wildlife was plentiful and cheap, and agriculture was the order of the day. Consequently, they greatly favour domestic plants and animals, and tilt the economic playing field strongly against wild species, creating dualism and dysfunction. Forests and drylands and systems with similar characteristics are the subject of a global tragedy. The juxtaposition of rich biodiversity and poor people is jarring, and unsustainable.
