Human and Nonhuman Refugeeism and Refúgĭa —The Cases of Nadine Gordimer’s “The Ultimate Safari” and Kruger National Park

Abstract

This paper focuses on the Kruger National Park in South Africa, the background of Nadine Gordimer’s novel “The Ultimate Safari”(1991), and how the park turned from a historical site of Apartheid to an ecological one. Human and non-human migration, once mainly caused by conflicts and civil wars, are increasingly the result of habitat destruction, environmental pollution, and climate change. Although the movement of flora and fauna is noticeable, the constant movement of humans has been neglected. As a result, immobility between continents was taken for granted by society, and the overall human and non-human mobility was interpreted as ominous and negative. Also, the establishment of borders and adherence to ethnocentrism and the nation-state stems from political and power relationships that incite migration with instability. Therefore, gender, race, ethnicity, and nationality work unevenly. However, humans and non-humans have a longer history of migration than imagined, and it is a natural cycle. It is rather a sign of hope to decide to move in a situation of deprivation when being ousted from one’s home. Many species die due to climate change, but finding shelter even after suffering a displacement demonstrates the capacity to move. Unlike enclaves, which alienate adjacent regions or are alienated from ones, “Refúgĭa,” refers to regions where elements of modern flora and fauna might have survived glacial periods with greatly reduced numbers and distributions. Even now, “Refúgĭa” continues to occur in many places, including Kruger National Park. In the background of losing domicile and increasing refugeeism worldwide, the move to Refúgĭa should not just mean places, but should lead to the act of creating controversial places across major connections between multiple “sharing” experiences.