Izidalwa Ezisengozini Yokuphela—Ubungakanani Bale Ngxaki

IINTAKA iidodo ziye zaphela. Eyokugqibela kwezi ntaka zingakwaziyo ukubhabha yafa malunga nowe-1680 kwisiqithi saseMauritius. Ngoku uninzi lwezidalwa ezisengozini yokuphela nalo luphila eziqithini. Kwiminyaka engama-400 eyadlulayo, iindidi zeentaka ezingama-85 kwezingama-94 eziye zaphela beziphila eziqithini.

Kwanezilwanyana ezikumazwekazi amakhulu zisengozini yokuphela. Khawucinge ngezingwe ezazikhe zadakasa kwelaseRashiya. Ngoku sele kukho kuphela uhlobo lwazo oluyiAmur eSiberia, yaye inani lazo liye lehla laya kutsho kwezili-180 ukusa kwezingama-200. Kuye kwanikelwa ingxelo yokuba izingwe kumzantsi Tshayina zingama-30 ukusa kuma-80 kuphela. IThe Times yaseLondon inikela ingxelo yokuba ezi zilwanyana zisenokuphela eIndochina “kwisithuba seminyaka elishumi.” Ngokufanayo eIndiya, ehlala izingwe ezisenokuba sisibini kwisithathu sezo zisehlabathini, abasemagunyeni baqikelela ukuba ezi zidalwa zikhulu zisenokuphela kwiminyaka nje elishumi.

Imikhombe namahlosi nawo ayancipha. Ziigiant pandas ezimalunga newaka ezisafumanekayo ehlabathini. Ipine marten sele kukufutshane ukuba iphele eWales, yaye iired squirrels “zisenokunyamalala kummandla omkhulu waseNgilani naseWales kwiminyaka elishumi ukusa kwengama-20 ezayo,” itsho njalo iThe Times. Ngaphaya kweAtlantiki eUnited States, amalulwane azezona zilwanyana zanyisayo nezihlala emhlabeni ezisengozini yokuphela.

Ukukhangela kwiilwandlekazi zehlabathi akuniki themba ngokufanayo. IThe Atlas of Endangered Species izichaza iimfudo zaselwandle “njengelona qela kuqikelelwa ukuba lisengozini yokuphela” lezidalwa zaselwandle. Noko ke, ngokutsho kwephephancwadi iNew Scientist, izidalwa ezihlala emanzini nasemhlabeni zibonakala zisinda noko, iindidi zazo ezingama-89 ziye “zaba sengozini yokuphela” kwiminyaka engama-25 edluleyo. Nezinye iindidi zeentaka zehlabathi ezili-11 ekhulwini zijamelene nokuphela.a

Kodwa kuthekani ngezidalwa ezincinane, njengamabhabhathane? Imeko yazo iyafana. Ngaphezu kwekota yeendidi ezingama-400 zamabhabhathane aseYurophu zisengozini—ezili-19 zisecicini lokuphela kungekudala. Ibhabhathane elikhulu laseBritani ekuthiwa yitortoiseshell nalo liye laphela kanye njengedodo ngowe-1993.

Inkxalabo Ekhulayo

Zingaphi izidalwa eziphelayo nyaka ngamnye? Impendulo ixhomekeka ekubeni ubuza yiphi ingcali. Nangona izazinzulu zingavumi, zonke ziyasiqonda isibakala sokuba izidalwa ezininzi zisengozini yokuphela. Ingcali ngolungelelwano phakathi kwezinto eziphilayo zasemhlabeni uStuart Pimm uthi: “Impikiswano engendlela esiphulukana ngayo ngokukhawuleza [nezilwanyana] ngokusisiseko iyingxoxo ngekamva lethu.” Wongezelela ngelithi: “Kwiinkulungwane ezidluleyo, sithi abazigqibileyo izidalwa kunokuba zizifele. Ngokomphumo ikamva lethu limfiliba.”

Isijikelezi-langa sethu, uMhlaba, sinjengendlu. Abanye abantu abazikhathaleleyo izidalwa ezisengozini yokuphela bayafunda ngomhlaba nangolungelelwano lwezidalwa eziphila emhlabeni, nkcazelo leyo eyayilwa kwinxalenye yokugqibela yenkulungwane ye-19 kwigama lesiGrike elithi oiʹkos, “indlu.” Lo mbandela ubangela umdla ubhekisela kulwalamano olukhoyo phakathi kwezinto eziphilayo nendawo ezihlala kuyo. Ngenkulungwane ye-19 kwabakho umdla okhulayo ekulondolozweni kwezidalwa, ekusenokwenzeka ukuba wawubangelwa ziingxelo zokuphela kwazo. Oku kwakhokelela ekusekweni kweepaki zelizwe, nemimandla ekhuselweyo enika ikhusi kwezi zidalwa eUnited States. Sithetha nje, kukho iindawo ezaziwa lihlabathi lonke zokukhusela izilwanyana ekuqikelelwa ukuba zingama-8000 emhlabeni wonke. Zikunye nezinye ezingama-40-000 ezongezelelekileyo nezinceda ekugcineni izilwanyana zinendawo yokuhlala, zithabatha phantse i-10 ekhulwini lommandla womhlaba.

Ngoku abantu abaninzi abanenkxalabo baye baxhasa umbandela ofane ubizwe ngokuba kukukhuselwa kwendalo, enoba kungeenzame zokusasaza izilumkiso nxamnye nokupheliswa kwezilwanyana okanye ngokufundisa abantu ngokunxulumana kwezinto eziphilayo. Yaye ukususela kwiRio Earth Summit yowe-1992, ukuqondwa ngakumbi kwemibandela engokwendalo ngokuqhelekileyo kuchaza indlela urhulumente azijonga ngayo izinto.

Ingxaki yezidalwa ezisengozini yokuphela ikho emhlabeni wonke yaye iyanda. Kodwa kutheni? Ngaba nayiphi na imigudu eyenziwayo ngoku yokuthintela ukuphela kwezidalwa iyaphumelela? Ibe kuthekani ngekamva? Ubandakanyeke njani? Amanqaku ethu alandelayo anikela iimpendulo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]