IQuetzal—Intaka Embejembeje
NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! ECOSTA RICA
ICOSTA RICA igubungela ummandla ongaphantsi kwe-0,03 ekhulwini womhlaba wonke kodwa kuyo kuhlala iintlobo zeentaka ezaziwayo ezingama-875. Ngokutsho komnye umthombo, elo nani lingaphezu kwezo zifumaneka eKhanada naseUnited States zidibene. Ngoko ke, akumangalisi ukuba abantu abathanda ukubukela iintaka babe yimiqodi ukuya eCosta Rica. Yiba kunye nathi kuhambo lwethu lokuya kubona iquetzal embejembeje.
Ebutsheni beminyaka yee-1500, umoyisi waseSpeyin uHernán Cortés wagaleleka eMexico. Apho waphiwa umnqwazi owenziwe ngeentsiba zequetzal ngama-Aztec. Ziinkosi zama-Aztec kuphela ezazinelungelo lokunxiba imihombiso ekumgangatho ophezulu ngolo hlobo. Iintsiba eziluhlaza zequetzal zisenokuba zazixatyiswe gqitha kunegolide.
Namhlanje le ntaka intle ngokukhethekileyo ihlala kowona mmandla mkhulu ukusuka eMexico ukuya ePanama. Iquetzal inokufunyanwa kumahlathi aneengqimba zamafu aphakame kangangeemitha ezili-1 200 ukuya kwezingama-3 000 ukusuka elwandle. Amafu akula mahlathi abangelwa ngumoya oshushu onyukayo okhawuleza uphole. Loo nto ibangela ukuba unyaka wonke ube nezityalo eziluhlaza yaka nemithi emikhulu efikelela kwiimitha ezingama-30 nangaphezulu ukuya kutsho enkungwini.
Malunga neekhilomitha ezingama-200 kumantla eSan José kukho iSanta Elena Forest Reserve—indawo entle yokubukela iquetzal kwindawo ehlala kuyo. Sikhenkethiswa yenye indoda, siqalisa iphulo lethu lokubona iquetzal embejembeje. Ngenxa yombala wayo oqaqambileyo, kunzima ukuyibona le ntaka, kuba ifana namagqabi ehlathi. Lo mfo usikhenkethisayo uqalisa ukulinganisa ukuntyiloza kwayo okuthambileyo nokuthe qabavu. Isandi sayo siyafana nesencwina yombundlwana. Enyanisweni, sithe sakuva ukuncwina kwequetzal, elinye ibhinqa ebesikhenketha nalo lacinga ukuba kukho inja elahleke apho ehlathini!
Kungekudala kwisithuba seemitha ezili-15, kwathi gqi inkunzi inyoshoza phakathi kwemithi ize kukroba okuqhubekayo. Njengoko sasiyijonge ngezibonakude, imibala yayo emakhazikhazi yaba mihle ngakumbi kunokuba sasicinga. Isifuba sayo esingqombela ukuba bomvu, siyafanelana neentsiba zayo eziluhlaza. Into eyongezelela kwisihomo sayo ziintsiba zesisila ezimhlophe, ezifanelana neziluhlaza ezikhazimlayo. Loo mrhutyululu wesisila wayo mde kangangeesentimitha ezingama-60. Ukubona iquetzal ithe ngcu esebeni lomthi loo mrhutyululu wesisila sayo uphephezeliswa yimpepho kungumbono obukekayo.
Ukubona iquetzal kungumbono okhethekileyo. Eneneni, umfo owayesikhenkethisa wathi kufuneka uzulazule kaliqela kwelo hlathi ukuze uyibone. Ixesha elifanelekileyo lokubona iquetzal kuxa iza kubeka amaqanda, ukususela ngoMatshi ukuya ngoJuni. Ngeli xesha isenokubeka amaqanda amabini kwiindlwana ezimbini.
Xa sibuyela kwiofisi yomzi wogcino-zilwanyana, sive ngenye iquetzal. Njengoko indanda kuhle iphelekwa nguloo msila wayo uluhlaza, ithi ngcu esebeni kwisithuba esingaphantsi kweemitha ezintlanu ukusuka apho sasihleli khona! Lo mfo wayesikhenkethisa usixelele ukuba kukho intshontsho elimkileyo kwindlwana yalo. Uyise ugcogca yonke imithi ekhangela eli ntshontsho lakhe. Sixelelwe nokuba amalunga nama-25 ekhulwini kuphela amaqanda aqanduselwayo. Amanye atyiwa ziintshaba ezifana noonomatse, iiemerald toucanets, iibrown jays, iiweasels neetayras. Olunye ucelomngeni ekusindeni kweequetzal lubandakanya iindawo ezikuyo izindlwana zazo, eziyimingxunyana eziyenza kwimithi emidala ebolileyo enokuphakama okumalunga neemitha ezi-3 ukuya kwezingama-20. Xa kusina iimvula ezinkulu, imingxuma ingakhukuliseka okanye ibutyake.
Kwakhona sifumanise ukuba okona kutya kuthandwa yiquetzal yiavokado yasendle. Ihlala emasebeni ibukele iavokado ejinga kumthi okufutshane. Iya kwandula ke, ibethe iimpiko, iqolozele kwixhoba layo, isithi xhakamfu esi siqhamo ize ibuyele endaweni yayo. Isiginya sonke esi siqhamo yaye kwimizuzu engama-20 ukuya kwengama-30 kamva ikhupha le mbewu inkulu yeavokado.
Njengoko zikhangela iiavokado zasendle, iiquetzal zifudukela kumathambeka awahlukeneyo eContinental Divide. Ngokomzekelo, ukususela ngoJulayi ukuya kutsho ngoSeptemba, zihlala kumathambeka ePasifiki. Kuze ke ngo-Oktobha zifudukele kwiiCaribbean ukuze zifumane amaqalela ale avokado.
Njengoko sinqumla kwenye ibhulorho ephezulu malunga neemitha ezingama-30 ngaphezu kweli hlathi, enye iquetzal yaphantsa yasigila! Kubonakala ukuba le ntaka ibisiya kufuna isidlo sayo sasemini ngexesha lokunqumla kwethu. Imazi ibihleli kanye entla kwethu, isijonge kakubi ngenxa yokuba ngabangeneleli.
Kwakhona sixelelwe ukuba esinye isiqhamo ezisithandayo ziiblackberry, ezikhula kumatyholo anameva. Njengoko iiquetzal zisihla zigxalathelene ukuza kuthi hlasi iziqhamo, zikhe zibambeke ngemirhutyululu yezisila zazo zize ziphulukane nazo. Noko ke, iintsiba zezisila zazo ziphinda zikhule.
Ngale ndlela ke le ntaka iphila ngokuvisisana negama layo. Igama elithi “quetzal” lithatyathwe kwelesiAztec elithi “quetzalli” elithetha “exabisekileyo” okanye “entle.” Ngelishwa iquetzal isesichengeni ngenxa yobuhle bayo. Enyanisweni, iquetzal idweliswe phakathi kwezilwanyana ezisengozini. Bezisoloko zifunwa apho bezikho ngenxa yezikhumba zazo, ezithengiswa njengezikhumbuzo. Ezinye kwezi ntaka ziye zabanjwa ziphila zaza zenziwa izilwanyana zasekhaya. Noko ke, lo mfo ube esikhenkethisa uthi, ngoku iquetzal ikhuselwe ngokusemthethweni ekuxwilweni ngolo hlobo.
Enye into esongela ubomi bayo kukugawulwa kwamahlathi, nto leyo ephumela ekubeni ingabi nandawo yakuhlala. Ukuze kukhuselwe le ntaka imbejembeje nezinye izilwanyana ezihlala ehlathini, malunga nama-27 ekhulwini eCosta Rica abekelwe bucala njengendawo ephantsi kolondolozo.
Uhambo lwethu lokuya kubona iquetzal belubangela umdla ngokwenene. Enyanisweni, unokuwubona umnqwazi owenziwe ngeentsiba zequetzal owanikwa uHernán Cortés kwiBritish Museum eLondon. Kodwa iintsiba zequetzal zibangela umdla ngakumbi xa zikwintaka ephilileyo ehlathini! Okwangoku, ubuncinane, iquetzal yasendle iyaqhubeka ikhululekile yaye ikhuselekile kumahlathi anamafu akuMbindi Merika.