Igwababa—Intaka Engaqondwa Kakuhle

NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! EKENYA

“Ukuba ikho intaka ezisa ishwangusha ngaphezu kwegwababa . . . , andikadibani nayo.”—The World’s Wild Places—Africa’s Rift Valley.

KWIINTAKA ezininzi ezifumaneka eAfrika, zimbalwa ezikhe zagxekwa njengegwababa. Le ntaka kuthiwa ikhohlakele, imbi yaye ayinazintshukumisa zintle. Ngokucacileyo, igwababa linengxaki enkulu kwezonxibelelwano.

Ngaba utsaleleka kwiintaka ezinomfaneleko nezintyiloza kamnandi? Eneneni, igwababa alinayo nenye kwezi. Njengoko inentloko nentamo epinki engenazintsiba, le ntaka ikhangeleka ixhwalekile yaye ikhedamile. Iintaka ezindala, zijingisa inxili engqukuva eqinileyo emqaleni. Inkoliso yabantu ivakalelwa kukuba le nxili isenza singabukeki ngakumbi esi sidalwa. Noko ke, uGqr. Leon Benun, intsumpa yeSebe Lenzululwazi Ngeentaka KwiiMyuziyam zaseKenya, usikhumbuza oku: “Ngenxa nje yokuba le nxili ikhangeleka imbi kuthi loo nto ayithethi kuthi imbi nakwigwababa.” Sekunjalo, okwangoku akakho owaziyo umsebenzi wale nxili ekuphileni kwayo.

Nezinto ezityiwa yile ntaka zibangela ukuba abayibukeleyo bangayithandi. Phakathi kwezinye izinto, itya inyama ebolileyo. Xa ingafumani zilwanyana zifileyo, yaziwa ngokubulala ezinye iintaka ukuze yanelise umnqweno wayo wokutya kakhulu. Akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba abantu abaninzi beyithiy’ egazini.

Sekunjalo, nangona linenkangeleko nezenzo ezingathandekiyo, igwababa linezinye iimpawu ezithandekayo. Sithelele njengoko siziqhelanisa nale ntaka ingathandwayo.

Eyona Ntaka Inkulu Kwezinye

Igwababa kunokuthiwa yeyona ntaka inkulu kwiingwamza. Inkunzi ekhule ngokupheleleyo inokuba ziisentimitha ezili-150 ubude ize ibe ngaphezu kweekhilogram ezisi-8 ubunzima. Iimazi zincinane kunoku. Umlomo wale ntaka omkhulu, omile okwezembe unokukhula ube ngaphezu kweesentimitha ezingama-30—isixhobo esinamandla sokususa inyama kwisilwanyana esifileyo.

Inkulu injalo, le ngwamza lichule lokubhabha. Ngamaphiko alo avuleke ngaphezu kweemitha ezisisi-2,5, igwababa linokubhabha neentshatsheli. Xa libhabha liba nomfaneleko kakhulu ngentloko yalo efakwe phakathi kwamagxa nemilenze yalo emide ethe naa emva komzimba walo. Linkqenkqeza phambili ngobuchule bokusebenzisa umoya ofudumeleyo, okanye imimoya yamachibi eshushu, yaye linokubhabha liye phezulu kakhulu kangangokuba lide lingabonakali kakuhle emhlabeni! Kaloku, amagwababa aziwa ngokuntinga aye kutsho kumgama omalunga neemitha ezingama-4 000 ukuphakama!

Abazali Abanenkathalo

Ngokukhethekileyo, eyona nto incomekayo ngumsebenzi owenziwa ligwababa njengomzali. Eneneni, ukuba ngumzali ngumsebenzi oluxanduva oqala ngokwakha indlwane. Emva kokukhetha indawo efanelekileyo, inkunzi, eza kuthi kamva ithelelwe yimazi, iqalisa umsebenzi wokwakha. Indlwane, ethi maxa wambi yakhiwe kwiimitha ezingama-30 ukusuka emhlabeni, ayinabugoci-goci bungako. Esi sakhiwo sinokuba yimitha ukuvuleka likhusi nje lokufihla intloko elivulekileyo, elenziwe ngeenkuni ezomileyo, amasebe omthi kunye namagqabi. Eneneni, intaka ezalelayo maxa wambi iye ifumane indlwane endala esele yenziwe, ize iyilungise ngokongezelela amasetyana kunye nezinye izinto. Amanye amaqela amagwababa aziwa ngokuzalela kwindlwane enye kangangeminyaka engama-50.

Ngoxa isakha ikhaya elitsha, inkunzi yegwababa iqalisa iphulo lokuzifunela iqabane. Ngokwahlukileyo kwisiko lezinye iintaka ezininzi, inkunzi ilinda ukuba ibe yimazi eza kuyo. Amaqabane aliqela azimisele kule nkunzi aza kuzama ukuzithandisa kuyo. Ukwaliwa yinto eqhelekileyo. Kodwa umzingisi akanashwa, ekugqibeleni imazi iza kude yamkelwe. Ebudeni bethuba lokuthandana eliza kulandela, zombini ezi ntaka ziza kukhukhumalisa iinxili zazo zize zenze izandi ezithile zokugxotha ezinye iintaka ezingafunekiyo. Ezi zandi zichazwa njengokunxakama, ukuncwina kunye nomlozi—ekuphela kwezandi awaziwa ngazo amagwababa, ngaphandle kokuthi ngamaxesha athile enze ingxolo ngemilomo yawo emikhulu. Kwakheka iqhina eliqinileyo, lize liqiniswe ngakumbi ngumbuliso “wokuvova” owenziwa rhoqo xa elinye iqabane libuyela kwindlwane emva kokuba belingekho. Oku kubandakanya ukuphosa intloko ngasemva, ukuyehlisa, kuze kulandele ingxolo eyenziwa ngomlomo ethabatha ixesha elide.

Esi sibini siyigqibezela kunye indlwane. Kuza kuncediswana ke nangokufukama amaqanda. Emva kwethuba lokufukama elithabatha inyanga, amaqanda amabini okanye amathathu amhlophe aza kuqandusela amantshontsho amancinane apinki, anoboya obuncinane, yaye la mantshontsho aza kuba ziinceke kubazali bobabini. La magwababa mancinane anyanyekelwa ngendlela emangalisayo. Kuza kuqalisa iphulo lokuzibhokoxa kusondliwa wona ngokutya okunesondlo, okufana nentlanzi. Kwiindawo ezinemigxobhozo, apho amagwababa athanda ukutyelela khona, abazali bayakwazi ukufumana amasele aliqela, okunye ukudla okuqhelekileyo okutyiwa zezi ntaka. Amantshontsho asandul’ ukuqanduselwa ayakwazi ukutya amasuntswana okutya aphoswa ngabazali kwindlwane. Ezi ntaka zincinane zithabath’ ixesha ukukhula, yaye kuxa zineenyanga ezine kuphela—xa sele zikwazi ukubhabha zimke kwindawo enendlwane—apho ziqalisa ukuziphilela.

Abasebenzi Abagutyulayo

Ngoxa igwababa lidelekile ngenxa yokuba liyintaka etya izilwanyana ezifileyo, lenza umsebenzi obaluleke kakhulu. Izilwanyana ezidla ezinye zishiya amathafa aseAfrika engcoliswe zizilwanyana ezifileyo ezibolayo. Ukuba azinikelwa ngqalelo, ezi zilwanyana zifileyo zinokusasaza izifo zize zibe yingozi kubantu nezilwanyana. Noko ke, igwababa lenza umsebenzi obalulekileyo wokutshayela inkunkuma. Ndawonye namaxhalanga—ezinye iintaka ezitya inyama—ahlola amathafa ekhangela izilwanyana ezibulewe zashiywa. Xa ebona esithile, amagwababa aza kulinda amaxhalanga akhohlakeleyo ukuba asivule ngemilomo yawo egobileyo eso silwanyana sifileyo. Ngexesha elifanelekileyo, igwababa liza kutsiba liye kweso silwanyana sifileyo, lize lithi ngomlomo walo olindele ukuxhela lizixhwithele isuntswana lenyama, lize liphume ecaleni lilinde elinye ithuba elifanelekileyo. Xa amaxhalanga etye ahlutha, lithuba lokuba amagwababa alwe ngaloo nyama iseleyo ingekhoyo. Amagwababa atya nantoni na enokuhla ngemiqala yawo, ngaphandle kwamathambo. Awaginya lula amasuntswana enyama anobunzima beegram ezingama-600.

Kwiminyaka yakutshanje igwababa liye lawandisa umsebenzi walo wokucoca wangaphaya kwemida yasendle elihlala kuyo. Le ntaka ayisaboyiki abantu yaye ngoku yinto eqhelekileyo ukuyibona ityelele esixekweni okanye kwiindawo zokulahla inkunkuma zasekuhlaleni. Ube yintoni umphumo? Kubekho indawo ecoceke ngakumbi. Igwababa lide lihluze ulwelo oluvela kwimizi yokuxhela, likhangela amaqithi-qithi elinokuwabhaqa. Indlela eyomelele ngayo le ntaka inokubonwa kulo mzekelo ulandelayo. Ngoxa lalikhangela into elinokuyibhaqa ngakumzi wokuxhela kwintshona yeKenya, igwababa laginya imela yokuxhela. Kwiintsuku ezimbalwa kamva, imela—ecocekileyo nekhazimlayo—yafunyanwa kufuphi naloo ndawo inye, ngoxa igwababa laliphinde layikhupha xa lalisenza umsebenzi eliqhele ukuwenza, lingakhange lonzakale!

Ikamva Legwababa

Ngoxa isalamane salo esisondeleyo, ingwamza enkulu yaseAsia iphela, igwababa laseAfrika liyanda. Akukho ntshaba zalo zaziwayo endle. Ngaphambilana, olona tshaba lukhohlakeleyo legwababa yayingumntu. Le ngwamza inkulu yayidutyulwa, zize iintsiba zayo ezithambileyo zangasemva zixhwithwe ukuze zongeze ubuhle kwizinto zokuthwala zamabhinqa. Incwadi ethi Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills of the World ithi: “Kunzima nokuyicinga into yokuba iintsiba ezithambe nezintle ngolo hlobo, xa zihombise into yokuphekuza umoya okanye into entle exabisekileyo kwibhinqa, yimveliso yale ntaka inkulu, ikhangeleka imbi netya inyama yento efileyo.” Okuvuyisayo kwezi ntaka kukuba, ukubulawa kwazo okugqithiseleyo kuye kwaphela kule minyaka idluleyo, yaye ziyaphinda ziyanda. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo ithuba elifutshane esilichithe sihlolisisa igwababa liye labonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba alifanelanga ligxekwe lize linyeliswe kangaka. Ukusebenza kwalo licoca ummandla wendalo kuyingenelo kakhulu kuthi. Nangona ingeyiyo enye yeentaka ezintle, izisa uzuko kuMdali wayo ngendlela yayo ethobekileyo.—INdumiso 148:7, 10.

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Umlomo wale ntaka omkhulu, omile okwezembe unokukhula ube ngaphezu kweesentimitha ezingama-25

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26, 27]

Igwababa linamaphiko avuleke ngaphezu kweemitha ezisisi-2,5

[Inkcazelo]

© Joe McDonald

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Amagwababa amancinane anyanyekelwa ngendlela emangalisayo

[Inkcazelo]

© M.P. Kahl/VIREO

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Umsebenzi wenxili yegwababa ekuphileni kwalo okwangoku awukaziwa

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Maxa wambi indlwane yakhiwa kwiimitha ezingama-40 ukusuka emhlabeni