Ukuvakashela Ama-gorilla Asezintabeni
Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eTanzania
CISHE kunangu-320 ahlala endaweni yentaba-mlilo esemngceleni weRwanda ne-Democratic Republic of Congo. Amanye angu-300 ahlala ehlathini elicinene lase-Uganda. Lawa ama-gorilla asezintabeni—aphakathi kwezilwane ezincelisayo ezisengozini kakhulu yokuqothuleka emhlabeni!
Isazi sesayensi yezilwane saseMelika uDian Fossey wenza okuningi ukuze enze umphakathi ukhathazeke ngalokho okungase kwehlele lezi zidalwa. UFossey wafika ngawo-1960 e-Afrika ezocwaninga ngama-gorilla asezintabeni. Ngaleso sikhathi ayencipha ngokushesha ngenxa yokuzingela ngokungemthetho. Lesi sazi sesayensi esinesibindi esasiphila njengonkom’idla yodwa eziNtabeni zaseVirunga, ngokushesha sakha ubungane nama-gorilla ayehlala lapho. UFossey washicilela lokho ayekutholile ezihlokweni zikamagazini nasencwadini ethi Gorillas in the Mist. Njengoba isikhathi siqhubeka, wazimisela nakakhulu ukuvikela abangane bakhe abanoboya, elwa ngokuqondile nabazingeli abangekho emthethweni. Nokho, waba isosha elifela emsebenzini walo, ngo-1985 wabulawa umhlaseli ongaziwa.
Ngo-1993 mina nomkami sanquma ukuya endaweni eyisizinda sama-gorilla, sishukunyiswa ithemba lokuthi sasizozibona lezi zidalwa ezinokuthula. Ake sikukhinindele esakubona kulolu hambo.
Luqala lapho abaqondisi bethu besiqwalisa intaba iVisoke engamamitha angu-3700 ukuphakama eyakhiwa intaba-mlilo size siyofika emaphethelweni eVolcanoes National Park eRwanda. Lapho sisagobe amadolo, abaqondisi bethu bachaza indlela okufanele siziphathe ngayo lapho sinama-gorilla. Basitshela ukuthi izivakashi ezingu-8 kuphela ngosuku ezivunyelwa ukuba zivakashele lezi zilwane. Lokhu kwenza ukuba zingabi sengozini kakhulu yezifo futhi kuvimbela nokuphazamiseka kwemikhuba yazo.
“Lapho singena ehlathini,” omunye umqondisi uyasikhumbuza, “kufanele sikhulumele phansi. Lokhu kuzosenza sikwazi ukubona nezinye izilwane nezinyoni ezisehlathini, ngoba ngaphandle nje kwama-gorilla asezintabeni, kunezinkawu ezinombala wegolide, ama-duiker, onkonka, izindlovu kanye nezinyathi.”
Basitshela nokuthi epaki kunembati nezintuthwane nanokuthi kungase kudingeke sihambe ehlathini elinenkungu nelibishayo. Mina nomkami siyabukana. Asikuhlomele lokho! Kodwa abaqondisi abanomusa bayasisiza ngokusiboleka izinto zemvula namabhuzu.
Umqondisi wethu ube esechaza ukuthi ama-gorilla angenwa kalula kakhulu izifo zabantu nokuthi ukuze-ke avikelwe, noma ubani ogulayo noma owaziyo ukuthi unesifo esithathelwanayo kufanele asale. “Uma uzwa kuthi khwehlela noma thimula lapho unama-gorilla, sicela uzifulathele izilwane bese uzama ukuvala amakhala nomlomo,” kusho omunye wabaqondisi. “Khumbulani! Siyizivakashi emzini wawo ogcwele inkungu.”
Siseduze Kangangokuba Singawathinta!
Intaba iya ngokuya ikhuphukela. Sesifike ekuphakameni okungamamitha angu-3000. Umoya unomoya-mpilo omncane, okwenza kube nzima ukuphefumula nezindlela ziwumngcingo. Kodwa sijabulela ubuhle besihlahla i-hagenia, namagatsha aso endlalekile, agcwele ugqinsi lolwelwe, uhlinzamfuku nama-orchid. Kwenza leli hlathi libe nobuhle bepharadesi.
Abaqondisi manje sebeqala ukufuna indawo abathole kuyo ama-gorilla ngayizolo, ngoba ahlala ehamba efuna ukudla okusha. “Bukani laphayana!” kumemeza othile. Ama-gorilla anomhlane osasiliva athe yacá phansi ohlazeni oluthambile.
“Leliya libizwa ngokuthi Umugome,” kuchaza umqondisi. “Uma i-gorilla lesilisa selineminyaka engu-14, umhlane walo uphenduka ube mhlophe njengesiliva. Khona-ke ibe isibhekwa njengomholi weqembu. Yileyo enomhlane osasiliva kuphela ekhwela wonke awezinsikazi. Ama-gorilla amancane azama ukukhwela axoshwa ngokushesha! Kodwa, uma imbangi iphumelela ukubulala lena ewumakhonya, ibulala nazo zonke izingane. Khona-ke, umholi omusha ube esethatha izintambo abese ezala izingane nawezinsikazi eziseqenjini.”
“I-gorilla iphila isikhathi esingakanani?” kubuza othile oseqenjini njengoba silandela abaqondisi singena ehlathini elihle loqalo.
“Iminyaka engaba ngu-40,” ekhulumela phansi.
“Sh! Sh!” kuhlebeza othile, lapho ezwa ukubhonga. “Bekuyini leyo? I-gorilla?” Cha, omunye wabaholi ubhonga njenge-gorilla, ezama ukuwenza aphendule. Kumelwe ukuba sesiseduze kakhulu!
Kunjalo ngempela, ebangeni elingase libe amamitha amahlanu, kunangu-30! Bathi asiqoshame bese sithula. “Ningawakhombi,” kunxusa umqondisi, “ngoba angase acabange ukuthi niwajikijela ngokuthile. Nisize ningamemezi. Lapho nithatha izithombe, ninganyakazi ngokushesha futhi nicophelele, futhi ningayisebenzisi i-flash yekhamera.”
Siseduze kangangokuba singawathinta! Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba noma ubani awathinte, umqondisi uyahlebeza: “Ningawathinti!” Ngemva nje kokuba esho lokho, memfu ama-gorilla ambalwa amancane ezosihlola. Umqondisi uwaphebeza kancane ngegatsha elincane, futhi lamawundlwana aziginqa phansi, ezwana amandla njengezingane ezincane. “Umama” uyangenela lapho umdlalo usuthanda ukuqina.
Umakhonya uyasibuka elaphaya buqamama. Ngokungazelele, uyasondela kithi abese ehlala phansi, emamitheni nje ambalwa ukusuka kithi. Mkhulu futhi kumelwe ukuba isisindo sakhe singamakhilogremu angu-200! Umatasa kakhulu uyadla kangangokuba akanaso isikhathi sokulokhu enakene nathi, nakuba esigadile. Empeleni, ukudla yiwona msebenzi omkhulu wama-gorilla! Umakhonya angadla amakhilogremu angu-30 okudla ngosuku. Futhi zonke izilwane eziseqenjini ziba matasa zifuna ukudla kusukela ekuseni kuze kuhlwe. Ngezinye izikhathi ungawabona ebanga “izibiliboco” asuke ezitholile.
Ukudla akuthanda kakhulu, ingaphakathi lesitshalo okuthiwa i-senecio. Athanda nohlobo oluthile lotshani okuthiwa i-wild celery, izimpande zezitshalo ezithile kanye noqalo. Ngezinye izikhathi aze enze ‘nosaladi,’ ehlanganisa noqalo namahlamvu aluhlaza embati, e-galium kanye nezimpande ezihlukahlukene nezithombo ezithandelayo. “Kungani ama-gorilla engahlatshwa imbati ayikhayo abese eyithintitha?” kubuza othile. Umqondisi uyachaza: “Anesikhumba esiwugqinsi ezintendeni zawo.”
Ngokungazelele nje lapho sisajabulela lesi simo esinokuthula, eyeduna iyasukuma, izishaya isifuba ngezinqindi, bese imemeza ngendlela eyethusayo! Igijimela komunye wabaqondisi, bese ima khimilili lapho nje isizofika kuye. Inyonkoloza umqondisi! Kodwa umqondisi wethu akethuki. Kunalokho, uyaqoshama, abhonge, abese ehlehla kancane. Kubonakala sengathi lomakhonya ubemane nje efuna ukusibonisa amandla akhe. Ngikholelwe uma ngithi sawabona ngempela!
Abaqondisi babe sebesibonisa ukuba silungele ukuhamba. Sichithe isikhathi esingaphezudlwana nje kwehora sibuka lezi zidalwa ezimangalisayo futhi ezinokuthula, njengezivakashi “ezisenkungwini.” Nakuba ukuvakasha kwethu kube kufushane, kube okunye kokuhlangenwe nakho esingeke sikukhohlwe. Kuvele kusenze sicabange ngesithembiso seBhayibheli somhlaba omusha ozayo, lapho abantu nezilwane beyohlala njalo ndawonye ngokuthula!—Isaya 11:6-9.
[Amabalazwe ekhasini 18]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
Izintaba Ezinama-gorilla
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Lake Kivu
UGANDA
RWANDA
AFRICA
Isithombe Esikhulisiwe
[Imithombo ekhasini 18]
Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.