Ukufika Kwaminyaka Yonke Kwama-leatherback Amakhulu
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EMALAYSIA
SEKUCISHE kube phakathi kwamabili. Inyanga egcwele phezulu ikhanya ngombala osagolide olwandle olunokuthula nolucwathile. Ogwini lwaseRantau Abang kunamaqembu abantu, abanye bamile, abanye baqosheme noma bahlezi phansi esihlabathini esipholile esicolisakele. Benzani lapha ngalesisikhathi? Balinde ngesineke ukufika kwegobongo elikhulu elinezigwedlo ezine—ufudukazi olukhulu olunegobongo elisasikhumba, noma i-leatherback.
Lezizivakashi eziyimpicabadala ezihlala emanzini nasezweni sezilwenze lwaduma emhlabeni wonke lolugu obelunganakiwe. IRantau Abang isogwini olungasempumalanga lweNhlonhlo yeMalaysia, ngasenyakatho nje yeDungun futhi ingamakhilomitha angu-400 enhla neSingapore. Ingenye yezindawo ezimbalwa emhlabeni okuya kuzo ama-leatherback minyaka yonke ngomsebenzi wawo obalulekile.
Lapha inkathi yokuzalela iqala cishe kusukela ngo-May kuya ku-September. Phakathi impela nezinyanga zika-June, u-July, no-August, kulula ukubukela inqubo yokuzalelwa kwamaqanda. Ngokuvamile izimfudu ziphuma lapho sekuqala ukuhlwa. Kungenzeka yini ukuthi lezizivakashi ezivela kulo lonke elaseMalaysia, eSingapore, nasemazweni aseNtshonalanga zilindele umnyama ongenafu?
Ziyaphuma-ke Olwandle!
Ngokungazelelwe, kubonakala isithunzana emanzini abenyezelayo ebangeni elingekude nasogwini, okuthile okulokhu kushona kuvumbuka. Isixuku siqala ukwesasa! Njengoba isondela ngasogwini, lento esandilinga iqala ukuvumbuka emanzini. Ufudu luphuma emanzini! Abaqondisi baxwayisa wonke umuntu ukuba angathi nyaka, funa umsindo ulwethuswe.
Kuqale kuvele ikhanda, kulandele intamo, ilandelwe ingxenye engaphambili yegobongo nezigwedlo zangaphambili, luze lugcine seluvele lonke ufudu. Amagagasi ashaya emsileni nasezigwedlweni zalo zangemuva. Elingaka lona izimuzimu, cishe elingamamitha angu-1,8 noma ngaphezulu ukusuka ekhaleni kuya emsileni! Luhlale lapho ogwini lungathi nyaka.
Gubhubhu, ufudu luqale ukuphakama ngezigwedlo zangaphambili bese luya phambili, luye luvume phansi kube nomsindo. Luthi ukulala kancane, sengathi lusakhokha umoya namandla okuphinde luphakame. Luhamba kanjena-ke emhlabathini. Isixuku esingapha nangapha kwalo sesiqheliselwe kude. Abaqondisi abafuni nokuzwa kulokhu. Njengoba luya phambili, nesixuku siyalulandela—kodwa asibangi msindo.
Njengoba i-leatherback itotoba ikhuphuka ogwini, yazi kahle lapho iya khona. Ulwazi lwayo olungokwemvelo luyenza ikwazi ukuthola indawo lapho amaqanda ayo ezokwazi ukuchamiseleka kahle khona ngokuphumelelayo. Kuleyondawo iqala ukumba umgodi. Izigwedlo zangemuva ziba amahalavu, zikha isihlabathi.
Ngemva kwesikhathi okungathi side, omunye wabaqondisi, nowumqoqi wamaqanda ogunyaziwe, uyasondela bese efaka isandla sakhe emgodini, omude kangangoba kusithela nendololwane yakhe. Njengoba ekhipha isandla sakhe kulomgodi, wonke umuntu uyababaza emangele futhi emagange. Uphethe iqanda!
Iqanda le-leatherback linombala omhlophe ngokufiphele. Ubukhulu buyashiyashiyana kusukela ebholeni le-ping-pong kuya kwele-tennis. Lawo azalelwa ngasekugcineni ambalwa ngokuvamile cishe angangemabula. Ngokungafani namaqanda ezinkukhu, igobongo empeleni liyisikhumba esiqinile esifacakayo uma sicindezelwa. Okumangalisayo ukuthi lokhu okumhlophe kwalo kuhlala kuwuketshezi ngisho seliphekiwe. Kuthiwa linokunambitheka okubabayo kancane futhi kusanhlanzi. Ufudu luzalela isilinganiso samaqanda angu-85 ngesikhathi esisodwa. Kodwa kwake kwabikwa isidleke esinengqophamlando yamaqanda angu-140 ngo-1967.
Manje isixuku sesingakhululeka. Abanye bayaluthinta futhi baluhlole ngokwesaba ufudu lolu. Abanye bayalugibela noma bencike kulo ukuze bathathe izithombe abazozifaka ezincwadini zezithombe zemikhaya yabo. Uma ulubukisisa lolufudu uthola uketshezi olushubile oluphuma emehlweni, lunezinhlayiya zesihlabathi. Ukuphuma kwalo emanzini luze emoyeni kuthiwa yiko okubangela lokhu. Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile, ufudu luyakhamisa ukuze luphefumule sakubhodla.
Ukumboza Amaqanda
Ngemva kwesikhashana impela, isilwane lesi siqala ukunyakazisa izigwedlo zaso zangemuva ukuze sibuyisele isihlabathi emgodini. Lapho nje umgodi usuvalekile, i-leatherback ishaluzisa izigwedlo zayo zangemuva njengama-wiper esula amanzi efasiteleni lemoto. Isihlabathi sindiza sigcwale yonke indawo le! Isixuku siyahlehla masinyane ukuze sivikele ubuso nemizimba yaso. Izigwedlo ziyaqhubeka zisaphaza isihlabathi okwesikhashana. Yeka umfutho namandla alapho! Lapho izigwedlo zima ekugcineni, isixuku ngeke sisawukhomba umgodi obumbiwe i-leatherback. Ubuhlakani bemvelo ngempela! Kodwa yeka ukuthi bukhulu ngokungenakulinganiswa kangakanani ubuhlakani boMdali walolufudu!
Ngaphambi kokuba i-leatherback iphindele olwandle, umqoqi wamaqanda ogunyaziwe ubophela isigqebhezana kwesinye sezigwedlo zayo zangaphambili. Lokhu kwenzelwa ukuthi kuqashelwe ukubuya kwayo okulandelayo ezweni kanye nokuhamba kwayo olwandle. Enkathini ngayinye izalela izikhathi ezingu-6 kuya kwezingu-9, iphumule izinsuku ezingu-9 kuya kwezingu-14 phakathi nokuzalela ngakunye.
Ngokungazelele i-leatherback iyaphakama isunduzeleke phambili. Iyaphenduka ibuyele olwandle, ixhugela ngokushesha kunangesikhathi ifika. Lapho ithinta amanzi, ikhanda liyangena, bese kulandela igobongo. Ekugcineni ayisabonakali. Lapho ikhanda liphinde livela, ufudu selukude impela. Luhlamba ngokushesha luphikelele phakathi nolwandle, inyanga ikhanyise ichopho lekhala lalo. Yeka indlela olushesha ngayo emanzini! Ihluke ngokuphelele ekutotobeni kwalo emhlabathini.
Imizamo Yokuluphephisa
Njengamanye amanani andayo ezilwane ezisengozini, nezimfudu ezingama-leatherback zisengozini ngenxa yomonakalo wendawo ezungezile engcolile nokuhaha kwabantu. Phakathi nawo-1970, amakhulukhulu ezimfudu ezingakakhuli atholakala ekhafulwe ulwandle ezweni elingumakhelwane lasePahang—efile! Futhi amaqanda alolufudu aqoqwa ngokungacabangi ukuze kwaneliswe abathandi bokudla okungavamile.
Ngenhlanhla ukukhathazeka okujulile ngokuncipha kwamanani alezimfudu eMalaysia kwabangela ukushaywa komthetho we-Turtle Enactment ngo-1951. Ukuqoqwa kwamaqanda ngasese kwavalwa. Nokho, bakhona abahahela imali abangawunaki lomthetho, belingwa kakhulu inzuzo. Noma kunjalo, imizamo yokulondoloza lezimfudu ayibanga ize.
Ogwini lwaseRantau Abang, kuyajabulisa ukubona imigqa yezingqwembe ezincane ezihlonywe esihlabathini. Ngalunye lubekise indawo lapho iqoqo lamaqanda e-leatherback ligqitshwe khona. Lezizingqwembe zibonisa inani lamaqanda, usuku azalelwa ngalo, nenombolo ephawula leloqoqo lamaqanda. Cishe ngemva kwezinsuku ezingu-45 ezalelwe, uqwembe ngalunye lubiyelwa ngocingo oluyizisefo ukuze amachwane angalahleki uma echanyuselwa. Isikhathi sokufukanyelwa siyizinsuku ezingu-52 kuya ku-61. Njengoba amachwane ephuma, ngokuvamile kusihlwa ngemva kokushona kwelanga, inani elivela emgodini ngamunye libhalwa phansi. Abe esefakwa emabhokisini bese kamuva ededelwa eduze nolwandle.
Uhlelo lokuziphephisa luye lwakhulisa izinkulungwane eziningi zamachwane ayesephindiselwa ekhaya lawo emanzini. Kodwa isilinganiso sokusinda kwawo esiphansi, kuhlanganise nenani elinciphayo lama-leatherback eza eRantau Abang, kuyaqhubeka kubangela ukukhathazeka.
[Izithombe ekhasini 18]
Ingamamitha angu-1,8 ukusuka ekhanda kuya emsileni, “i-leatherback” izalela amashumishumi amaqanda. Cishe emasontweni angu-8 kamuva, amaqanda ayachanyuselwa
[Imithombo]
Leathery turtle. Lydekker
C. Allen Morgan/Peter Arnold
David Harvey/SUPERSTOCK
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 17]
C. Allen Morgan/Peter Arnold