Isilwane Esinalezo Zimpondo Eziyigugu

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ENINGIZIMU AFRIKA

NGOKUNGAZELELE, ubhejane wagijima ngejubane elikhulu. Indoda yagxumela eceleni yathi galo yephuka iqonde esihlahleni esiseduze. Kodwa lobhejane waphenduka ngejubane eliyisimangaliso, wangayinika nethuba lokukhwela endaweni yokuphepha. Wayigijimisa kaningana wayizungezisa isihlahla ngaphambi kokuba uyihlabe ngophondo lwawo uyiphonse phezulu. Lendoda edabukisayo yabuyela phansi ibhaklazeka emahlombe alobhejane ngaphambi kokuba iyothanqazeka phansi. Yaqumbeka phansi, ilindele ukugxotshwa noma ukuthungwa ngophondo ife. Njengoba lobhejane wawushoshela, lendoda yaphakamisa unyawo lwayo, kodwa lobhejane wamane waluhogela wase ujokola!

Lona ubhejane wase-Afrika—onelukuluku lokufuna ukwazi, oyisififane, owethuswa ubala. Uma izinzwa zikabhejane zokuhogela noma zokuzwa ziwuqaphelisa okuthile ongakuboni (njengoba ungaboni kahle), uyomane ugijimele lapho—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isitimela noma uvemvane! Nakuba unamahlombe angaba imitha nengxenye ukuphakama futhi unesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-1 000, ungakwazi ukugabavula ngejubane elingamakhilomitha angaba ngu-55 ngehora futhi ushaye ingwijikhwebu ngokuphazima kweso!

Ngezinye izikhathi umane uzigijimele nje ujabulile. UYuileen Kearney, owake wafuya ubhejane oyithole owawubizwa ngokuthi uRufus, ulandisa ukuthi “lapho ebhuquza, kulapho uRufus ayejabula khona kakhulu.” Ukhumbula ngesinye isikhathi lapho uRufus afika “ebhonga, ekhefuzela futhi enqamula” ehlathini, “egijima enqamula engadini kodwa wafike wama phuhle ngokuphazima kweso phambi kukavulandi, wanyuka ezitebhisini ehamba kancane wabe eselala eduze kwesitulo [sakhe].”

Ubhejane uthandwa abaningi abaye bafunda ngawo. Nokho, bonke bayavuma ukuthi ubuntu bobhejane buyahluka njengoba bunjalo nakubantu. Khona-ke, qaphela, kunobhejane onolaka ngempela! Incwadi ethandwayo ekhuluma ngezilwane e-Afrika eseningizimu ixwayisa ngokuthi ubhejane “akufanele neze wethenjwe, futhi akufanele ujwayelwe kakhulu.” Ngokudabukisayo, ngokuvamile abantu abawukhathazayo uze uthukuthele. UProfesa Rudolf Schenkel, owasinda ekusukelweni ubhejane okuchazwe ekuqaleni, ukhala ngokuthi umuntu uye wazenza waba ukuphela kwesitha sikabhejane.

Kuthiwani ngomunye ubhejane wase-Afrika, umkhombe? Ngokuvamile ukuthula kwawo kuwenza wehluke kakhulu kulona onomsindo. Futhi ucishe ube mkhulu ngokuphindwe kabili kunobhejane, okuwenza ube isilwane sesithathu esikhulu emhlabeni. Inhloko yawo enkulu isinda kakhulu kangangokuba kudingeka iqukulwe amadoda amane! Nakuba kunjalo, umkhombe ugijima njengobhejane.

Lapho unqwamana nomuntu endle, ngokuvamile umkhombe uyabaleka ngenxa yokwesaba lapho ubona, uzwa noma uhogela umuntu. Nokho, encwadini yabo ethi Rhino, uDaryl noSharna Balfour baxwayisa ngokuthi lokhu kungathathwa kalula. Babhala ukuthi “eminyakeni yamuva nje umkhombe uye walimaza abantu abaningi kunobhejane,” benezela ukuthi mhlawumbe lokhu kuye kwabangelwa ukuthi umuntu ‘akawuhloniphi.’

Indlela Yokuzilibazisa Ejabulisayo

Kunokuthile obhejane base-Afrika abakuthandayo. Bathanda udaka—inqwaba yodaka! Abaningi bayashesha lapho sebesondela endaweni abayithandayo enodaka abazibhixa kulo futhi babhonga ngenjabulo njengoba bebheke phambili. AbakwaBalfour, ababevame ukukubona lokhu, balandisa ukuthi njengoba ubhejane ungena odakeni, “kuzwakala ukubhonga, futhi lesi silwane esanelisekile silala ngohlangothi okwesikhashana . . . ngaphambi kokuba siqhubeke nokuzigingqa odakeni, ngokuvamile silala ngomhlane, imilenze ibheke phezulu.”

Ngezinye izikhathi zombili lezi zinhlobo zikabhejane zihlanganyela indawo yokuzibhixa futhi zidela konke ngenxa yokuthanda ukuzilibazisa ngokuzibhixa odakeni. URufus osemncane, okukhulunywe ngaye ngenhla, kwakumjabulisa kakhulu ukuzibhixa odakeni kangangokuba “ngezinye izikhathi wayegxuma ngaphambi kokuba aqede ukuzibhixa odakeni, ukuze nje agijime engadini, etshakadula njengehhashi, ngaphambi kokuba abuyele odakeni ukuze aphinde azijabulise.”

Nokho, lolu daka lusebenza nakwezinye izinto ngaphandle kwalokhu kuzijabulisa. Luyindawo yokubuthana nabanye obhejane nezinye izilwane ezithanda udaka, lukhulula obhejane ekulunyweni izimpukane ezihluphayo, futhi lupholisa imizimba yabo ekushiseni kwelanga. Ngakho-ke akumangalisi ukuthi ngezinye izikhathi obhejane bangabonakala bezigingqa odakeni isikhathi eside.

Ungabahlukanisa Kanjani?

Umuntu angabahlukanisa kanjani labobhejane? Ingabe ubhejane umnyama nomkhombe umhlophe ngempela (njengoba kushiwo ngesiNgisi)? Cha. Bobabili bampunga—kodwa ngezindlela ezihlukene—uma ukwazi ukubona umbala ompunga. Eqinisweni oyokubona umbala wodaka ogcine ukuzigingqa kulo, oselwemboze isikhumba sawo.

Kodwa ukuma komlomo kuzokutshela ngokushesha ukuthi yimuphi owubonayo. Ubhejane, njengoba udla amaqabunga namagatsha ezihlahla, unodebe lomlomo olungenhla olucijile olusebenzisa ekunqampuneni amaqabunga namahlamvu ezihlahla. Ngakho-ke igama lawo elinembile elithi ubhejane onomlomo oyihhuku. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umkhombe udla uhlaza. Ngakho, impumulo yawo iqondile, ukuze ukwazi ukunqampuna utshani njengomshini wokusika utshani. Akumangalisi ukuthi igama lawo elinembile elithi ubhejane onomlomo oyisikwele. Kodwa ngenxa yesizathu esithile kuye kwagxilwa ekubehlukaniseni ngokuthi ubhejane omnyama noma omhlophe, okubonakala sengathi kwafika nabafuduki bokuqala bamaDashi e-Afrika eseningizimu.

Lezo Zimpondo Eziyigugu

Igama elithi rhinoceros (ubhejane) livela emagameni amabili esiGreki asho “impumulo enophondo.” Futhi zakhiwe ngani izimpondo zikabhejane? Abanye abantu bazichaza ngokuthi izinwele ezigqishekile, njengoba zivame ukuqothuka ekugcineni kwazo. Nokho, akuzona izinwele, kusho uDkt. Gerrie de Graaff, umeluleki wezesayensi e-National Parks Board yaseNingizimu Afrika, kodwa “uma zihlolwa ngesibonakhulu zifana nezinselo zezilwane ezinezinselo.”

Lolu phondo luyaqhubeka lukhula, njengoba nezinzipho zikhula. Ubhejane odumile okuthiwa uGertie wawunophondo olungaphezu kwamamitha angu-1,4 ubude, futhi uphondo lomkhombe othile lwakhula lwaba amamitha amabili ubude! Futhi uma kwenzeka lolu phondo lwephuke, njengoba kwenzeka ngezinye izikhathi, luyozivuselela ngamasentimitha angaba ngu-8 ngonyaka.

Kungani izimpondo zikabhejane ziyigugu kangaka? Abantu abaningi benza ngazo imithi, futhi abanye bajabulela ukuba nesinqindi esinesibambo sophondo lukabhejane. Ludingeka kakhulu, futhi leli ibhizinisi elingenisa imali eningi kangangokuba abantu abahahayo baye babulala obhejane abayizinkulungwane ngenxa yenzuzo.

Umkhombe, owake waba sonqenqemeni lokuqothulwa, usutholakala ngokwanele ngenxa yemizamo yenkuthalo yabalondolozi bemvelo. Kodwa akunjalo ngobhejane. Amasu ahlukahlukene okunqanda igagasi lokuzingela ngokungemthetho ahlanganisa ukusika uphondo lwalesi silwane. Kodwa lomsebenzi omkhulu ubonakala unezinzuzo ezilinganiselwe. Njengoba izimpondo zikabhejane zithengiswa ngamaRandi angu-7 000 ikhilogremu, abazingeli abangemthetho banomuzwa wokuthi ngisho nezinqamu zophondo lukabhejane olusikiwe kufanele zikhishwe. Nokho, sinethemba lokuthi ukuhaha komuntu ngeke kuphumelele, ukuze nezizukulwane zesikhathi esizayo zikwazi ukuthola injabulo ngokusazi kangcono lesi silwane esihlaba umxhwele.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 27]

Ungawubona kanjani umehluko phakathi kukabhejane nomkhombe, njengoba bobabili bempunga?

[Isithombe ekhasini 26]

Umkhombe nethole lawo

[Umthombo]

National Parks Board of South Africa