Izitshalo Nezilwane Ezisengozini—Izinga Lalenkinga

AMA-DODO aseqothuliwe. Eyokugcina kulezi zinyoni ezingakwazi ukundiza yafa cishe ngo-1680 esiqhingini saseMauritius. Izinyoni eziningi zalolu hlobo ezisengozini njengamanje nazo zihlala eziqhingini. Kuleminyaka engu-400 edlule, izinhlobo zezinyoni ezingu-85 kwezingu-94 okwaziwa ukuthi zinyamalele bekuyizinyoni zaseziqhingini.

Izinyoni ezihlala emazwekazini nazo zisengozini yokuqothulwa. Cabanga ngamahlosi ake agcwala kulo lonke elaseRussia. Manje sekusele kuphela awohlobo lwe-Amur eSiberia, futhi inani lawo liye lancipha laya ku-180 kuya ku-200 kuphela. Kubikwa ukuthi inani lamahlosi aseningizimu China lingu-30 kuya ku-80 kuphela. I-Times yaseLondon ibika ukuthi e-Indochina lezi zilwane zingase ziqothulwe “phakathi neminyaka eyishumi.” Ngokufanayo, eNdiya, okuyindawo enamahlosi angaba izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu emhlabeni, iziphathimandla zilinganisela ukuthi lezi zilwane ezikhangayo zingase ziqothulwe eminyakeni eyishumi.

Obhejane nezingulule kuyancipha. Manje kunama-panda amakhulu angaba yinkulungwane atholakala endle. Ama-pine marten cishe aseqothuliwe eWales, futhi izingwejeje ezibomvu “zingase zinyamalale ezwekazini laseNgilandi naseWales eminyakeni eyishumi kuya kwengu-20 ezayo,” kusho i-Times. Ngaphesheya kwe-Atlantic e-United States, amalulwane ayizilwane ezincelisayo ezisengozini kunazo zonke ezweni.

Isimo sibi ngokufanayo ezilwandlekazini zomhlaba. I-Atlas of Endangered Species ichaza izimfudu zasolwandle ngokuthi “mhlawumbe ziyiqembu elisengozini kunazo zonke” izidalwa zasolwandle. Kubonakala sengathi izilwane eziphila kokubili emanzini nasezweni zisesimweni esingcono; nokho, ngokukamagazini i-New Scientist, izinhlobo ezingu-89 zezilwane eziphila emanzini nangaphandle ziye zaba “sengozini yokuqothulwa” kuleminyaka engu-25 edlule. Amaphesenti angaba ngu-11 ezinhlobo zezinyoni zasemhlabeni nawo abhekene nokuqothulwa.a

Kodwa kuthiwani ngezidalwa ezincane, njengezimvemvane? Isimo siyefana. Ingxenye engaphezu kweyodwa kwezine yezinhlobo zezimvemvane zaseYurophu ezingu-400 isengozini—ezingu-19 zisongelwa ngokuqothulwa ngokushesha. Uvemvane olukhulu lwaseBrithani i-tortoiseshell lwaqothulwa njenge-dodo ngo-1993.

Ukukhathazeka Okwandayo

Zingaki izinhlobo zezidalwa eziqothulwa minyaka yonke? Impendulo ixhomeke ekutheni yimuphi uchwepheshe ombuzayo. Nakuba ososayensi bephikisana, bonke bayalivuma iqiniso lokuthi izinhlobo eziningi zezitshalo nezilwane zisengozini yokuqothulwa. Isazi sesayensi yezinto eziphilayo nendawo yazo ezungezile uStuart Pimm siyaphawula: “Impikiswano yokuthi silahlekelwa ngokushesha kangakanani [izinhlobo zezitshalo nezilwane] ngokuyinhloko iyinkulumo-mpikiswano ngekusasa lethu.” Siyanezela: “Emakhulwini eminyaka adlule, siye saqothula izinhlobo zezitshalo nezilwane ngokushesha okukhulu kunemvelo. Ngenxa yalokho ikusasa lethu alilihle.”

Iplanethi yethu, uMhlaba, injengendlu. Abanye abantu abazikhathalelayo izinhlobo zezitshalo nezilwane ezisengozini bafunda isayensi yezinto eziphilayo nendawo yazo ezungezile (ecology), okuyigama eliqanjwe ekupheleni kwekhulu le-19 lisuselwa egameni lesiGreki elithi oiʹkos, “indlu.” Lomkhakha othakazelisayo ugxila ebuhlotsheni obuphakathi kwezinto eziphilayo nendawo yazo ezungezile. Ekhulwini le-19 kwaba nesithakazelo esikhulayo ekulondolozweni kwemvelo, ngokungangabazeki esasikhuliswa imibiko yezilwane eziqothulwayo. E-United States, lokhu kwaholela ekwakhiweni kwezindawo zombuso zokulondoloza imvelo nezindawo ezivikelekile eziba isiphephelo ezidalweni. Njengamanje kunezindawo ezaziwayo ezilinganiselwa ku-8000 zokuvikela izilwane zasendle emhlabeni wonke. Uma zihlanganiswa nezindawo ezengeziwe ezingu-40 000 zokulondoloza indawo ezungezile yezilwane, zakha amaphesenti angaba yishumi endawo eyizwe emhlabeni.

Abantu abaningi abakhathazekile manje basekela lokho okuthiwa izinhlangano zokulondoloza imvelo, besebenzisa izinhlangano ezikuveza obala ukusongela kokuqothula noma ezimane zifundise abantu ngokusebenzelana kwezinto eziphilayo. Futhi kusukela kuyi-Rio Earth Summit yango-1992, ngokuvamile ohulumeni sebeziqaphela kakhulu izinkinga zendawo ezungezile.

Inkinga yezinhlobo zezitshalo nezilwane ezisengozini isembulungeni yonke futhi iyanda. Kodwa kungani? Ingabe ikhona imizamo yamanje ephumelelayo yokuvimbela ukuqothulwa kwezinhlobo zezitshalo nezilwane? Futhi kuthiwani ngekusasa? Wena uhileleka kanjani? Izihloko zethu ezilandelayo zinikeza izimpendulo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]