IPantanal—Indawo Evikelekile Ethakazelisayo — Watchtower UMTAPO OKUYI-INTHANETHI

IPantanal—Indawo Evikelekile Ethakazelisayo

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eBrazil

ISIVAKASHI sacasuka lapho uJerônimo esinxusa ukuba singalilahli ithini likabhiya emfuleni. Sabuza: “Owakho yini lo mfula?” UJerônimo waphendula: “Cha, owethu. Kodwa uma ulokhu ulahla udoti kuwona, ngokushesha ngeke sisakwazi ukudoba lapha.”

Lokhu kwembula enye yezindlela iPantanal—indawo enkulu ehlanganisa izingxenye zeBrazil, iBolivia neParaguay—esongelwa ngazo namuhla. Igama lesiPutukezi elithi pântano lisho “ixhaphozi.” Kodwa iPantanal ayilona ithafa, ngakho-ke amanzi ayo awami ndawonye. Kunalokho, ayaqhubeka egeleza, ematisa ithafa elembozwe utshani obunhlobonhlobo. Ungathanda ukufunda okwengeziwe ngale ndawo enkulu? Woza sihambe neqembu lezivakashi siye kwenye yezindawo eyisivikelo semvelo ethakazelisa kakhulu.

Izingwenya Nezinhlwathi

Sisuka eSão Paulo ngebhasi sibheke ngasentshonalanga eCorumbá, indawo eqhele ngamakhilomitha acishe abe ngu-1 200. Njengoba singena ePantanal, sibona izinyoni ezinkulu zindiza sengathi ziyasihlangabeza. Kune-jabiru (i-tuiuiú), enezimpiko ezingamamitha angu-2,6. Cishe idinga indawo enkulu ukuze isuke indize! “Ukubhakuza kwamaphiko ayo ngamandla kwenza umsindo ohazayo emoyeni,” kubhala uHaroldo Palo, Jr., owachitha iminyaka emibili ePantanal. Uyanezela: “Lapho [ama-jabiru] enza imikhuba yokushelana nokukhwelana, aweduna amabili noma amathathu andiza ndawonye . . . , enza imigilingwane yokubukisa ongayibona ukude.”

Selomisile, amanzi aphansi. Ngakho-ke, izinyoni zizitapela izinhlanzi. Bheka! I-jabiru nendwandwe zidoba phakathi kwezingwenya! Nazi izingwenya zisina zizibethela edilini lenhlanzi eyingozi i-piranha. Njengoba kungenzeka uyazi, ama-piranha anamazinyo abukhali ngempela futhi ayakuthanda ukudla okophayo. Nakuba singafuni ukusondela eduze kwazo, izingwenya zibonakala zinganakile—futhi zingenangozi.

Ngemva kokuwela umfula ngesikebhe, siya emadlelweni. Ngokungazelelwe, umshayeli wethu uyama abese ekhomba inyoka enku-lu eyeqa umgwaqo wobhuqu. Uthi: “Leya inhlwathi. Kungcono niyithwebule isithombe ngokushesha. Akuvamile ukuba uzibonele eduze!” Ukuyibona nje kuyethusa, ngoba inhlwathi—engamamitha angu-9 ubude—ingenye yezinyoka ezinkulu kunazo zonke. Ngiqaphela ukuthi inhlwathi iyagijima njengoba ithi tshobé ezihlahleni. Kungcono khona lokho. Phela ukuba ayihambanga le nhlwathi, ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi isithombe sasiyokoniwa ukuqhaqhazela kwezandla!

Ukuphila Kwe-pantaneiro

EPantanal kunemihlambi eminingi yezinkomo. Zeluswa yi-pantaneiro. Empeleni iyinhlanganisela kamelusi nomlimi, inzalo yamaNdiya, abaNsundu nabaseSpain. I-pantaneiro ithena amahhashi yeluse nezinkomo emadlelweni. Sibona imihlambi eminingi, ngamunye cishe unezinkomo eziyinkulungwane. Umhlambi ngamunye uluswa amadoda ayisithupha. Umpheki uhamba phambili, alandelwe umalusi necilongo lakhe elenziwe ngophondo lwenkunzi. Ngemuva kunabanye abelusi. Omunye ungumnikazi womhlambi, kanti-ke abanye babuyisa izinkomo ezisalela emuva neziphambukayo.

UJerônimo okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni, uyi-pantaneiro. Nakuba kukhathaza kakhulu, uhamba nathi ngesikebhe esigwedlwayo eMfuleni i-Abobral, kunokuba asebenzise isikebhe esinenjini ngoba umsindo waso wethusa izinyoni. Izwi lakhe elinenhlonipho libonisa ukuthi uyalithanda futhi uyalikhathalela ikhaya lakhe, iPantanal. “Bheka! Laphaya osebeni lomfula—ingwenya ithamele ilanga,” kusho uJerônimo. Laphaya buqamama, ukhomba umphandu wemithini emibili. Uthi: “Yikhaya layo. Ngijwayele ukuyibona khona.” UJerônimo ulokhu ekha amanzi emfuleni ngenkomishi aphuze lapho esomile. “Awangcolile yini la manzi?” sibuza. Uyaphendula: “Awakangcoli. Nani ningawaphuza uma nithanda.” Asimethembi kahle.

I-pantaneiro inombono wethemba ngekusasa. Zincane izinto ezifunayo futhi ingcebeleka ngokwenza umsebenzi wayo. Iphuma ekhaya entathakusa, ibuye ebusuku, ihola okungenani imali (ecishe ibe ngu-R600 ngenyanga) kuhlanganise nendawo yokuhlala—futhi inyama iyidla ize iyibuke. Omunye umlimi uthi: “Epulazini lami, i-pantaneiro idla noma yini eyifunayo ngokuthanda kwayo. Ayisona isigqila. Uma inganelisekile ingavele ithi: ‘Basi, nginike imali yami. Sengiyahamba.’”

I-zoo Engenawo Amakheji

Ihhotela lasepulazini esahlala kulo linezinyoni nezilwane eziningi, njengama-macaw, opholi, ama-parakeet, ama-jabiru, izingwe, ama-capybara nezinyamazane. Omunye wozalo lwamaNdiya aseGuaná, umkhaya wakubo osuhlale ePantanal iminyaka eyikhulu wathi kithi: “Sifuye izinyoni lapha. Eziningi zazo zatholwa amaphoyisa asehlathini kwababezingela ngokungemthetho.” Umkakhe wathi ekuqaleni babenama-parakeet angu-18, kodwa manje cishe aseyikhulu. Uthi: “Inhloso yethu iwukuwabuyisela endaweni yawo.”

Kule zoo engenamakheji, sathwebula izithombe zama-macaw ayedla ngokuthula eduze kwezingulube nezinkukhu. Izivakashi ezivela kuwo wonke umhlaba ziyajabula lapho zibona izinyoni nezilwane eziningi nendawo yasePantanal. Futhi ukushona kwelanga kuwumbukwane! Ngolunye usuku, isivakashi saseJapane esisakhula samangazwa imihlambi yezinyoni ezazibuyela ezidlekeni zazo ekushoneni kwelanga. Sangena sindiza endlini lapho sixwayiswa isisebenzi sakuleli pulazi sithi, “Nkosazana, qaphela. Kunezingwe lapha!” Nokho, ngakusasa sasingasesabi futhi sase sifunza ama-macaw amakhekhe. Saze sasithwebula isithombe sifunza enye ngomlomo. Kwase kuphele nyá ukwesaba!

Ngolunye usuku ngovivi, saphumela phandle siyobuka izinkanyezi. Kwakusengathi singazithinta. Umbukwane ngempela! Lapha ePantanal kuthulile ngempela. Lokho esakubona nemisindo esayizwa kwasishukumisela ukuba sibonge uMdali ngaleli pharadesi. Esinye isikhangiso sathi: “Uma ngelinye ilanga umuntu ekubuza ukuthi likhona yini ipharadesi, ubokuthi: ‘Akubuzwa, iPantanal iyingxenye yalo.’”

Indawo Eyisivikelo Semvelo Iyangcoliswa

Kule minyaka engu-20 edlule, imithombo yezindaba iye yaxoxa kakhulu ngokuthi iPantanal izulelwa amanqe. Encwadini yakhe ethi Pantanal, uHaroldo Palo, Jr., ubhala ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene indawo yasePantanal engcoliswa ngazo. Kafushane nje, zihlanganisa lokhu okulandelayo.

◼ Ukugcwala kodaka emifuleni. “Eminyakeni yamuva nje, uMfula iTaquari ugcwele udaka kangangokuthi awukwazi ukuhamba ngesikebhe eduze nesizalo sawo, ngaleyo ndlela wehlukanisa . . . labo abahlala osebeni lwawo. Kwenzeka okufanayo nakweminye imifula egelezela ePantanal.”

◼ Isomiso. “Nginovalo ngokuthi uma . . . singaba nesomiso seminyaka engu-15 kuya kwengu-20, njengoba kwake kwenzeka ngaphambili, kungaba nemiphumela eyinhlekelele ezitshalweni nasezilwaneni zakulesi sifunda.”

◼ Imithi yokubulala izitshalo nesigidi. “Lapho kulinywa ngemishini endaweni eyakhelene nePantanal, kusetshenziswa imithi yokubulala izitshalo engena emanzini angaphansi komhlaba futhi igcine isingcolise imifula egeleza eduzane. Noma ikhukhulwa amanzi kanye nenhlabathi, ingcolise imifula. EPoconé, ePantanal, olunye usongo olukhulu izimayini zegolide, ezingcolisa amanzi ngesigidi.”

◼ Ukuzingela. “Nakuba kwenqatshelwe umthetho, ezindaweni eziningi zePantanal kuzingelwa umathanda. Ngaphandle kwabalimi abambalwa abayibonayo ingozi, abavikela ingcebo yabo engokwemvelo nabanye abayivikela ngenxa yenzuzo engokomnotho kwezokuvakasha, izilwane nezwe kusinda nganhlanhla leyo nje.”

Ukubuyela Edolobheni Elinesiminyaminya

Yeka umehluko esiwuphawulayo lapho siphindela eSão Paulo! Esikhundleni sama-ipês aphuzi nabukhwebezane kanye nama-sage abomvu, sibona inqwaba yezakhiwo eziphakeme. Esikhundleni semifula ecwebile nehlanzekile egcwele izinhlanzi, sibona imifula esiphenduke izindawo zokukhuculula indle. Esikhundleni somculo omnandi wezinyoni, sizwa umsindo ovala izindlebe wamaloli nezimoto ezishaya amahutha. Esikhundleni sesibhakabhaka esiluhlaza esicwathile, sibona izimpawu ezithi “Umoya Esiwuphefumulayo: Ungcolile.” Esikhundleni sokuthula phakathi komuntu nezilwane, abantu besaba omunye umuntu.

Sahlala amasonto amabili ePantanal, isikhathi esincane kakhulu ukuba sazi izindawo ngamagama azo avelele, njengePoconé, iNhecolândia, i-Abobral, iNabileque, nePaiaguás—ngayinye enezici zayo ezikhethekile. Kodwa kwakuyisenzakalo esingasoze sasikhohlwa. Izilwane nezitshalo zidelisa amehlo, zikholisa izindlebe futhi zithokozisa inhliziyo.

[Amabalazwe ekhasini 15]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Paraguay

Bolivia

Brazil

IPANTANAL

[Umthombo]

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Uvemvane oluphuzi i-“swallowtail”

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Ingwe

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Izindwandwe ezimhlophe ezinkulu

[Umthombo]

Georges El Sayegh

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Inhlwathi nengwenya

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Georges El Sayegh

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I-“macaw”

[Umthombo]

Georges El Sayegh

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

La ma-“piranha” angamasentimitha angu-15 anamazinyo abukhali

[Umthombo]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 15]

Georges El Sayegh