Lapho Amakamela Namahhashi Asendle Etshakadula Khona

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-AUSTRALIA

EMAPHANDLENI ase-Australia—yini efika engqondweni yakho uma uzwa ngale ndawo? Izwe eligcwele ama-kangaroo agxumayo nama-emu angakwazi ukundiza, izingwadule ezibomvu nelanga elikhiph’ umkhovu etsheni? Ngokwezinga elithile uqinisile—kodwa leli kubuye kube yizwe lezimanga.

Bewazi yini ukuthi e-Australia kunemihlambi yokugcina esasele emhlabeni yamakamela asendle, imihlambi yamahhashi asendle emikhulu kunayo yonke emhlabeni nenqwaba yezimbongolo ezingatholakali ndawo kule planethi? Ukufika nokusinda kwalezi zilwane eziqinile kuyindaba engaziwa yokukhuthazela nokumelana nezimo ezinzima futhi kuyisikhumbuzo esiphilayo sezikhathi esezadlula.

Yakhiwa Ngezithukuthuku Zekamela

Kule minyaka engamashumi amane edlule, abanye abafuyi bezinkomo basemaphandleni baye bakhononda njengomfuyi okukhulunywa ngaye encwadini ethi The Camel in Australia: “Ngingufakazi wokuzibonela wamakamela amahlanu acekela phansi umngcele wocingo ongamakhilomitha ayishumi . . . Kwenye indawo awazange nje abhubhise ucingo kuphela kodwa asiphula nezigxobo nakho konke.”

Uthango locingo olubizayo ngeke lumelane nemilenze emide nobukhulu bekamela elizimisele. Nokho, yona kanye le milenze eqinile yasiza ekwakheni imizila yokuxhumana enqamula inkaba eyomile yaleli zwekazi.

Njengoba athathwa eNdiya ngo-1860, amakamela ayeyingxenye yeqembu labahloli bamazwe uBurke noWills phakathi nohambo lwabo oluyingqopha-mlando lokunqamula i-Australia besuka eningizimu beya enyakatho. Lezi zilwane ezingavamile zaba yintandokazi kubahloli bamazwe bakuqala ngenxa yamandla azo amakhulu nokubekezela kwazo. Njengoba onga amandla kakhulu, ayethwala imithwalo engamakhilogremu angu-300 ibanga elingamakhilomitha angu-800 kuyilapho ephuze amalitha nje angu-15 amanzi.

Njengoba enokwethenjelwa okukhulu, amakamela asiza ekuthwaleni ukudla namathuluzi ayeya emadolobheni egolide, ekwakheni ucingo olusuka e-Adelaide luye eDarwin nasekulinganiseni ubude bukajantshi i-Trans-Australian Railway ohlanganisa iSydney nePerth. Endaweni engaba amakhilomitha-skwele ayizigidi ezine, avula umzila okusenzima nanamuhla ukuba ulandelwe yimishini yesimanje.

Inani lamakamela ayefuyiwe lafinyelela ku-22 000 ngo-1922, kodwa njengoba kwase kwanda izimoto, amakamela amaningi adedelwa. Ngenxa yokuthi ayesezula ngokukhululekile futhi ezala, kubikwa ukuthi manje sekunangaphezu kuka-200 000 ahlala ezingwadule zase-Australia, futhi abanye abantu balinganisela ukuthi leli nani lizophindeka kabili eminyakeni eyisithupha.

Nokho, akuwona wonke la makamela ayekwayo ukuze aphile endle. Umkhulumeli we-Central Australian Camel Association watshela i-Phaphama!: “E-Australia kunemihlambi yamakamela asendle okuwukuphela kwawo angenazifo emhlabeni, ngakho unyaka ngamunye idlanzana lithunyelwa ema-zoo naseziqiwini e-United States nase-Asia.” Abanakekeli bezihambi bendawo nabo banikeza izivakashi ithuba lokugibela amakamela ukuze zizwe ukuthi kunjani ukuphila emaphandleni ase-Australia—indawo enezinye izilwane zokuthwala ezikhululekile.

Iyini I-brumby?

Iqembu lokuqala lemikhumbi yaseNgilandi lafika e-Australia lithwele iziboshwa, amasosha namahhashi ngo-1788. Umlando wamahhashi kuleli zwe, njengowabantu, uyathakazelisa futhi ulusizi.

Njengoba ayebalulekile emzamweni wokuhlola leli zwe elisha, amahhashi ayethuthela izingqalabutho kuwo wonke amagumbi aleli zwekazi. Ngokushesha amahhashi ayeduka nayebaleka aba yimihlambi yasendle, futhi aqala ukwaziwa ngokuthi ama-brumby. Kungenzeka igama elithi “brumby” lasuselwa egameni laboMdabu baseQueensland elithi baroomby, elisho “okwasendle.”

Ama-brumby asendle ayekhululekile, ashukumisa imiqondo yezimbongi ezinjengo-A. B. (Banjo) Paterson, futhi inkondlo yakhe ethi “The Man From Snowy River” yenza ama-brumby athandeka ezinhliziyweni zabantu abaningi base-Australia. Inani lala mahhashi asendle lenyuka ngemva kweMpi Yezwe I lapho kuncipha ukufuneka kwe-Waler—ihhashi elalihloselwe ngokukhethekile i-Australian Light Horse Brigade futhi lisetshenziswa yibutho laseNdiya—futhi la mahhashi ekhululwa. Manje kunamahhashi asendle alinganiselwa ku-300 000 kuleli zwekazi.

Njengoba ezula, agxoba inhlabathi ethambile njengesando somkhandi wezinsimbi futhi onakalise namachibi amanzi. Lapho kufika isomiso, abulawa yindlala noma ukoma. Ezweni kakade eselithwele kanzima ngenxa yemihlambi emikhulu yezinkomo, la mahhashi asendle asewumthwalo onzima. Ngakho, minyaka yonke kubulawa izinkulungwane zawo ngokomthetho. Amanye alungiselelwa ukudliwa abantu; amanye, adayiswa njengokudla kwezilwane.

Nokho, uma sikhuluma ngezibalo, isihlobo se-brumby, imbongolo, yisona esingasalawuleki. Njengoba izala kakhulu kunehhashi lasendle futhi itholakala endaweni ebanzi kunekamela, imbongolo iye yagcina isingene enkingeni.

Ikhambi LikaJuda

Njengamahhashi, izimbongolo zaqala ukungeniswa ezweni ngasekupheleni kwawo-1700 ukuzodonsa imithwalo noma ukuzolima, futhi ngokushesha zalijwayela ikhaya lazo elisha. Zakhululwa ngobuningi ukuba ziye endle phakathi nawo-1920, futhi inani lazo laphindeka izikhathi ezingu-30 kunemihlambi engokwemvelo yezimbongolo zasendle.

Njengoba zikulungele ukuphila kwasogwadule, izimbongolo, njengamakamela, zinqanda ukuhwamuka kwamanzi emzimbeni lapho zomile futhi ziyaqhubeka ziphila nakuba zilahlekelwe amanzi angaba amaphesenti angu-30 esisindo somzimba. (Ukulahlekelwa amanzi angamaphesenti angu-12 kuya ku-15 kungazibulala izilwane eziningi ezincelisayo.) Zikhetha ukuklaba emadlelweni avundile kodwa ziyazidla nezitshalo zasendle izinkomo ezingazilokothi. Ngawo-1970, kwase kunezimbongolo ezingaphezu kuka-750 000 kulo lonke izwe. Lokhu kwanda kwenani kwaba usongo emvelweni nasembonini yezinkomo; kwakufanele kuthathwe isinyathelo.

Kusukela ngo-1978 kuya ku-1993, zabulawa ngokomthetho, futhi kwabulawa izimbongolo ezingaphezu kuka-500 000 enyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-Australia kuphela. Okwamanje kunezimbongolo ezingu-300 ezifakwe imishini yokuthungatha kulokho okubizwa ngokuthi uhlelo lukaJuda. Lapho zikhululwa ukuba zizihlanganise nemihlambi yazo, lezi zimbongolo zilandelwa ngendiza enophephela emhlane, bese kubulawa ngokomthetho ezinye ezisemhlambini. Lapho imbongolo enguJuda izibandakanya nelinye iqembu, nalo liyafunwa bese libulawa.

Isikhulu sokuvikelwa kwezolimo eNtshonalanga Australia satshela i-Phaphama!, sixwayisa: “Lena yinkinga yesikhathi eside. Uma kushiywa idlanzana, phakathi nesikhathi nje esifushane, amanani ezimbongolo ayobuyela kulokho ayeyikho ngawo-1970. Abantu ngokuvamile abaqondi ukuthi kungani lezi zilwane zibulawa ngokomthetho bese zishiywa lapho. Kodwa abantu abaqapheli ukuthi kunzima kangakanani ukufinyelela kulezi zindawo. Akunamigwaqo eya khona, futhi ingxenye enkulu yendawo ifinyeleleka kuphela ngendiza enophephela emhlane. Ukungenela komuntu yikona okubangele le nkinga, ngakho kufanele sizame ukunciphisa umonakalo ngendlela enozwela ngangokunokwenzeka.”

Ziqinile Futhi Ziyazala

Manje kuyaqondakala ukuthi kungani ungase ucabange ukuthi inkaba ye-Australia inesiminyaminya sezilwane ezingafuneki. Kodwa indawo yasemaphandleni ase-Australia iwudedangendlale. Lezi zilwane zitholakala endaweni elingana neYurophu futhi esemajukujukwini njengenyanga—enendawo ecishe ifane nazo zombili lezi ezishiwo ngenhla. Ukufuna le mihlambi kukodwa kuyinselele, ingasaphathwa eyokuyilawula.

Ngokungefani nezilwane eziningi zendabuko ezisengozini, lezi zilwane eziqinile futhi ezizalayo, zinendawo engenakuphela kuleli zwe. Njengoba kungekho zilwane ezizingelayo eziwusongo futhi zingenazo izifo, ziyatshakadula emaphandleni ase-Australia!

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Kunamakamela angaba ngu-200 000 azula ezingwadule zase-Australia

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Agriculture Western Australia

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Ama-“brumby” azula ngokukhululekile ngasoGwadule LwaseSimpson

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Udwendwe lwamakamela athutha uvolo, ngo-1929

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Image Library, State Library of New South Wales

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Ukukhalima ama-“brumby” —ngendlela yasogwadule

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© Esther Beaton

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Ukufaka umshini wokuthungatha embongolweni enguJuda

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Agriculture Western Australia