Ingabe Izilwane Nezitshalo Zomhlaba Zingasindiswa?
“KUSUKELA ezinkawini kuya kuma-albatross nojekamanzi, abantu bafaka ezinye izilwane engcupheni yokuqothulwa ngokushesha okukhulu kangangokuba sinciphisa amathuba ethu siqu okusinda,” kusho i-Globe and Mail yaseCanada. Leli phephandaba lalibhekisela kuyi-2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, eyanyatheliswa i-World Conservation Union (IUCN) yaseGeneva, eSwitzerland. I-Red List ixwayisa ngokuthi izinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-11 000 zezitshalo nezilwane zisengozini enkulu yokuqothulwa. Izilwane ezincelisayo yizona ezisengozini kakhulu. I-Globe iyabika: “Cishe uhlobo olulodwa lwezilwane ezincelisayo kwezine eziphila eMhlabeni namuhla—noma amaphesenti angu-24—lusengozini yokuqothulwa.”
Yini ebangela le nhlekelele? Ososayensi bakhomba ukuhweba ngezilwane ezifuywayo emhlabeni wonke, ukudoba ngezindobo ezinde nokuphela kwendawo yemvelo efanele njengembangela yokunyamalala okusheshayo kwalezi zilwane. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba kugawulwa amahlathi engeziwe ayengathintekile ngaphambili ukuze kwenziwe imigwaqo, “abantu sebeziphazamisa kakhulu izilwane zasendle ababengenakuzifinyelela ngaphambili. Babe sebeyazibulala bazidle. Uma lokho kubelesela, izilwane ziyanyamalala.”
Ososayensi baxwayisa ngokuthi lokhu kuwusongo nakubantu. “Siwohloza isimiso sethu sokuphila njengoba siqothula izinto eziphilayo,” kusho uDavid Brackett, usihlalo wekhomishane yokusindiswa kwezilwane ye-World Conservation Union. “Imbulunga ngeke isinde ngezinhlobo zezilwane esinazo ezisema-zoo kuphela.”
Umbiko we-IUCN ukhuthaza umphakathi womhlaba wonke ukuba uthathe isinyathelo, uthi “kumelwe imizamo yabantu nezimali kuphindwe kayishumi kuya ekhulwini kunalokho okuyikho manje ukuze kuxazululwe le nkinga.” Kodwa kuyadabukisa ukuthi ukuhaha kuvame ukuthiya imizamo eqotho yokulondoloza imvelo yeplanethi yethu.
Ingabe izilwane nezitshalo zomhlaba zingasindiswa? Abantu bokuqala nenzalo yabo banikezwa isabelo sokunakelela izinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo eplanethini yethu. IBhayibheli lithi: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wayesemthatha umuntu, wambeka ensimini yase-Edene ukuba ayilime, ayigcine.” (Genesise 2:15) Nakuba umuntu ehluleka ukufeza isibopho sakhe, injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba ayikaguquki. Uyayikhathalela iplanethi yethu, futhi ngeke avume ukuba ibhujiswe ngobudlabha noma ngokuhaha. (IsAmbulo 11:18) IZwi lakhe liyathembisa: “Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.”—IHubo 37:29.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 31]
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C./J.D. Pittillo