Ufuduko Olukhulu

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EKENYA

UMHLABA uyandindizela njengoba kuzwakala izigi zokugabavula kwezinselo. Lo mhlambi omkhulu uyagijima, kusuka uthuli olubomvu. Lezi zilwane zitshakadula ngemilenze emide njengoba umhlambi weqa izigodi namagquma amazombezombe, unqamula emahlanzeni, futhi uwela imifula nemisele. Zihamba njengesixuku esikhulu, zisiphula utshani lapho zidlula khona. Lo mhlambi omkhulu wezilwane ezigabavulayo ungomunye wemibukwane emikhulu yezilwane emhlabeni—ukufuduka okukhulu kwezinkonkoni.

Insimu Yase-Edene Yase-Afrika

ISerengeti iyindawo yasendle. Njengoba iphakathi kwezwe laseTanzania nelaseKenya, iyindawo enohlaza ewudedangendlale onamagquma engaba amakhilomitha-skwele angu-30 000. Le ndawo inenhlabathi evundile yentaba-mlilo, okwenza ukuba bukhule kahle kakhulu utshani obusibekele le ndawo. Kunezindawo ezinezihlahla zomtholo nenkangala yezihlahla zameva eziwukudla kwemihlambi yezindlovu esabalele kule ndawo. Imihlambi yezindlulamithi inqamula leli thafa ishaya kancane, ngemilenze emide.

Kwezinye izindawo, kunamagquma egwadle asekhuhlwe umoya nemvula atholakala emathafeni futhi ayizindawo ezinhle amabhubesi nezingwe ezihlola kuwo izinyamazane. Imifula egeleza ngamandla ehamba kule ndawo igcwele inqwaba yezimvubu nezingwenya. Laphaya emathafeni avulekile, ungabona imihlambi yezinkonkoni, izinkolongwane (hartebeest), ama-topi, nezinye izinhlobo eziningi zezinyamazane ziklabile. Amadube omele amanzi abuthana emithonjeni yamanzi, ayizungeze njengomgexo wobuhlalu obumhlophe nobumnyama. Izindluzele nezimpala zihamba zigxumagxuma ngaphandle kokukhathazeka. Imihlambi emikhulu yezinyathi, ezinezimpondo ezinkulu nemizimba eqatha, ziklaba ngesineke, zisiphula utshani ngemilomo yazo emikhulu.

Kunemihlambi emikhulu yamabhubesi eSerengeti. Lapho ilanga lishisa likhiph’ umkhovu etsheni, acambalala ethunzini lezihlahla, alinde ukuba kuphole lapho sekuhwalele ukuze azingele. Izingwe zona cishe azibonakali lapho zikhona, njengoba zilele zithe cú emagatsheni aphezulu ezihlahla, zifihlwe ukukhanya okuthubeleza phakathi kwamaqabunga. Ingulule iwathola ekahle kakhulu la mathafa avulekile njengoba igijima ngejubane lonyazi. Isubatha ngelikhulu ijubane lapho ijaha inyamazane.

Ngempela, indawo yaseSerengeti iyipharadesi lezilwane zasendle okujabulisa ngempela ukuzibona. Kodwa yimihlambi emikhulu yezinkonkoni engesinye sezimangaliso ezinkulu zemvelo ezihilela izilwane.

Isinteli Sasemathafeni

Kulinganiselwa ukuthi kunezinkonkoni eziyisigidi nesigamu eSerengeti. Lesi silwane sinokubukeka okuyinqaba, sinenhloko ende namehlo acwebezelayo, ahlukene kakhulu futhi aqhwakele lé phezulu ekhanda. Izimpondo zayo zifuze ezempothane. Umhlane wayo wehlela emilenzeni engemuva ebonakala ibuthaka futhi ingafanelani namahlombe nentamo enamandla yalesi silwane. Imilenze emide ezacile ithwala umzimba wenkonkoni osindayo. Njengoba inentshebe emhloshana, umhlwenga omnyama, nomsila onjengowehhashi, inkonkoni ibonakala sengathi iyinhlanganisela yezilwane eziningana ezihlukahlukene.

Ukwenza kwezinkonkoni ngokuvamile kuyahlekisa. Lapho zibuthene ndawonye njengomhlambi omkhulu, zibhonga zibange umsindo kuhle kwezinkulungwane zamaselesele ahlabelelayo. Lapho zimi emathafeni avulekile, zibonakala sengathi zimangele njengoba zigqolozele indawo ezizungezile.

Ngezinye izikhathi, inkunzi yenkonkoni igijima inqamule amathafa, igxumagxuma ihamba ngohlangothi izungeza. Inqekuzisa ikhanda, iyagxumagxuma ngemilenze eqinile, ikhahlela ibange uthuli ngendlela ehlekisayo. Abanye bathi lezi zenzo zihloselwe ukukhanga izinsikazi noma ukuxwayisa amanye amaduna ngokubukisa. Nokho, ngezinye izikhathi kubonakala sengathi inkunzi isuke itshakadula nje.

Zizalelwa Ezweni Elinobutha

Lapho isikhathi sesifikile, izinkonkoni ziqala ukuzala. Zinekhono eliyingqayizivele lokuzala ngasikhathi sinye, zizale amankonyane azo angamaphesenti angu-80 kuya kwangu-90 phakathi nenkathi engamasonto amathathu. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi umhlambi ugcwala inqwaba yamankonyane akhalayo. Umama ngamunye kumelwe asheshe ajwayelane nenkonyane lakhe, ngoba uma umhlambi usubaleka, umama nenkonyane bangahlukana kalula, kanti amathuba okuba inkonyane lisinde lilodwa mancane kakhulu.

Amankonyane azalelwa ezweni elinobutha eligcwele izitha. Izinsikazi ziyalinda kuze kungabikho phawu lwengozi ngaphambi kokuba zizale. Nokho, uma kuthushuka umhlaseli zingalindele, zinekhono elimangalisayo lokuzibamba zingazali zibaleke. Kamuva-ke, lapho lungasekho usongo, ziqedela ukuzala kwazo inkonyane.

Inkonyane ngokwalo kubonakala sengathi linekhono elingokwemvelo lokuqaphela ingozi futhi lima ngezinyawo ngemva kwemizuzwana nje lizelwe. Ngemva kwesonto, leli nkonyane liyobe selikwazi ukugijima emathafeni ngejubane elingamakhilomitha angu-50 ngehora.

Isikhathi Sokufuduka

Izinkonkoni zifuduka njengemihlambi emikhulu lapho zinqamula iSerengeti. Isizathu esiyinhloko sokufuduka kwazo yimvula. Ukuna kwemvula kulawulwa isimo sezulu esishintshashintsha minyaka yonke. Phakathi nawo wonke unyaka, ngokuvamile kusuke kunemvula ndawana-thile kuleli thafa eliwudedangendlale.

Izinkonkoni zidinga amanzi nsuku zonke futhi kumelwe zibe notshani bokudla njalo. Uma nje kunokudla namanzi, azinyakazi. Kodwa njengoba izulu liqala ukomisa, utshani basemathafeni buqala ukubuna nemithombo yamanzi iyasha. Imihlambi yezinkonkoni ayilindi ukuba izimvula zibuye. Iyayilandela.

Lapho lina, amathafa omile ashintsha ngokushesha. Ngezinsuku nje ezimbalwa, utshani buyahluma kule nhlabathi evundile. La mahlumela aluhlaza anomsoco nomswakama—okuyinto izinkonkoni ezizifelayo ngayo.

Lezi zilwane zinekhono lokuthungatha imvula, ngisho nasebangeni elide. Akekho owaziyo ukuthi zazi kanjani ukuthi liyana endaweni ethile eSerengeti—ukuthi mhlawumbe kubangelwa ukubona ukubaneka kwezulu kude noma ukuhogela umswakama emoyeni owomile. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yikuphi, ukuze iphile, le mihlambi kumelwe ifuduke. Futhi iyafuduka ngempela!

Uhambo Olunzima

Ekuqaleni uhambo luthatha kancane. Izinkonkoni ziyizilwane ezithanda ukuhamba ngemihlambi; lapho eyodwa ishona kolunye uhlangothi, ezinye ziyayeka ukuklaba zizame ukuyilandela. Ngokushesha wonke umhlambi uqala ukuhamba ngendlela emangalisayo. Njengoba ziqhutshwa ukoma nendlala, ziyahamba. Ngezinye izikhathi ziyagijima. Ngezinye izikhathi zihamba kancane zishaye udwendwe, zimba imisele ngezinselo.

Lolu hambo lugcwele izingozi. Izilwane ezihlaselayo zilandela lo mhlambi omkhulu wezilwane, zigade noma isiphi isilwane esihamba kancane, esilimele, noma esigulayo. Njengoba izinkonkoni ziqhubeka, zingena ezindaweni ezinemihlambi yamabhubesi, aziqamekelayo. Njengoba ezifihle otshanini obude, la mabhubesi aphonseka kulo mhlambi wezilwane eziziklabele, bese usakazeka ngenxa yokwethuka. Izingwe, izingulule, amankentshane nezimpisi zihlasela noma yiziphi izilwane ezisala ngemuva noma ezihlukana nomhlambi. Lapho kunesilwane esibulewe, kuqhamuka amanqe. Ephangelana ngenyama esele, adla konke kusale amathambo kuphela, wona ashiswa ilanga elikhiph’ umkhovu etsheni aze abe mhlophe.

Imifula enamandla iyizithiyo ezinkulu okumelwe umhlambi udlule kuzo. Ukuwela umfula kuyisenzakalo esiwumbukwane, njengoba izinkulungwane zezilwane zizijikijela emfuleni zisuka phezulu osebeni. Eziningi ziwelela ngaphesheya ngokuphepha. Ezinye zimuka nomfula noma zibanjwe yizingwenya ezizifihle ngaphansi kwamanzi. Lolu hambo olunzima luthathwa minyaka yonke. Lapho seluphelile, lungase luhlanganise amakhilomitha angaba ngu-3 000.

Umuntu—Umhlaseli Omkhulu

Izinkulungwane zeminyaka, umuntu wayengakuphazamisi ukufuduka kwezinkonkoni. Manje umuntu nguye owusongo olukhulu lwalesi senzakalo. Emashumini eminyaka amuva nje uhulumeni waseTanzania nowaseKenya baye bazama ukuvikela izilwane zaseSerengeti. Nokho, nakuba ukufuduka kwezinkonkoni kwenzeka ngokuyinhloko ngaphakathi kwemingcele yezindawo ezivikelwe zezilwane zasendle, abazingeli bacupha futhi babulale izinkulungwane zezilwane ngokungemthetho. Behlome ngezicupho zocingo, imicibisholo enobuthi nezibhamu, bazingela izilwane ukuze bathole inyama yezinyamazane nezikhumbuzo zokudayisela izivakashi. Ibutho labanakekeli bezilwane ligada izindawo ezivikelwe, kodwa iSerengeti yinkulu kangangokuba cishe akunakwenzeka ukuyivikela ngokugcwele. Njengoba inani labantu landa, ingozi yokuphazamisa lezi zindawo ezivundile nayo iyanda. Ukubekelwa eceleni kweziqephu ezinkulu zendawo yezilwane zasendle kuseyimpikiswano eshubile.

Kwake kwaba nezigidi zezinyathi emathafeni aseNyakatho Melika. Manje azisekho. Abanye banovalo lokuthi imihlambi emikhulu yezinkonkoni zaseMpumalanga Afrika izobhekana nesimo esifanayo. Kuyoba isikhathi sendumalo ukubona ukunyamalala kwesimangaliso semvelo esikhulu kangaka. Silangazelela isikhathi lapho ngaphansi kokubusa kukaNkulunkulu kokulunga, abantu nezilwane beyohlalisana ngobunye nangokuzwana. (Isaya 11:6-9) Okwamanje, siyoqhubeka simangaliswa yilesi senzakalo esibabazekayo—ukufuduka okukhulu kwezinkonkoni.

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Imihlambi kumelwe iwele imifula egeleza ngamandla