IGabon—Isiphephelo Sezilwane Zasendle

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EGABON

UNGACABANGA yini ngogu olusendaweni eshisayo lapho kuklaba khona izindlovu, lapho kubhukuda khona izimvubu, nalapho kubuthana khona imikhomo namahlengethwa? Ogwini lwase-Afrika, kunendawo engamakhilomitha ayikhulu lapho lezi zinto zisavamile ukubonakala khona.

Ukuze lezi zinto zijatshulelwe esikhathini esizayo, ngokusobala le ndawo eyingqayizivele engasogwini kungadingeka ukuba ilondolozwe. Ngokujabulisayo, isidingo sokuvikela le ndawo kwaxoxwa ngaso ngo-September 4, 2002, lapho umongameli waseGabon ememezela ukuthi amaphesenti ayishumi ezwe laseGabon—kuhlanganise nezindawo ezisogwini ezingakaphazanyiswa—ayezogcinelwa ukuba abe yindawo kahulumeni yokulondoloza imvelo.

Lezi zindawo zasendle, ezihlanganisa amakhilomitha-skwele angaba ngu-30 000—indawo ecishe ilingane nezwe laseLesotho—zinokuningi umuntu angakubona. UMongameli Omar Bongo Ondimba waphawula: “IGabon ingaba indawo enentilibathwa yezinto zemvelo, ikhange abantu abavela emagumbini omane omhlaba befuna izimangaliso zemvelo ezisasele kulo mhlaba.”

Yini eyenza lezi zindawo zokulondoza imvelo zibaluleke kangaka? Amaphesenti angaba ngu-85 ezwe laseGabon asengamahlathi, futhi amaphesenti alinganiselwa kwangu-20 ezimila zakhona awatholakali kwenye indawo emhlabeni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amahlathi alo asenkabazwe ayisiphephelo sama-gorilla, izimfene, izindlovu zasehlathini kanye nezinye izilwane eziningi ezisongelwayo. Lezi zindawo ezisanda kuvulwa zizokwenza izwe laseGabon libe umvikeli ovelele wemvelo ehlukahlukene e-Afrika.

ILoango—Ugu Olungeqhathaniswe

ILoango National Park kungenzeka ingenye yezindawo ezivelele zokubona izilwane zasendle e-Afrika. Ivikela amakhilomitha amaningi ogu olungakonakaliswa olusondelene namachweba anamanzi angenasawoti nehlathi elisenkabazwe eliyisinindolo. Kodwa okwenza ugu lwaseLoango lube ingqayizivele yizilwane ezihamba esihlabathini—izimvubu, izindlovu zasehlathini, izinyathi, izingwe kanye nama-gorilla.

Kungani lolu gu lukhanga lezo zilwane zasehlathini? Amadlelo ezimvubu nezinyathi agudla ugu lwaseLoango olunesihlabathi esimhlophe. Izihlahla zesundu zohlobo lwe-rônier, ezikhula ngasogwini, zithela izithelo eziningi ezikhanga izindlovu zasehlathini njengezingane ezikhangwa u-ayisikhilimu. Kodwa okubaluleke kakhulu ukuthi le ndawo iqhelile. Yimikhondo yalezo zilwane kuphela etholakala esihlabathini.

Ukungabi khona kwabantu kule ndawo kukhuthaza izimfudu zohlobo lwe-leatherback ukuba zikhethe lolu gu olungenamuntu njengendawo yokubekela amaqanda. Izinyoni ezinhle ezidla izinyosi zithanda ukubekela amaqanda endaweni efanayo, futhi zakha izidleke zazo esihlabathini ngenhla nje kwendawo amanzi agcina kuyo. Phakathi nezinyanga zasehlobo, imikhomo yohlobo lwe-humpback engaphezu kwenkulungwane ihlangana emanzini angenaziphazamiso aseLoango ukuze ikhwelane.

Kunamachweba amabili amakhulu ahlukanisa ugu lwaseLoango nehlathi elisenkabazwe, futhi ayindawo enhle yezingwenya nezimvubu. Ziningi izinhlanzi kula machweba, anamahlathi omhlume agudla ugu. Izinkozi okuthiwa ama-fish eagle nezinkwazi zindiza phezu kwamanzi ala machweba zifuna ukudla, kuyilapho ezinye izinhlobo zezivuba zifuna izinhlanzi emanzini angajulile. Izindlovu ezithanda amanzi zijabulela ukubhukuda ziwelele ogwini olungaphesheya kwamachweba, zifike zidle izithelo ezizithandayo.

Phakathi ehlathini elisenkabazwe, izinkawu zinombela ziye emagatsheni aphezulu, kuyilapho izimvemvane ezimibalabala zizindizela nje endaweni evulekile engenazo izihlahla. Amalulwane alenga ezihlahleni azithandayo emini bese kuthi ebusuku andize lonke ihlathi esakaza imbewu. Emaphethelweni ehlathi, izincwincwi zimunca umpe ezimbalini. Yingakho-ke iLoango ichazwa ngokufanele ngokuthi “iyindawo lapho ungathola khona ukuthi sinjani ngempela isimo senkabazwe ye-Afrika.”

ILopé—Lapho Ama-gorilla Esatholakala Ngobuningi Khona

ILopé National Park ihlanganisa izindawo ezinkulu zamahlathi emvula angakathintwa kanye nezinkangala ezithe gqwa-gqwa nehlathi elingasogwini enyakatho yaleli paki. Liyindawo enhle yabantu abathanda imvelo abangathanda ukubuka ama-gorilla, izimfene noma izinkawu endle. Kunama-gorilla aphakathi kuka-3 000 no-5 000 ahambahamba kule ndawo evikelwe engamakhilomitha-skwele angu-5 000.

U-Augustin, owayeyisikhulu kuleli paki, ukhumbula isenzakalo esingavamile sokunqwamana nama-gorilla ngo-2002. Uthi: “Lapho sihamba ehlathini, ngazithela emkhayeni wama-gorilla amane. Eleduna, elikhulu elineminyaka engaba ngu-35, lama phambi kwami. Kumelwe ukuba isisindo salo sasiphinda esami kathathu. Ngilandela lokho engangifundiswe ukuba ngikwenze kulesi simo, ngahlala phansi ngokushesha, ngagebisa ikhanda, ngabheka phansi njengophawu lokuzithoba. Leza lahlala eceleni kwami langigaxa ehlombe. Labe selingibamba isandla, lasivula, lahlola intende yaso. Lapho selenelisekile ukuthi angilona usongo emkhayeni walo, lavele lazihambela langena ehlokozini. Ngalolo suku olungelibaleke, ngathola indlela okujabulisa ngayo ukuhlangana nezilwane endaweni yazo yemvelo. Nakuba abantu bewabulala ama-gorilla ukuze bawadle noma ngenxa yezinkolelo eziyiphutha becabanga ukuthi ayingozi, ayizilwane ezithanda ukuthula okufanele sizivikele.”

ELopé, ngezikhathi ezithile izinkawu zibuthana ndawonye ngamaqulu abalelwa kwezingaphezu kwenkulungwane. Lona umbuthano wezinkawu omkhulu kunayo yonke emhlabeni, futhi ngokuqinisekile unomsindo omkhulu. Isivakashi saseCameroon sichaza okwenzeka lapho sihlangana nelinye lala maqulu.

“Umqondisi wethu wazizwa lezi zinkawu, ngenxa yokuthi idlanzana lazo lifakwe izinto ezithungatha amaza. Salihambela phambili leli qulu lezinkawu, sakha into yokucasha ngokushesha, sabe sesizilinda ukuba zifike. Kwaphela imizuzu engu-20 silalele umculo omnandi wehlathi, owawenziwa izinyoni nezinambuzane. Lokhu kuthula kwaphazanyiswa ukusondela kwaleli qulu lezinkawu. Umsindo wokuphuka kwamagatsha nokuklabalasa wangenza ngacabanga ukuthi kwakusondela isiphepho esikhulu. Kodwa lapho ngibona izinkawu ezazihola ezinye, zazibonakala sengathi ziyibutho lamavulandlela. Amaduna amakhulu ayehola, ehamba phansi ngamandla, kuyilapho izinsikazi nabantwana benombela emagatsheni. Ngokungazelelwe, elinye lala maduna amakhulu lama khimilili laqalaza sengathi kukhona elikusolayo. Inkawu encane, eyayilokhu inombela emagatsheni, yayisisibonile yabe isihlaba umkhosi. Lonke iqulu laqala ukushesha, futhi umsindo waba mkhulu nakakhulu njengoba zaziklabalasa sezicasukile. Ngokushesha nje zase zinyamalele. Umqondisi wethu walinganisela ukuthi zazingaba ngu-400 izinkawu ezazidlule eceleni kwethu.”

Izimfene zibanga umsindo othi awulingane nowezinkawu futhi kunzima nakakhulu ukuzibona njengoba zihamba ngamandla kuleli hlathi njalo zifunana nokudla. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, izivakashi ngokuvamile zibona izinkawu okuthiwa ama-putty-nosed ngezinye izikhathi ezivame ukubuthana ndawonye enkangala ngaphandle nje kwehlathi. Mhlawumbe isilwane esizihlukanisa kakhulu kunazo zonke inkawu okuthiwa i-sun-tailed, okuyisilwane esitholakala kule ndawo kuphela esaqala ukubonakala eminyakeni engu-20 edlule.

Izinyoni ezinkulu futhi ezimibalabala kuleli hlathi—njengama-turaco nezinsingizi—zenza umsindo omkhulu ukuze kwaziwe ukuthi zikhona. Kuye kwatholakala izinhlobo zezinyoni ezingaba ngu-400 kuleli paki, okulenza libe yintandokazi kwabathanda ukubuka izinyoni.

Isiphephelo Sezinto Eziphilayo Ezinhlobonhlobo

ILoango neLopé ziyizindawo ezimbili kuphela kwezingu-13 zokulondoloza imvelo eGabon. Ezinye zilondoloza amahlathi omhlume, izimila ezingavamile, nezindawo izinyoni ezifudukela kuzo. ULee White we-Wildlife Conservation Society uyachaza: “IGabon ibekele eceleni izindawo ezingcono kakhulu zemvelo ongazithola kulo lonke izwe. Okubalulekile akubona nje ubukhulu bezindawo kodwa nesimo salezo zindawo ezivikelwe. Ngokushesha ngo-2002, kwasungulwa isimiso esihle kakhulu sezindawo zokulondoloza imvelo, esiqukethe zonke izinhlobo zezinto eziphilayo kuleli zwe.”

Kuyiqiniso, kusenezinselele eziningi, njengoba uMongameli Bongo Ondimba evuma ngokunganqikazi. Uthi: “Sikhuluma ngomkhankaso womhlaba wonke, okungangabazeki ukuthi uyohilela ukuzidela manje nasesikhathini esizayo, ukuze sikwazi ukufinyelela isifiso sethu sokugcina lezi zimangaliso zemvelo ukuze zijatshulelwe izizukulwane ezizayo.”

[Amabalazwe ekhasini 17]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

AFRICA

GABON

Izindawo ezingu-13 zaseGabon zokulondoloza imvelo

ILopé National Park

ILoango National Park

[Izithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Umkhomo i-“humpback” nesithombe sendawo yaseLoango

[Umthombo]

Whale: Wildlife Conservation Society

[Izithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Inkawu (kwesobunxele) ne-“gorilla” (kwesokudla)

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 15]

Robert J. Ross