Ukulondoloza IPachyderm Enokuthula

“AKE uzibuke nje lezozingane ezinhle! Yeka indlela ezithandeka ngayo! Ingabe usho ukuthi loyamfo oza nganeno, okuthiwa uLanka, unezinyanga eziyisikhombisa nje kuphela ubudala? Futhi leyansikazi elaphaya enamahloni, uKanchana, inezinyanga eziyisishiyagalombili ubudala? Futhi zonke izingane ezigijimayo ziphuma ehlathini ezinoboya bobungane obuqinile obuphuma kuwo wonke umzimba, zenzani? Oh, akumangalisi, sekuyisikhathi sokudla! Ziphiwa ukudla kahlanu ngosuku bese zinikwa amabhodlela anobisi ayisikhombisa isikhathi ngasinye, ibhodlela ngalinye liqukethe ilitha eligcwele? Phela, lokho kungamalitha angu-35! Yingakho ngayinye yazo inesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-90, naphezu kokuba zinezinyanga ezimbalwa nje ubudala!”

SisePinnawela Elephant Orphanage eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-85 ukusuka eColombo, idolobha elikhulu laseSri Lanka. Lapho izingane zezindlovu ezishiyiwe noma ezilimele zitholwa endle, zilethwa kulendawo yezintandane futhi zikhuliswe zize zibe zindala. Ngesikhathi sivakashile cishe kwakukhona ezingu-15. Ngokusobala zihlanganiswa nezindala futhi zibekwe endaweni enkulu yehlathi eliwudedangendlale, kodwa ngesikhathi sokudla izingane ziyabizwa ukuba zizothola ubisi lwazo. Lezintandane ziza ngokushesha lapho futhi zithole oyedwa kubanakekeli abathathu noma abane abalindile bephethe amabhodlela agcwele ubisi.

Zigoqa imiboko yazo phezu kwekhanda, zikhamise kakhulu, futhi zigwinye ngokushesha ngangokusemandleni kuyilapho umnakekeli ephakamise ibhodlela futhi ethela. Asikho isikhathi sezimbotshana ezincane kulamabhodlela! Ubisi luyawulukuhlela futhi ngezinye izikhathi luchithekele emaceleni omlomo. Enye, enkulu kunezinye, yayiboshelwe esigxotsheni ngeketanga ukuze ezincane zithole ithuba. Icasuke kakhulu ngenxa “yalolubandlululo,” izishayisa ngapha nangapha, iphakamisele phezulu umboko wayo, futhi ibange umsindo omkhulu wokulwa. Lapho lezingane sezisuthi, ziyakuzungeza, zincike kuwe, zize ngisho zizongolozele umboko wazo emlenzeni wakho ukuze uzinake.

Indawo Yokugeza Yezindlovu

Ngasekupheleni kosuku, yisikhathi sokugeza. Zonke izindlovu, ezinkulu nezincane, ziyaqhutshwa zewuke nomgwaqo ibanga eliyingxenye yekhilomitha ziye osebeni loMfula iMaha Oya. Awujulile futhi ubanzi kakhulu unamatshe ayisicaba amakhulu avele phezulu emanzini. Kuleyondawo kukhona abesifazane abathathu noma abane abahlanza izingubo zabo, bezibhula emadwaleni ukuze kuphume ukungcola, bese bezineka ukuze zome. Uma ukude kubonakala njengezindwangu ezihlotshisiwe ezinemibala emihle ezendlalwe phezu kwamadwala. Ihlathi elikhulu elicinene lihlukanisa usebe lweMaha Oya. Lwakha indawo enhle kanye nendawo enkulu yokugeza izindlovu.

Azichithi isikhathi, zigxambukela phakathi, izingane zihola phambili. Nokho zonke zimadolonzima ukulala phansi. Ngakho abanakekeli bazo bazithela ngamanzi bese beziqhubukusha ngezinduku ezinde. Ngaleyondlela sezikhuthaziwe, izindlovu zishona phansi emanzini ukuze zicwile emanzini aqabulayo. Ezinye ezinkulu zilala phansi zicwilise amakhanda emanzini kodwa ziveze ngaphandle ichopho lemiboko yazo ukuze ziphefumule ngalo. Ilanga belishisa, futhi kumelwe ukuthi amanzi ayathoba ezikhunjeni zazo ezinohlonze—igama lazo elithi pachyderm lisho “isikhumba esinohlonze.”

UMnu. Bradley Fernando, umqondisi wezoo yesizwe, uyena umphathi walesikhungo sezintandane. Utshela abePhaphama! injongo yalezoo: “Okokuqala, simane nje sifuna ukugcina lezingane zezindlovu ziphila. Futhi ngokwenjongo yesikhathi eside, sihlose ukwakha umhlambi wokuzalanisa.”

Kodwa yisiphi isitha lepachyderm yaseAsia engaba naso? Nakuba incane kakhulu kunomzala wayo waseAfrika, indlovu endala yaseSri Lanka isenesisindo esingamathani amane noma ngaphezulu futhi inobude obungamamitha amathathu uma imile. Lobo bukhulu obungako bubodwa banele ukuba besabise abahlaseli abaningi. Ingwe eSri Lanka, njengamabhubesi namahlosi kwamanye amazwe, ihambela kude ngempela nendlovu.

Ngakho yini engaba isitha? Umuntu. Indlovu idinga indawo; umuntu ufuna indawo; umuntu uyayithola indawo. Futhi indlovu yaseSri Lanka ibhekene nokuqothulwa. Okungenani, yileyondlela iAsiaweek ebona ngayo izinto:

“Amakhosi asendulo aseSri Lanka ayekubheka njengokuwumsebenzi ongcwele ukuvikela izilwane zasendle. Ayekhipha imithetho—mhlawumbe imithetho eyayingeyokuqala yomhlaba yokulondoloza imvelo—akha izindawo eziyisiphephelo ezizungeze amadamu okunisela ngenkasa ayewakhile. Ukuzingela kwakuvunyelwa futhi kwenziwa kwezinye izindawo, kodwa indlovu yayingalokothi ibulawe ngenjongo yokudla noma umdlalo. Futhi kwakungamakhosi kuphela ayenegunya lokubanjelwa lesilwane futhi siqeqeshelwe udwendwe lwasebukhosini kanye nolungokwenkolo noma sisetshenziswe njengezilwane zasekhaya zokuthwala. Phakathi nesikhathi sokubusa kwamakoloni konke lokho kwashintsha. Izindlovu zazibhekwa njengezilwane zokuzingelwa noma zemidlalo.”

Impucuko Iletha Inkathazo

Ezinsukwini zakudala indlovu yayingalokothi ibulawe ngenxa yomdlalo, kodwa lapho kufika impucuko yaseNtshonalanga—futhi ifika nabezemidlalo—izinto zashintsha. Kuthiwani ngomzingeli wendlovu? Incwadi iSketches of the Natural History of Ceylon, ngoJ. Emerson Tennent, iyaphawula: “Esinye isikhulu, uMajor Rogers, wabulala ezingaphezu kuka-1400; esinye, uCaptain Gallwey, unodumo lokubulala ezingaphezu kwengxenye yalelonani; uMajor Skinner, uKomishinali wezeMigwaqo, cishe ezilingana nalezo; futhi labo abangakushisekeli kangako babulala ezimbalwa.”

UTennent ngokuqhubekayo wathi uhulumeni wamakoloni wawunikeza osheleni abathile ngendlovu eyodwa ebulawayo—zazibhekwa njengezinambuzane. Eminyakeni embalwa, lomklomelo wawusutholwe abangu-5 500. UTennent uyaphetha: “Ukubulawa kwezindlovu okuqhubekayo ngabadlali eCeylon [manje okuyiSri Lanka] kubonakala kumane nje kuwukuvumela ithonya lokuthambekela ekubhubhiseni, ngoba isidumbu asisetshenziselwa noma iyiphi injongo ewusizo, kodwa siyashiywa ukuba sibole futhi singcolise umoya wehlathi.” Uphondo lwendlovu lwalungesona isici esiyimbangela eSri Lanka, ngoba “ayikho neyodwa indlovu kweziyikhulu etholwa inamazinyo eCeylon, futhi ezimbalwa ezinawo zingamaduna kuphela.”

IAsiaweek ilandisa indlela inani lezindlovu elancipha ngayo kusukela ngezikhathi zamakoloni naphakathi nazo: “Ihlathi lazo elilondoloziwe, lingasavikelwe isinqumo senkosi, lasuswa ukuze kulinywe itiye. Ngo-1800 kwakunezindlovu cishe ezingu-50 000 esiqhingini. Ngo-1900 zazingu-12 000. Namuhla, ngisho nangemva kweminyaka engu-50 yemithetho eqinile yokulondoloza imvelo, inani lazo lingaphansi kuka-3 000.” IAsiaweek iyaphika futhi ukuthi uphondo lwendlovu luyisici esikhulu esiyimbangela yokubulala, nakuba ithi isilinganiso sezindlovu ezinamazinyo singeyodwa kwezingu-20 kunokuba sibe eyodwa kweziyikhulu. Ibe isisho isizathu sangempela sokuba sengozini kwezindlovu zaseSri Lanka: “Usongo lwangempela ukufuna komuntu indawo okungapheli. Njengoba indawo ezungeze indawo yazo yokuhlala engokwemvelo iya ilinywa, izindlovu zaseSri Lanka zibhekana nokuqothulwa.”

IYala National Park

UDkt. Ranjen Fernando, umongameli weWildlife and Nature Protection Society yaseSri Lanka, watshela abePhaphama! ukuthi: “Ikakhulu ngenxa yemizamo yenhlangano yethu, indawo yokuqala yokulondoloza izilwane zasendle yamiswa njengesiqiwi sezilwane eYala ngo-1898. Ngo-1938 iYala yaba yipaki lethu lokuqala lesizwe, futhi amanye aqhubeka enezelwa. Lamapaki siwabheka njengegugu lesizwe futhi sifuna aqhubeke eyisivikelo sazo zonke izilwane zethu zasendle eziyigugu.”

Sasihlele uhambo lokuya eYala National Park, futhi ukukhuluma kukaFernando ngayo kwamane nje kwakhulisa isithakazelo sethu. Sababonga abanakekeli bezilwane basePinnawela Elephant Orphanage ngenxa yomusa wabo kanye nobuntu abasibonisa bona, savayiza sivalelisa izindlovu eziyizintandane nezindala zisajabulela ukugeza eMaha Oya (angiqiniseki ukuthi zabona), futhi salibangisa eYala National Park.

Sachitha ubusuku obuthathu lapho kuyibungalow esogwini lolwandle. Umqondisi wasizungezisa ukuze sibone izilwane—awuvunyelwa ukuba uphume emotweni. Sabona inyamazane, izingulube zasendle, oxamu abaningana abakhulu, izinyoni eziningi ezinhle. Elinye ipikoko lavula isisila salo esihle futhi lenza umdanso wokweshela, izidleke zamahlokohloko zazilenga ezihlahleni, futhi onogolantethe abanemibala egqamile babehlaba umxhwele ngobuhle babo obukhulu. Sadumazeka ngokungaboni ngisho neyodwa ingwe, nakuba zikhona lapho. Nokho, sabona imihlambi eminingana yabangane bethu abadala izindlovu zaseAsia. Zazibonakala zinokuthula futhi zanelisekile endaweni yazo eyipaki evikelekile.

Indlovu iyayidinga indawo enkulu. Futhi njengoba inani labantu landa, indawo yokulima iya iba indlala futhi idingeka. Abezokulondolozwa kwemvelo bezwakalisa ukukhathazeka okukhulayo ngokuthi ukuzimisela kukahulumeni ukusindisa izindlovu kuyohlala kuqinile isikhathi esingakanani. Isikhathi kuphela esiyosho.—Ngumlobeli we“Phaphama!”

[Izithombe ekhasini 15]

Ngesikhathi sokugeza izindlovu ziyanxenxwa ukuba zilale phansi emanzini, lapho ezisebenzisa khona imiboko yazo njengezimbobo zokuphefumula

[Izithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Izingane zezindlovu ezashiywa ziyizintandane ehlane ziyanakekelwa zize zikhule ePinnawela