I-quetzal—Inyoni Ekhazimulayo
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ECOSTA RICA
ICOSTA RICA ihlanganisa ingxenye yomhlaba engaphansi kwamaphesenti angu-0,03, nokho inezinhlobo zezinyoni ezingu-875 ezaziwayo. Ngokomunye umthombo, lelo nani lingaphezu kwalezo ezitholakala eCanada zihlangene nezase-United States. Ngakho-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi iCosta Rica iye yaba yindawo eyinhloko abasingi bezinyoni abaya kuyo. Masihambe nawe ukuze sibone enye yalezi zinyoni, i-quetzal ekhazimulayo.
Ngasekuqaleni kuka-1500, umnqobi waseSpain uHernán Cortés wafika eMexico. Lapho, ama-Aztec amupha isipho somqhele owenziwe ngezimpaphe ze-quetzal. Amakhosi ama-Aztec kuphela ayenelungelo lokuhloba ngezinto ezihlonipheké kangako. Kungenzeka ukuthi izimpaphe ze-quetzal eziluhlaza zazibhekwa njengeziyigugu kakhulu kunegolide.
Namuhla le nyoni enhle ngokubabazekayo inendawo enkulu kakhulu ehlala kuyo kusuka eMexico kuya ePanama. I-quetzal ungayithola emahlathini anamafu asezintabeni eziphakeme ngamamitha angu-1 200 kuya kwangu-3 000. Amafu asemahlathini abangelwa ukukhuphuka komoya oshisayo ophola ngokushesha. Umphumela kuba izitshalo ezichumayo unyaka wonke eziba luhlaza cwé nezihlahla ezinkulu ezifinyelela amamitha angu-30 noma ngaphezulu enkungwini.
Cishe ebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-200 enyakatho yeSan José kuneSanta Elena Forest Reserve—indawo enhle kakhulu yokubuka i-quetzal isendaweni yayo yemvelo. Ngosizo lomqondisi, siqala ukwanelisa isifiso sethu sokubuka i-quetzal ekhazimulayo. Ngenxa yombala wayo oluhlaza, le nyoni kunzima ukuyibona ngoba ivele ifane namaqabunga asehlathini. Umqondisi wethu uqala ukulingisa ukukhala kwayo okupholile nokuzothile. Lokhu kukhala kufana nokunswininiza komdlwane. Eqinisweni, lapho ezwa ukukhala kwe-quetzal omunye wesifazane eqenjini lethu wacabanga ukuthi kunenja edukele kuleli hlathi!
Khona manjalo, ebangeni elingamamitha angu-15 phezulu egatsheni, kulunguza eyeduna ngokwesaba. Uma ubuka ngesibonakude, imibala yayo ekhazimulayo iba mihle nakakhulu kunalokho esasikucabangile. Isifuba sayo sibomvu klebhu, kanti izimpaphe zayo ziluhlaza cwé. Okwenezela ekukhazimuleni kwayo, yizimpaphe ezimhlophe zesisila sayo, kanye nezimbili eziluhlaza ngokubenyezelayo. Njengoba zibizwa ngokuthi ama-streamer, ngokuvamile ziba ngamasentimitha angu-60 ubude. Kuhle ngempela futhi kunikeza ukuthula kwengqondo ukubuka i-quetzal iqhwakele phezulu egatsheni nesisila sayo eside silenga emoyeni.
Ukubuka i-quetzal kungokuhlangenwe nakho okuvelele. Eqinisweni, umqondisi wethu waphawula ukuthi ngokuvamile umuntu uyibona esephindele izikhathi ezingaphezu kwesisodwa ehlathini. Isikhathi esingcono kakhulu sokubuka ama-quetzal yilapho akha izidleke, esiqala ngo-March kuya ku-June. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi angase abe namaqembu amabili, ngalinye elinamaqanda amabili.
Uma sesibuyela ehhovisi lale ndawo yokulondolozwa kwemvelo, sizwa enye i-quetzal. Intweza ngokuthula nesisila sayo eside, ihlala egatsheni elisebangeni elingengaphezu kwamamitha amahlanu ukusuka lapho sihleli khona! Umqondisi usitshela ukuthi ilahlekelwe yiphuphu esidlekeni. Ubaba uhamba isihlahla nesihlahla efuna umntanakhe. Sithola ukuthi cishe amaphesenti angu-25 kuphela amaqanda asindayo aze achamuselwe. Amanye adliwa yizinto ezinjengezingwejeje, ama-toucanet aluhlaza, ama-jay ansundu, ochakide nama-tayra. Enye inselele ekusindeni kwama-quetzal ihlanganisa indawo yezidleke zawo, ezinjengezimbobo ezibholwe yiziqopha-mithi, ama-quetzal azakha eziqwini zemithi emidala phakathi kwamamitha amathathu kuya kwangu-20 ukusuka phansi. Uma kuna izimvula ezinkulu, lezi zimbobo zingamuka noma ziwe.
Sithola nokuthi ukudla okuthandwa i-quetzal ukwatapheya wasendle. Ihlala egatsheni ibuke ukwatapheya olenga egatsheni lesihlahla esiseduze. Bese ibhakuzelisa amaphiko ayo, igxume ihlale izithonto esisulwini, igxavule isithelo ngomlomo, iphindele esidlekeni sayo. Isigwinya sonke isithelo bese kuthi kamuva emizuzwini engu-20 kuya kwengu-30 ibuyise inhlamvu enkulu kakwatapheya.
Lapho efuna okwatapheya basendle, ama-quetzal aya emithambekeni ehlukene yeContinental Divide. Ngokwesibonelo, kusukela ngo-July kuya ku-September asuke ehlala emthambekeni wePacific. Bese kuthi ngo-October aye ohlangothini olungaseCaribbean ukuze adle ukwatapheya osuke usanda kuvuthwa.
Njengoba siwela ibhuloho elibanjwe ngamakhebula elingaba amamitha angu-30 ngaphezu kwehlathi, i-quetzal icishe izithele phezu kwethu! Kubonakala sengathi le nyoni beyisafuna ukudla ngesikhathi sinqamula endleleni yayo. Eyensikazi ihlala ngaphezudlwana nje kwethu, iyasinyonkoloza ngoba siyiphazamisile.
Sitshelwa nokuthi esinye isithelo asithandayo amajikijolo, amila emahlathini anameva. Njengoba ama-quetzal endizela phansi ukuze athathe isithelo, ngezinye izikhathi izimpaphe zezisila zawo zibambeka emeveni bese ziyaphuma. Nokho, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi izimpaphe zezisila zazo ziyahluma.
Ngale ndlela le nyoni ingaphila ngokuvumelana negama layo. Igama elithi “quetzal” lisuselwa egameni lesi-Aztec elithi “quetzalli” elisho into “eyigugu” noma “enhle.” Ngeshwa ubuhle bayo buye babangela usongo ekusindeni kwe-quetzal. Eqinisweni, i-quetzal ibalwa phakathi kohlobo lwezilwane ezisengozini. Azingelwa ngenxa yezimpaphe zawo, ezithengiswa njengezikhumbuzo. Ezinye zalezi zinyoni ziye zabanjwa ziphila ukuze zithengiselwe ukufuywa. Nokho, ngokomqondisi wethu, i-quetzal manje isijabulela ukuvikelwa okungokomthetho ekuphangweni okunjalo.
Nokho enye into esongela ukusinda kwayo ukugawulwa kwamahlathi, okuholela ekubeni ingabi nandawo. Ukuze kuvikelwe le nyoni ekhazimulayo nezinye izilwane zasendle, cishe indawo engamaphesenti angu-27 eCosta Rica iye yabekelwa eceleni njengendawo elondoloziwe.
Uhambo lwethu lokuyobona i-quetzal luye lwaba olunomvuzo ngempela. Yiqiniso, ungase uwubone umqhele owenziwe ngezimpaphe ze-quetzal owaphiwa uHernán Cortés eBritish Museum eLondon. Kodwa izimpaphe ze-quetzal zithakazelisa kakhulu uma uzibona enyonini ephilayo ehlathini! Okwamanje, okungenani ama-quetzal asendle ayaqhubeka ejabulela inkululeko nokuvikeleka okusesilinganisweni emahlathini anamafu eMelika Ephakathi.