INairobi National Park—Isiqiwu Izilwane Ezizicanaselayo Kuso

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EKENYA

LIGAMENXE ihora lesithupha ekuseni. Empumalanga kuphuma ilanga, likhazimula kuhle kwetshe elikhulu eliyigugu elibomvu tebhu. Imisebe yalo ebikezela ukuqala kosuku, ingena ngamafasitela esakhiweni samahhovisi esiphakeme, iwenze abe nombala omuhle osagolide. Ebangeni elingengakanani ukusuka kulezi zakhiwo zamahhovisi, kwenzeka umbukwane ongokoqobo ohlasimulisayo.

Sekuyisikhashana impela ibhubesi licathamela impala eklabile, lilokhu licasha ngotshani obude. Isola ukuthi sengathi kukhona okushaya amanzi, le nyamazane icela empunzini, ibhubesi liyihlale ezithendeni. Kuqala umjaho kawafawafa. Uma liphumelele, leli bhubesi liyoyiqhobozela kungabi ndaba zalutho, kakade ezilwaneni kusinda ezinamandla.

Imijaho ehlasimulisa umzimba njengalo yenzeka mihla namalanga eNairobi National Park, engasemngceleni weNairobi, inhloko-dolobha yaseKenya. Abantu kule ndawo bangomakhelwane abaseduze bezilwane. Phela, kuthiwa ngo-1962 kwabonakala ibhubesi lizizulela ngaphandle kwehhotela elithile labadla izambane likapondo, kwazi bani, mhlawumbe unkabi wayefuna ukubuyisa indawo yakhe enkulu ake waba nayo ngaphambili. Kodwa kwénzeka kanjani ukuba izilwane nezakhamuzi zaleli dolobha bakhelane?

Isiqalo Esilukhuni

Ukusungulwa kwalesi siqiwu kwakungelula neze. Zaziziningi izingqinamba okwakumelwe zixazululwe ngaphambi kokuba izilwane zikwazi ukujabulela ukuba nekhaya elivikelekile. Zazizicanasela ngokuthanda engxenyeni enkulu yeMpumalanga Afrika, kwaze kwaba sekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20. Kule ndawo abantu bebelokhu besondelene kakhulu nezilwane zasendle, beklabisa imihlambi yabo yezimvu nezimbuzi eduze kwazo. Abanye babebheka izilwane ezithile njengemfuyo yekhethelo!

Kodwa-ke, abazingeli bezilwane ezinkulu ababehlome ngombayimbayi, abaningi babo ababefuna ukuqoqa izimpondo nezikhumba eziningi ngangokunokwenzeka njengeziqu zobuphisi babo, babe sebetheleka ngobuningi kuleli zwe. Omunye wabo kwaba ngowayekade enguMongameli wase-United States, uTheodore Roosevelt, owafika eKenya ngo-1909 ezoqoqa izinto zemvelo zeminyuziyamu yomlando. Weza nodwendwe lwezisebenzi ezingu-600 kanye nabantu ababengamaphisi ekuzingeleni, wabulala izilwane ezingaphezu kuka-500 wabe esethumela izikhumba zazo ezweni lakubo. Cishe ngaso leso sikhathi, kwafika nomunye umzingeli ongusaziwayo, u-Edward, iNkosana YaseWales. Ukwenza kwabo, kwenza abantu abaningi bazithanda izinqina zokuzingela izilwane ezinkulu. Ngeshwa, inhlamvu iyashesha futhi inganemba kakhudlwana kunezikhali zendabuko.

Ukuqedwa kukaJantshi Owubuhlanya odumile, njengoba ujantshi ophakathi kweKenya ne-Uganda wawubizwa kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi, kwavulela abantu ukuba baqale ukwakha kule ndawo ezungeze iNairobi, okwayinciphisa nakakhulu indawo yezilwane. Kwaba sobala ukuthi kwakuseduze ukudingiswa kwazo.

Khona-ke, phakathi nawo-1930, kwaba khona abantu abaqala ukuzikhulumela izilwane. Phakathi kwabo kwakukhona u-Archie Ritchie, owayengumnakekeli wezilwane ngaleso sikhathi, noMervyn Cowie, owayengumbali-mabhuku ezimali. Babiza imihlangano, basebenzisa nemithombo yezindaba ukuze banxuse kubaphathi baleli koloni ukuba kumiswe isiqiwu esasiyosiza okungenani ekunciphiseni—uma kwakungenakuvinjelwa—ukubulawa kwezilwane uyaca. Uhulumeni waba madolonzima ukuba amukele lo mqondo. Wayengazimisele ukuba kube nomhlaba owawuzosetshenziselwa kuphela ukulondoloza izimila nezilwane endaweni eyayisenqubweni yokuba idolobha elikhulu eMpumalanga Afrika.

Imizamo yokulondoloza imvelo yabuye yathola elinye igalelo elibuhlungu phakathi nempi yezwe yesibili, lapho amasosha ayeqeqeshwa onakalisa indawo isiqiwu esikuyo manje. Izilwane nazo azisindanga ekubeni izinkubela zempi. Ukuba khona njalo kwamasosha kule ndawo kwenza izilwane zaphelelwa ukwesaba kwazo umuntu, kwaba sobala ukuthi cishe zase zizoqala ukudla abantu. Ukuze kuvinjelwe isiphetho esinjalo, ezinye izilwane zabulawa, kuhlanganise nebhubesi lensikazi elidumile okwakuthiwa uLulu nomndeni walo omuhle.

Nokho, ukushintsha kwezinhliziyo zeziphathimandla, kwaxazulula eziningi zezingqinamba, ngakho ababeshisekela ukulondolozwa kwemvelo baphumelela. Ekugcineni, ngemva komzukuzuku owathatha isikhathi eside nowawugcwele iziyaluyalu, iNairobi National Park—isiqiwu sokuqala salolu hlobo eMpumalanga Afrika—yamiswa ngo-December 16, 1946, lapho uSir Philip Mitchell, umbusi weKenya eyayiyikoloni ngaleso sikhathi, esayinda incwadi yokumiswa kwalesi siqiwu.

Ipharadesi Lezivakashi

INairobi National Park incane uma uyiqhathanisa nezinye iziqiwu zaseMpumalanga Afrika. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi ingamakhilomitha-skwele angu-117, isango layo elikhulu liqhele ngamakhilomitha angaphansi kweshumi ukusuka enkabeni yedolobha laseNairobi. Nokho, udumo lwayo lwenziwa yibo kanye ubungako bayo. Zimbalwa izindawo emhlabeni ezinika isivakashi ithuba lokubona ngasikhathi sinye isimanga esiyivelakancane osibona kulesi siqiwu—idolobha elikhula ngokushesha laseNairobi eduze kwehlathi elinezilwane lase-Afrika.

Ubuncane balesi siqiwu, bunika isivakashi ithuba lokubona eziningi zezilwane ezinkulu, ngaphandle kwendlovu, ziqoqene ndawonye kunaseziqiwini ezinkulu. Sinezilwane ezincelisayo eziyizinhlobo eziyikhulu nezinhlobo zezinyoni ezingaphezu kuka-400. Lesi siqiwu siseduze komzila osetshenziswa izindiza oya esikhumulweni sezindiza zamazwe ngamazwe saseNairobi.

Umuntu ovakashele eNairobi angaphuma ngemoto ehhotela elithokomele lesimanje edolobheni, adlule izakhiwo ezinhle zamahhovisi, futhi ngemizuzu embalwa nje abe esefikile emathafeni amadala, kodedangendlale bemithi emikhulu nezihlahlana. Lapha, ungabona ngokoqobo amabhubesi nezinye izilwane ezizingelayo zijaha izilwane. Awusoze wawukhohlwa umbukwane wezilwane ezidla ezinye zijaha izinyamazane ngemva nje kwezakhiwo ezinde zedolobha elicwebezelayo.

Lesi siqiwu sinezilwane eziningi zasendle, njengezinyathi, izingwe, izingulule, izindlulamithi, izinkawu, amakhulu ezinyamazane ezincane ezinezimpondo, nobhejane ongandile futhi osengozini yokuqothulwa. Kweziningi zazo leli ukuphela kwekhaya. Ngenkathi engenazimvula yango-February no-March nango-August no-September, ungabona imihlambi emikhulu yezilwane ezifudukayo, njengezinkonkoni, ngasemachibini amakhulu aqoqa amanzi kulesi siqiwu.

Kwamanye amachibi, abizwa ngokufanele ngokuthi amachibi ezimvubu, kukhona imihlambi emikhulu yalezi zilwane ezinkulu ezimé njengemiphongolo ezihlala emanzini usuku lonke, ziphume ebusuku ziyoklaba. Emaceleni alezi zindawo zamanzi kunemizila eholela ezindaweni ezithakazelisayo lapho ukwazi khona ukushiya imoto uhambe ngezinyawo. Kodwa-ke nasi isixwayiso okufanele usiphawule: Lokho kuhamba ngezinyawo kungase kube ingozi kakhulu, njengoba kwamanye amachibi kuhlala izingwenya ezidla inyama, okungenzeka ukuthi zilele ezingwini zawo, futhi ezingase zingabonakali kumuntu oyisivakashi esingaxwaye lutho! Ukuze ugweme ukuba inyama, kungaba kuhle uhambe nomnakekeli wesiqiwu oqeqeshiwe.

Uhlu lwezinyoni lunamagama amaningi ezinyoni ezaziwayo. Intshe, inyoni enkulu kunazo zonke eziphilayo emhlabeni, ephakeme ngamamitha amabili, nayo ithole le ndawo iyindawo yokugugela. Phezulu esibhakabhakeni saleli dolobha uzobona inqe elikhulunyelwa kabi lisinga izilwane ezifile. Le nyoni engabukeki iyisibusiso kulesi siqiwu, njengoba idla ingcuba yanoma isiphi isilwane ebingase ifukamele amagciwane angaba yingozi kwezinye izilwane.

Ngesinye isikhathi ungase ubone intinginono. Ngemva kwamadletshana ayo kunesixhotshana sezimpaphe ezinjengezinsiba ezazisetshenziswa onobhala ekubhaleni. Ihlale ishesha ngaso sonke isikhathi njengokungathi iphuthuma kwenye indawo okulindeleke ukuba ifike kuyo. Ezinye izinyoni zihlanganisa othekwane, izindwa, onogolantethe, namalanda.

Nakuba lesi siqiwu sisincane, kodwa sinothe kakhulu ngemvelo. Ngasentshonalanga, kunehlathi elithatha cishe amaphesenti ayisithupha alesi siqiwu, elithola imvula ephakathi kwamamilimitha angu-700 kuya kwangu-1 100 ngonyaka. Lapha, umuntu angabona imithi eminingi kuhlanganise nombhaba (Cape chestnut) nomfire (croton) omuhle. Ngaseningizimu nangasempumalanga ukhangwa amathafa amakhulu, izigodi nezinkalo, imvula yakhona isukela kumamilimitha angu-500 kuya kwangu-700. Uqunga, amasundu asogwadule, nemithi okutholakala kuyo ubuthi obunindwa emicibisholweni, nezinhlobo eziningana zomunga sekukonke kwenza ukuba lapha kube sehlanzeni ngempela.

Siyobe asiqedile uma singaphawulanga ngezindonga zezinguzunga zamadwala eziphakeme ngamamitha ayikhulu ukusuka phansi ezigodini. Kungashikisha ufudu kwabathanda ukucaca ematsheni—okungenani uma bekhona abathandayo ukukuzama!

Isiqiwu Siyasongelwa

Izinkinga eziningi ekulondolozweni kwezilwane zasendle zihilela isici esisodwa esifanayo—umuntu. Ngenxa ‘yemizamo yokuthuthukisa’ yomuntu, kungakabiphi iNairobi National Park ingase ishabalale. Idolobha laseNairobi, idolobha okuyilona elenza ukuba leli paki laziwe emhlabeni, liyaqhubeka likhula, okwenza ukuba indawo yezilwane iye incipha njalo. Njengoba abantu abaningi behlala edolobheni, siya sikhula isidingo sendawo, kuyilapho izilwane zingeke zikwazi ukubhikisha. Namakhemikhali angamanyela ezimboni ezibudebuduze asongela noma yini ephilayo kulesi siqiwu.

Esinye isici ebesilokhu siwusizo kakhulu ekubeni lesi siqiwu siqhubeke sikhona, ukuba kwaso nomzila osetshenziswa izilwane ezithile ezifudukayo. Ingxenye enkulu yalesi siqiwu ibiyelwe ukuze izilwane zinganhlanhlathi zingene edolobheni. Ukwanda kwamapulazi namadlelo emihlambi yezimvu nezimbuzi, kuminyanisa isiqeshana esinjengephasishi esingabiyelwe ngaseningizimu yalesi siqiwu. Ukusibiyela ngokuphelele lesi siqiwu kungaba nemiphumela emibi kakhulu. Izilwane eziphumayo ziyofuna amadlelo angcono zingase zingabe zisakwazi ukubuya! Ukuze kuvikelwe lo mzila ezifuduka ngawo, i-Kenya Wildlife Service, umkhandlu ophakeme kuleli zwe wokulondoloza izilwane zasendle, wathola imvume yokuqasha umhlaba oncikene nalesi siqiwu. Naphezu kwalezi zinkinga, iNairobi National Park iyaqhubeka ikhanga izinkulungwane zezivakashi eziza minyaka yonke zizobona ubuhle bayo obunhlobonhlobo.

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Indlulamithi

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Ingwe

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Umhlambi wonogolantethe

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Ingwenya

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Ibhubesi

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Indwa

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Ubhejane

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Intshe