Lapho Umntwana We-gorilla Ekhala

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ECAMEROON

UPitchou, i-gorilla eyinsikazi, wazalelwa ehlathini elisenkabeni ye-Afrika. Lapho uPitchou enonyaka cishe owodwa, abazingeli babulala unina nawo wonke amalungu omkhaya wakubo wama-gorilla ukuze bawadle. Ngenxa yokuthi uPitchou wayesemncane kakhulu ukuba angabulawa athengiswe njengenyama, wayekwa kodwa wathengiswa njengesilwane sasekhaya. Kodwa uPitchou wagula futhi wayekhala njalo.

UPITCHOU ungelinye lama-gorilla ayizinkulungwane ayizintandane. Kunezizathu eziningi eziye zabangela lesi simo esidabukisayo. Esinye ukuhweba ngokungemthetho ngenyama yezilwane zasendle. Besizakala ngokuthi izindawo zokudlela ezithile nabanye abantu bafuna inyama yalezi zilwane, abazingeli abangochwepheshe bazingela emahlathini imini nobusuku. Kukhona nabahwebi abaphethe amabhizinisi endawo nawamazwe ngamazwe angenisa imali, kodwa angekho emthethweni, athengisa lezi zilwane nenyama yazo.

Isizathu sesibili sihilela ukugawulwa kwamahlathi okungenamingcele. Lapho kubhujiswa amahlathi, izilwane zilahlekelwa ikhaya, indawo yokucasha nezindawo zokudla nezokuzalela. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lezi zizathu ezimbili zincikene. Kanjani? Phakathi kokunye, izindawo ezigawuliwe zivulela abazingeli indlela elula yokungena emahlathini, lapho izilwane ezididekile futhi ezingenamakhaya ziba yizisulu ezilula khona. Ezinye izici zihlanganisa ukwanda kwenani labantu, isidingo sokudla okunamaprotheni, ukwanda kwamadolobha nezindlela zokuzingela ezithuthukisiwe, kanye nezimpi nokwanda kwezibhamu okuwumphumela. Ngenxa yalokho, ama-gorilla nezinye izinhlobo zezilwane sezisengcupheni yokuqothulwa, okuye kwaholela kulokho okubizwa ngokuthi inkinga yamahlathi angenalutho. Kodwa lokho kungase kungabi ukuphela kwenkinga. Kanjani? Ngokwesibonelo, ngokusiza ekusakazeni imbewu, izilwane zinengxenye empilweni nasekulondolozweni kwezinhlobonhlobo zezimila emahlathini. Ngakho uma kuphela izilwane, izimila nazo zingathinteka.

Kodwa, ukubulawa kwazo kuyaqhubeka. Ezingxenyeni ezithile zaseNtshonalanga Afrika, phakathi nenkathi nje eyiminyaka eyishumi, inani lama-gorilla lancipha laba ngaphansi kwengxenye yeshumi yenani langaphambili. Ochwepheshe bezilwane zasendle eCameroon bathi: “Uma ukuzingela okungemthetho kuqhubeka, maduzane azobe engasekho ama-gorilla endle.”a

Ukusindisa Izintandane

Esabela kulesi simo esilusizi, amaqembu alondoloza imvelo, njengeLimbe Wildlife Centre, engaphansi kweNtaba iCameroon eNtshonalanga Afrika eningizimu neNkabazwe, alwela ukuvikela izinhlobo zezilwane ezisengcupheni. Kulesi sikhungo saseLimbe, izivakashi zingabona ama-gorilla, amashimpanzi, izinkawu, nezinye izinhlobo ezingu-13 zezimfene, kanye nezinhlobonhlobo zezinye izilwane. Eminyakeni yamuva nje lesi sikhungo siye sanakekela izilwane eziyizintandane nezingenamakhaya ezingaba ngu-200, sazinikeza indawo ephephile, ukudla nokunakekelwa kwezempilo. Enye indima yalesi sikhungo iwukufundisa izivakashi eziningi ezivela eCameroon, emazweni angomakhelwane nasemhlabeni wonke ngokulondolozwa kwemvelo. Lezi zivakashi zibe ngaphezu kuka-28 300 ngonyaka othile muva nje.

Lokhu kusibuyisela emuva kuPitchou. Zidatshukiswa ukuzwa lo mntwana we-gorilla ekhala, izibukeli ezikhathazekile zamthenga kubazingeli zamyisa kulesi sikhungo. Lapho lo mntwana efika, wahlolisiswa emtholampilo wakulesi sikhungo. Ngaphandle kokuhlukumezeka ngokomzwelo, wayekhwehlela, ephelelwe amanzi emzimbeni, engondlekile, ehuda futhi enezilonda esikhunjeni. Ngenxa yezinkinga zesikhumba, wethiwa ngoPitchou, okusho “amabalabala” ngolimi lwendawo. Ngokujabulisayo, uPitchou walulama lapho elashwa futhi akudingekanga ukuba ahlinzwe, okuyinto isikhungo esiyenzayo uma kudingeka.

Njengoba kuvamile ngezilwane ezifika kulesi sikhungo, uPitchou wachitha izinsuku zokuqala ezingu-90 evalelwe yedwa. Kamuva wahlanganiswa namanye ama-gorilla angu-11 enkanjini ngaphandle, efana nehlathi lemvelo. Izisebenzi zajabula lapho ama-gorilla asekhulile esamukela ngomusa lesi sifiki. Lokhu akuyona into engavamile, futhi ngenxa yalokho, uPitchou waba ingxenye yaleli qembu ngokushesha.

Ukusondelana eduze kwalezi zilwane nabantu abazinakekela kwakha izibopho eziqinile. Ukubona okwenziwa kulesi sikhungo kungasiza isivakashi ukuba siqonde umthwalo uNkulunkulu awunika abantu lapho eyala umbhangqwana wokuqala ukuba ubuse umhlaba nezilwane ezikuwo.—Genesise 1:28.

Ikusasa Liziphatheleni Lezi Zintandane?

Umgomo oyinhloko walesi sikhungo uwukuzibuyisela endle lezi zilwane. Kodwa lokho akuwona umsebenzi olula. Izilwane ezijwayele ukunakekelwa abantu ngokuvamile azikwazi ukuziphilela zodwa. Ngakho ziphinde zibe sengozini yokuzingelwa. Amazwe amaningana ase-Afrika aye enza isivumelwano sokwakha izindawo ezivikelwe ezihlanganisa amazwe amaningana nokuthuthukisa ukunakekelwa kwalezo esezikhona. Sithemba ukuthi lawo malungiselelo ayokwenza kube lula ukudedela izilwane eziyizintandane zibuyele endle futhi kuthuthukise ukulondolozwa hhayi nje kwama-gorilla kuphela kodwa kwazo zonke izilwane zasendle kule ndawo.

Okwamanje, izimpawu zibonisa ukuthi amathonya amabi—ukuhaha, ubumpofu, ukwanda kwabantu ngokushesha nokugawulwa kwamahlathi—ayoqhubeka enomthelela omubi kuma-gorilla nezinye izilwane. Uma ingathuthukiswa ngokushesha indlela yokuwavikela, uFelix Lankester, umphathi weLimbe Wildlife Centre uthi “cishe amanani ezilwane zasendle ayoncipha ngendlela engenakunqandeka. Umphumela . . . ungaba ukuqothulwa kwazo kanye izilwane zasendle esisebenza ngazo.”

Yeka inhlekelele! Kodwa kuyinhlekelele enkulu nakakhulu ukubona abantu bengondlekile futhi benezifo nokubona izingane, ezinezisu ezinkulu namehlo akhalayo, zibulawa ukuswela ukudla. Ngokusobala, inkinga kaPitchou igcizelela isimo esidabukisayo sawo wonke umhlaba—ikakhulukazi ukungalingani kwabantu nokungabi nabulungisa.

Ngokujabulisayo, uMdali uyakubona okwenzeka emhlabeni. Maduzane uzosusa zona kanye izimbangela zesihluku, ukuhlupheka nokuqothulwa kwezinto eziphilayo futhi amise ukuvumelana okuhlala njalo phakathi kwazo zonke izinto eziphilayo.—Isaya 11:6-9.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Izithombe ekhasini 22, 23]

UPitchou ngaphambi kanye nangemva kokuba eseluleme

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Inkawu i-“guenon” enamadlebe abomvu

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Imfene inakekela umntwana wayo

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Umnyango wesikhungo saseLimbe

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Ukunakekela uBolo, i-“gorilla” eyintandane

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 23]

All photos pages 22 and 23: Limbe Wildlife Centre, Cameroon

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24]

Both photos: Limbe Wildlife Centre, Cameroon