Arthur Greene
Ngosuku okwakunetha ngalo imvula ngoMfumfu nyakenye izelamani ezintathu ezaziseqenjini lezinja zasendle zase-Afrika zahlukana neqembu zahamba ibanga lamakhilomitha angu-2,000 zinqamula iNingizimu ye-Afrika.
Uhambo lwazo zisuka empumalanga ne-Zambia ziya e-Zimbabwe luvezwe nguDkt Scott Creel oyisazi semvelo eNyuvesi ebizwa nge-Montana State kanti udaba lalezi zinja luchazwe kuleli sonto i-New York Times.
UCreel nethimba lakhe ohlelweni lwe-Zambian Carnivore bafaka ikhola kwinja eyodwa kulezi zontathu ebhalwe ukuthi i-EWD 1355 oneminyaka emithathu ubudala.
Ithimba laqopha ukunyakaza kwe-EWD esikhathini esiyizinyanga eziyisikhombisa futhi lalibuka njengoba le nja nodadewabo ababili bebalekela izingozi zezingwenya, amabhubesi kanye nabazingeli ngokungemthetho emzamweni wokuzisindisa.
Izinja zasendle zase-Afrika ezibizwa ngokuthi i-Lycaon pictus ziphakathi kwezilwane ezincelisayo ezisengozini yokushabalala emhlabeni. Zibulawa abazingeli abangekho emthethweni, ukwanda kwabantu kanye nezifo ezinjengamarabi. Ngisho nangaphakathi kwezindawo zabo zokuhlala zisuke zingaphephile.
Ngesikhathi u-EWD kanye nodadewabo besuka belibangise e-south-west besuka esigodini sase-Luangwa empumalanga ne-Zambia kwakunengozi enkulu yokuthi bangangasinda e-odyssey.
“Kuyisimangaliso ukuthi basinda,” kusho uMatthew Becker isikhulu esiphezulu kanye nomphathi wohlelo lwezilwane ezidla inyama etshela i-Times.
“Baningi abazingeli abebengaqeda ngalolu hambo olumangalisayo.”
Ingozi yokuqala ababhekana nayo kwakungumfula i-Luangwa. Izinja ezintathu zama kancane zabheka ngaphesheya kwesithiyo esinezingwenya esingamamitha angu-90 ububanzi. Izinja zokuzingela zase-Afrika ziyasabeka futhi ziyingozi, kodwa emanzini kusuke kubusa izigwenya bezingeke zibe sethubeni uma zihlangana nezingwenya.
Noma kunjalo umfula zazingakwazi ukuwuzungeza ngakho-ke zaqhubeka nohambo.
Ngosuku olwandulela uKhisimusi lezi zinja zasendle zafika e-Great Rift Valley zacabanga ukuhlala lapho, kodwa zaphinde zajika.
Ngemuva kwezinyanga ezimbili zifike ku-Great Easter Road umgwaqo ohlanganisa i-Lusaka e-Zambia uya e-Lilongwe e-Malawi zikwazile ukuvika isiminyaminya ukuze zifinyelele ngaphesheya njengoba bekudingeka zihambe ezindaweni ezihlala abantu ukuze ziwele umngcele wase-Mozambique.
Ngemuva kokunyathela emngceleni wase-Mozambique, e-Zimbabwe nase-Zambia phakathi kukaNdasa noNhlaba lezi zinja zasendle zitholakale zisemaphethelweni ase-Lusaka.
Bezidonwa elinye iqulu lezinja zasendle eziyingozi edolobheni zinethemba lokulanda ezinye ukuze zihlale khona lapho.
Kuze kube imanje u-EWD kanye nodadewabo basaqhubeka nokuhamba nezinja zase-Zambezi. Sebehambe amakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-2,000 okuphindwe kabili kuleli rekhodi langaphambilini phakathi kwezinja zasendle zase-Afrika.