Dylan Bettencourt
Njengoba kusele ama-bongos asezintabeni ase-Kenya angaphansi kwangu-100 endle, ukusinda kwezilwane ezisengozini kube wusizo olukhulu njengoba ezinhlanu zidedelwa endaweni engcono.
I-mountain bongo, iyinyamazane enkulu yase-Afrika, ibhekwa njengesengozini enkulu. I-International Union for Conservation of Nature ithe cishe lezi zilwane zizoqhubeka nokuncipha uma kungekho okwenziwayo.
I-bongo ifana nediye, ngokuvamile isilwane sasebusuku. Ama-Bongo abonakala ngesikhumba esibomvu kanye nemibala enobumnyama nobumhlophe nezimpondo ezinde ezithandelene kancane. Yizona kuphela izinyamazane ezinobulili obungafani nezimpondo. Ukubalwa kwezilwane zasendle kwakamuva kubike ukuthi sekusele ama-bongo angu-96 kuphela e-Kenya.
Kule minyaka engamashumi amabili edlule, i-Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (iMKWC) kanye ne-Kenya Wildlife Service bezilokhu zenza uhlelo lokuthi zizalisane.
Inani lama-bongo angu-18 abuyiselwe e-Kenya evela eziqiwini ezingu-14 ezahlukene eMelika.
Ezinhlanu zalezo zikhululiwe zabekwa endaweni engcono ye-Mawingu ngoLwesithathu.
Lezi zilwane zazizulazula ezindaweni eziningi zase-Kenya kodwa ngeminyaka yango-1950, inani lazo lehla ngokushesha ngenxa yokuzingela ngokungemthetho, ukuhweba ngezilwane zasendle, izilwane ezizingelwayo kanye nezifo.
“Umsebenzi wangempela usuqalile manje. Kufanele siqinisekise ukuthi izilwane ezikhishiwe ziyakwazi ukuchuma futhi ziphile endaweni ephephile ezibekwe kuyo, ekugcineni, nasendle,” kusho iNhloko yosizo lwezilwane e-MKWC uDkt Roberto Aruho.
“Lesi isiphetho somsebenzi ozinikele wokongiwa kwemvelo osekuphele cishe amashumi amabili eminyaka waqala. Kuchaza isinyathelo esisodwa esibaluleke kakhulu ekusindeni kwama-bongo emlandweni.”
Kuhlelwe ukuthi ama-bongo ayishumi akhishelwe endaweni ephephile unyaka ngamunye ngezigaba ezinhlanu njalo ezinyangeni eziyisithupha.
Ngo-2025, indawo ephephile inethemba lokuthi izoba nama-bongo angu-50 kuya kwangu-70 avuselelwe ngokuphelele.
Ama-bongo angezinye zezilwane ezivelele e-Kenya, asengozini enkulu futhi atholakala e-Kenya kuphela. Ukuvulwa kwendawo ephephile kuyisinyathelo esibalulekile sokusiza ukufeza uhlelo lokwandisa kabusha,” kusho uNajib Balala, uNgqongqoshe Wezokuvakasha Nezilwane Zasendle.
Nakuba kungase kuthathe iminyaka eminingana, ukukhula kwama-bongo ase-Kenya kubalulekile ekongiweni kwezilwane zasendle hhayi nje ezweni kodwa e-Afrika yonkana.