Riaan
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Njengoba ibekezelele impi yombango echitha igazi kusukela ngo-1983 kuze kube yi-2009, iSri Lanka manje isinokuthula futhi ithuthuka ngokushesha. Lezo yizindaba ezinhle zezwe lonke, kodwa izingwe zalesi siqhingi zisengozini.
Umlondolozi wemvelo waseSri Lanka u-Anjali Watson uthi njengoba amahlathi okuhlala kuwo izingwe egawulwa ukuze kutshalwe izitshalo futhi kwakhiwe amakhaya, amakati amakhulu ampintshana emaphaketheni ehlane angahlangani.
“Silahlekelwe izingwe eziningi,” kusho uWatson. Akekho owaziyo ukuthi bangaki ababecathama emhlabeni ngaphambi kwempi, kodwa cishe u-70% wendawo yokuhlala yezilwane ucekeleke phansi, futhi kusele izingwe ezindala ezingama-750 kuya ku-1,000 kuphela, usho kanje.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, izingwe zisengcupheni yokubanjwa ogibeni. Izicupho zocingo ngokuvamile zisethelwa izinhlobo zenyama yasehlathini, okuhlanganisa izingulube zasendle nezinyamazane, kodwa azikhethi kulokho ezikubambayo.
Izilwane zasendle ezimangalisayo zaseSri Lanka
Njengoba isilwane esizingelayo esiphambili eSri Lanka, nokuwukuphela kwekati layo elikhulu, ingwe “ifeza indima ebalulekile” esimisweni semvelo saseSri Lanka, kusho uWatson. Uthi: “Siyibiza ngesambulela, ngoba ukuthatha izinyathelo zokusindisa izingwe kuvikela zonke ezinye izinhlobo ezihlala ehlathini elihlala kuzo.
U-Watson wakhulela edolobheni lase-Colombo, kodwa “Ngangikuthanda ukuba ngaphandle ezindaweni zasendle … nginobudlelwane obuqinile nezilwane” usho kanje.
(Ividiyo ngenhlonipho kaChitral Jayatilake)
Ngo-1994 wathuthela e-Ontario, eCanada, eyofunda eMcMaster University, futhi wahlangana nomyeni wakhe wakusasa, u-Andrew Kittle.
Eminyakeni embalwa kamuva lo mbhangqwana, othanda izilwane zasendle, wawuzinze eSri Lanka. Ngo-2000 baqala uhlelo lokuhlola izingwe eYala National Park eseningizimu-mpumalanga yesiqhingi. Ngaleso sikhathi, kuncane kakhulu okwakwaziwa ngezilwane ezingatholakali kalula, kusho uWatson. Ukuze ubavikele, kwakubalulekile ukuqonda izimpilo zabo – nokubala.
Watson noKittle, abaqhubeka nokusungula i- I-Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT) ngo-2004, okwamanje basebenza ezindaweni ezine eSri Lanka. Baphenya usayizi wezingwe besebenzisa amakhamera akude athatha izithombe lapho ebona ukunyakaza. Izingwe ezibanjwa ngekhamera zingabonakala ngoba ngayinye inephethini ehlukile yamabala – futhi okujabulisayo ukuthi amabala azo awashintshi.
Funda: Iphrojekthi esekelwa i-Google iqoqa izigidi zezithombe zekhamera yezilwane zasendle
Ukufaka amakhamera ngokuvamile kuwumsebenzi onzima, kusho uWatson. Kungabandakanya ukushayela okude ku-spine-rattling, amathrekhi amatshe, ukukhuphuka izintaba, ukugwaza ehlathini, nokuhlangana ngezikhathi ezithile nezindlovu, amabhere nezinyoka, kanye nama-leeches nemikhaza.
Endle, ithimba liqoqa ingwe ukuze lithole ukuthi yiziphi izilwane ezizingelayo – izingwe azidlali futhi ukudla kwazo kuhlanganisa izinyamazane, izinkawu, izingulube zasendle, izinkumbi nonogwaja.
UWatson unethemba lokuthi imininingwane ye-WWCT izosiza ekulolongeni izinhlelo zentuthuko ezenza indawo yezingwe. Uma amaphasishi aphakathi kweziqephu zehlathi kanye nezindawo eziyisivikelo ezizungeze izindawo ezivikelekile evikelekile, kokubili abantu nezilwane bangachuma. UWatson uzinikele ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi lezi “zidalwa ezinhle nezinhle kakhulu” ziyasinda.
