“Izwe Elilahlekile” EBolivia

NGO-1906 umongameli we-Britain’s Royal Geographical Society waxoxa noSigaxamabhande uPercy Harrison Fawcett ngamathuba amakhulu ezomnotho ayekhona eNingizimu Melika. Ebonisa uFawcett ibalazwe, wathi: “Bheka le ndawo! Inezindawo eziningi ezingakhiwe ngenxa yokuthi kuncane kakhulu okwaziwayo ngayo.” Wabe esenika lo sigaxamabhande umsebenzi wokuyoyihlola. UFawcett wawamukela.

Ezincwadini zakhe, uFawcett wachaza ngemithambeka egcwele amahlathi njengamanje eseyaziwa ngokuthi iHuanchaca Plateau eBolivia. Wabiza le ndawo ngokuthi “izwe elilahlekile.” * Abathile bakholelwa ukuthi izincwadi zikaFawcett nezithombe kwashukumisela umbhali waseBrithani uSir Arthur Conan Doyle ukuba abhale incwadi ethi The Lost World, echaza izwe eliyinganekwane “labantu-nkawu” nezibankwakazi ezisabekayo okuthiwa zaphila kwaze kwaba phakathi nenkathi yethu. Namuhla, le ngxenye ye-Amazon engonakalisiwe ihlanganisa iNoel Mercado National Park enhle yaseBolivia, eyamiswa njengeNdawo Yamagugu Omhlaba ngonyaka ka-2000. *

Njengoba sisenyakatho-mpumalanga ekude yeBolivia ngasemngceleni weBrazil, lesi siqiwu sicishe sibe yihlane elingonakalisiwe elingaba amakhilomitha-skwele angaphezu kwangu-15 000. Lesi siqiwu sinezimiso zemvelo ezinhlanu, inkangala enehlathi elihlale liluhlaza, ihlathi lezihlahla ezivuthukayo, inkangala engamathafa omile, nenamanzi kanye nehlathi elinamanzi. IHuanchaca Plateau iwumthambeka onamatshe echoba ongamakhilomitha-skwele angu-5 180 ophakeme ngamamitha angu-550 phezu kwethafa elizungeze le ndawo elingamakhilomitha angu-150 ubude ukugudla umngcele wesiqiwu ongasempumalanga. Imifula eminingi ekuleli thafa nendawo ezungezile igelezela ezimpophomeni ezingaba ngu-20, ezihlanganisa iSalto Susana Falls, iFederico Ahlfeld Falls, iGemelas Falls ne-El Encanto Falls.

Ukuqala Kohamba Lwethu

Nakuba ngandlela-thile ukuba kude kwaso kusivikela, lesi siqiwu sikhanga izivakashi, iningi lazo eliza ngezindiza lisuka eSanta Cruz, enkabeni yeBolivia. Sanquma ukuhamba ngemoto ibanga elingamakhilomitha angu-700, okwasenza sawabona kahle amaphandle aseBolivia. Kwenye indawo phambi kwethu sabona okuthile okwakusengathi ifu lamaqabunga liphithizela ngaphesheya komgwaqo. Kodwa la “maqabunga,” kwakuyizimvemvane, futhi akuthina sodwa esasizibuka. Kwakunenqwaba yezibankwa ezilambile ezazizitamuzela lezi zisulu ezineshwa.

Lapho sifika esiqiwini, edolobhaneni laseLa Florida elisosebeni lweParagua River, sahlangana nowayezosibonisa sona, uGuido. UGuido wasithatha kanye nemoto yethu wasinqamulisa umfula ngesikebhe, futhi ukusuka lapho sahamba ibanga elifushane ngemoto saya eLos Fierros. Endleleni sabona impungushe nozavolo onesisila esimi njengesikele—inyoni enhle eyayilokhu indiza ngaphesheya komgwaqo.

Ngemva kokulala ngalobo busuku, savuswa umsindo ohoshozelaya wezinyoni—kwakungopholi abane abahle abanombala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nophuzi bethe chwa esihlahleni ngaphandle. Kwakusengathi bayamemeza bathi, “Siyanamukela ekhaya!” Le ndlela emnandi yokuqala usuku lwethu lokuqala esiqiwini yabonisa ukuthi sisazojabula ngempela.

 Kugcwele Izinto Eziphilayo

Isiqiwu iNoel Kempff Mercado National Park sinezinhlobo zezinyoni ezingaphezu kuka-600, izinhlobo zezilwane ezincelisayo ezingaphezu kuka-139 (eziningi kunazo zonke izilwane zaseNyakatho Melika), izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zezilwane ezihuquzelayo, cishe nezinhlobo zezimvemvane ezingaba ngu-3 000—ingasaphathwa eyezinye izinambuzane ezingenakubalwa. Izinyoni zihlanganisa nezinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-20 zopholi, ukhozi okuthiwa i-harpy, intinginono ne-manakin. UNick Acheson, obonisa abantu izinyoni kule ndawo noyisazi sokulondolozwa kwemvelo, wasitshela ukuthi “izinyoni ezingavamile ezinjengehlokohloko elibomvu emaceleni elincane kakhulu nomdendeliswe onombala omnyama nompofu, zikhanga abathandi bezinyoni abavela kuwo wonke umhlaba.”

Phakathi kwezilwane eziningi ezincelisayo kunohlobo olukhulu lwesambane, izimpisi ezinomhlwenga, izingwe okuthiwa ama-jaguar, izinhlobo zezintibane okuthiwa i-peccary ne-tapir, kanye nenyamazane etholakala emathafeni avundile. Imifula eminingi ezungezile negeleza isuka kulesi siqiwu nayo igcwele izinto eziphilayo ezihlanganisa izinhlobo ezingu-62 eziphila emanzini nangaphandle nezinhlobo zezinhlanzi ezingu-254 kanye nezingwenya nemithini emikhulu yasemanzini, ama-capybara kanye namahlengethwa amahle abomvana. Lesi siqiwu ngempela siyipharadesi labathandi bemvelo!

Ngenxa yamakati amakhulu ase-Amazonia, izivakashi eziningi ziyakhathazeka ngokulondeka—nathi sasizizwa ngendlela efanayo. Umphathi wendawo yokugxumeka amatende eLos Fierros wasixoxela ngobusuku bakhe bokuqala kuleli paki. “Ngavuka phakathi kwamabili ngizizwa ngishiywa yigazi kusengathi kukhona obengibhekile. Ngalunguza ngefasitela le gumbi engangilele kulo ngabona ingwe ingijamele, sihlukaniswe nje isisefo sokuvimba izinambuzane! Ngithuthumela, ngazikhiyela endlini yokugeza kwaze kwaba sentathakusa.” Sasingafisi ukuzwa into enjalo!

Kodwa lo mphathi wabe eseqhubeka: “Ngokushesha ngathola ukuthi le ngwe yensikazi enelukuluku yayivamile ukuhambahamba ebusuku futhi ayibhekwa njengeyingozi. Empeleni, ngezinsuku ezishisayo izingwe okuthiwa ama-jaguar ngokuvamile ziyangena kule ndawo zilale kovulandi bala magumbi abanama-tile apholile. Njengoba ungase ucabange, lokhu kungaba umbono osabekayo kubantu abaqalayo ukufika! Esikhathini esidlule, sasivame ukuphatha izibhamu, ikakhulukazi lapho sihamba nezivakashi ebusuku, kodwa manje asisaziphathi. Izilwane azikakashintshi; kodwa isimo sethu sengqondo ngokuphathelene nazo esishintshile.” Noma kunjalo, wasixwayisa ukuba sizihloniphe zonke izilwane zasendle.

Ukuhamba Ehlokozini Siya EziMpophomeni Zase-El Encanto

Izimpophoma eziningi zakulesi siqiwu ziyakhanga kakhulu. Uhambo lwethu saluqala ekuseni kakhulu noGuido owayesiqondisa siya eziMpophomeni zase-El Encanto, eziphakeme ngamamitha angu-80 ukusuka eThafeni laseHuanchaca. Ngemva kokuhamba ibanga elingamakhilomitha ayisithupha ehlathini lemvula, sabingelelwa izinkawu okuthiwa ama-spider nama-howler ezazisezihlahleni. Zombili lezi zinhlobo ayazifanela amagama azo ngoba inkawu okuthiwa i-spider inezandla nemilenze emide ngokulinganayo kanti lena okuthiwa i- howler ibanga umsindo omkhulu ongazwakala ukude ngamakhilomitha amathathu! Buqamama, inyoni enentamo ebomvu ethi ayifane negalikuni,  okuthiwa i-piping-guan, yanqamula endleleni esasihamba kuyo ifuna ukudla kwayo kwasekuseni. UGuido wasibonisa izinyathelo zesilwane esithile osebeni lomfudlana. Ngeso lakhe eliqeqeshiwe wakwazi ukubona izinyathelo zezinhlobo ezimbili zezinyamazane, kuhlanganise ne-tapir, i-jaguar ne-cougar. Saba nomuzwa wokuthi amehlo azo zonke izinhlobo zezilwane ayesibhekile ezindaweni eziningi ezihlukahlukene zokucasha nokuthi emini nasebusuku le ndawo igcwala izinto eziphilayo.

Lezi zilwane eziqaphile zinehlokozi elikhulu ezingacasha kulo, ngoba isimo sale ndawo nezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zezinto eziphila kulesi siqiwu kusekela inqwaba yezimila ezinhlobonhlobo. Empeleni, kulinganiselwa ukuthi kunezinhlobo zezimila ezingaphezu kuka-4 000 ezikhula kahle kule ndawo, kuhlanganise nezinhlobo zezimbali ezingaphezu kwekhulu, kanye nezinhlobo eziningi zezihlahla, izinhlobo zohlinzamfuku (ferns), ama-bromeliads kanye nemivini. Sajabulela ukubona imibala nokuhogela iphunga elimnandi njengoba sidla izithelo eziconsisa amathe ezimile eceleni kwendlela. Lezi zithelo zazihlanganisa isithelo esithi asifane nogwava okuthiwa i-mangaba, noganandela.

Ekugcineni, njengoba siwela umfudlana, saqala ukuzwa umsindo wamanzi ovela kude owawuya ukhula njengoba sisondela. Ngokungazelelwe, saphumela endaweni evulekile, futhi phambi kwethu kwakunezimpophoma ezinkulukazi okuthiwa i-El Encanto Falls, futhi ingxenye yazo ephansi igcwele inkungu. Uhlinzamfuku nama-bromeliad kwakuhlobise izindonga zedwala elizungeze ichibi elicwebile. UGuido wathi: “Ngezinsuku ezishisayo izinkawu ziza lapha zizobhukuda.” Senza njengazo nathi sabhukuda, phakathi naso sonke leso sikhathi sijabulela ubuhle obungonakalisiwe, ukuthula kwengqondo nomsindo omnandi wamanzi ezimpophoma okule ndawo.

Ukulondolozwa Kwemvelo—Ifa Elashiywa UNoel Kempff Mercado

UNoel Kempff Mercado isazi sokulondolozwa kwemvelo wafa ngo-1986. Kodwa, umsebenzi awuqala wokuvikela le ngxenye yeBolivia usaqhubeka. Ngo-1996 uhulumeni waseBolivia nowase-United States bavumelana ngokuvikela amahektare ayizigidi ezingu-880 000 ehlathi lemvula nokuqinisa umzamo wokuthuthukiswa kwale ndawo bezama ukunciphisa amagesi abamba ukushisa kwezinye izingxenye zomhlaba. Ngonyaka olandelayo uhulumeni waseBolivia nezinye izinkampani ezintathu zamandla waqala umsebenzi weNoel Kempff Climate Action Project, phakathi kwezinye izinto ezenziwa ukuthathwa kwamalungelo okugawula imithi ehlathini elingamahektare angu-880 000. Le ndawo yabe isifakwa ngaphansi kwalesi siqiwu okwenza ubukhulu baso baphindeka kabili.

Ukuvakashela kwethu kule ndawo enhle kangaka kwakhulisa ukwazisa kwethu ngoMdali nangobuhle nokuhlukahluka kwezinto eziphilayo azibeke emhlabeni. IHubo 104:24 lithi: “O Jehova, yeka ukuthi miningi kangakanani imisebenzi yakho! Yonke uyenzé ngokuhlakanipha. Umhlaba ugcwele imikhiqizo yakho.” Ngempela, njengoba sasihamba emizileni yaleli “zwe elilahlekile” elingonakalisiwe, saba nesifiso sokuhamba kancane ukuze sibukisise lobu buhle futhi sibuyele ekhaya nenqwaba yezithombe kanye nezinhliziyo ezichichima izinkumbulo ezinhle.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Izimbali ezibomvu nezinsomi

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

I-Ahlfeld Falls, ephakathi esiqiwini

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Opholi

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

I-El Encanto Falls

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 15]

Aerial: ® 2004 Hermes Justiniano/​BoliviaNature.com

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 17]

Orchid, Ahlfeld Falls, and macaws: ® 2004 Hermes Justiniano/BoliviaNature.com