Umshisekeli wezilwane zasendle uSrilal Miththapala uthulela isigqoko u-Tilak, isihlabani sodumo saseYala National Park, oshone izolo.
Ngezikhathi zantambama edlule izintambo zocingo zabashisekeli bezindlovu abambalwa bezihlabelela njengoba izindaba ezidabukisayo zokushona kungazelelwe kuka-Tilak, umvubu omkhulu wase-Yala zingena zingena.
Imibiko yokuqala iveze ukuthi indlovu yalimala ngesikhathi ilwa nolunye uphondo.
Ngokungafani “nomngane” wakhe osemusha wakudala nodume kabi uGemunu, u-Tilak akakaze agqame. Eqinisweni, u-Tilak wayephikisana ngqo noGemunu.
Ubumnene buka-Tilak obunomusa nobumnene buvumele izinkulungwane zezivakashi ithuba elimangalisayo lokubuka enye yezilwane ezinkulu kunazo zonke eSri Lanka, eduze, futhi izithombe zakhe ziningi, njengoba kubonakala emibhalweni eminingi ku-Facebook ngemva kokushona kwakhe. Asikho nesisodwa isigameko esibhalwe phansi sanoma yikuphi ukusebenzelana okunonya nalesi silwane esimnene, ngokwazi kwami.
U-Tilak wayebonakala ehlala e-Yala "phakade," njengoba iningi lethu labavakashi abavamile e-Yala lingakhumbula. Kumelwe ukuba wayeneminyaka engaba ngu-55 ubudala futhi kungenzeka ukuthi wayeyingane enkulu nendala kunazo zonke kuleli paki. Amazinyo akhe amakhulu ayegobile phakathi, kwesokudla ngaphezu kwesobunxele. Ngokukhula ngeminyaka, u-Tilak ubevame ukubonakala endaweni engaphandle engaphandle kwepaki, eduze nomgwaqo omkhulu, mhlawumbe ngenxa yokuthi ubenokuncintisana okuncane kwezinye izindlovu kule ndawo kunangaphakathi kwepaki.
Ukugcina kombhali ukubona u-Tilak, cishe unyaka odlule, ngaphandle nje komnyango wepaki eduze komgwaqo omkhulu. Isithombe © Srilal Miththapala
Ngenxa yobumnene bendlovu, abaningi bethu abaxoxayo nabafunda ngezindlovu zasendle sibathakasele lesi sigameko.
Okokuqala, kuyivelakancane ukuthi izindlovu esezikhulile zibe nokuxabana okukhulu, uma kubhekwa izinga lazo eliphezulu lobuhlakani kanye nempilo yenhlalo ethuthuke kahle. Okwesibili, uma kubhekwa inhlonipho evamile yokubusa embusweni wezindlovu zasendle, akuvamile kakhulu ukuthi enye indlovu “encane” ithathe i-tusker enkulu kangaka njengoTilak. Okwesithathu, kumelwe ukuba kwakuwukuhlasela okunonya nokushesha ukuba isilwane esikhulu kangaka sife ngokushesha kangaka ekulimaleni kwaso.
Ubonwe izivakashi zingena epaki ngezikhathi zantambama zayizolo (Juni 14, 2017), watholwa eshonile ngesikhathi bephuma epaki ngabo-6:30 ntambama.
Mhlawumbe isithombe sokugcina esithathwe uTilak cishe ngehora lesi-3 ntambama ngoJuni 14, 2017, imizuzu embalwa ngaphambi kwesigameko. / Isithombe sihlonishwa ngu-Gayan waseCinnamon Wild
Imibiko ikhomba ukuthi umhlaseli kungenzeka kube indlovu engaziwa, enezinyo elilodwa eke yabonakala endaweni engaphandle kwepaki ehlala uTilak. Ngitshelwa ukuthi kwakunamanxeba amathathu ajulile (izimpawu zokubhoboza eyodwa ezazibonisa ukuthi kungase kube yizinyo elilodwa elidale umonakalo, ngokungafani nezimbobo zokubhoboza kabili zamazinyo angamawele), elilodwa noma ngaphezulu ebelingabulala.
Elinye lamanxeba okubhoboza ajulile. / Isithombe sihlonishwa ngu-Gayan waseCinnamon Wild
Ngemva kokuhlolwa kwesidumbu, njengoba kuyisiko lapho kufa isilwane endaweni eqhelile, iziphathimandla zezilwane zasendle zanquma ikhanda lendlovu zaliyisa ehhovisi elikhulu ukuze lingcwatshwe endaweni evikelekile. Uma lokhu bekungenziwanga, abantu abangathembekile bebezomba izinsalela bese beba amazinyo ayigugu futhi ayingqayizivele eTilak. Ngikholwa ukuthi isidumbu sikaTilak esisele sizongcwatshwa lapho kwafela khona indlovu.
Ukuhlolwa kwesidumbu kuyaqhubeka. / Isithombe sihlonishwa ngu-Roshan Jayamaha
Ngokuvamile ngemva kwezinyanga eziyisi-6-8 ithuna lingambiwa futhi amathambo angabuyiswa, lapho uhlaka lwamathambo esilwane lungakhiwa kabusha.
Sekuvele kunezingcingo ezivela kwabaningi zokuthi kufanele kwakhiwe uhlobo oluthile lwesikhumbuzo sesikhumbuzo sikaTilak emnyango wepaki. Ngingacabanga esikhundleni sokukhweza uhlaka lwamathambo olungabonakali, iziphathimandla kufanele zizame ukwenza kabusha imodeli enkulu elingana nempilo yale ndlovu ebabazekayo ezokhonjiswa emnyango wepaki ukuyikhumbula.
Mhlawumbe ngeke kwephuze kakhulu ukuhlola ngokushesha izindlela zokuzama ukuthola usizo lwe-taxidermist olufanele ukuze kulondolozwe izinsalela ngendlela efanele ukuze ziboniswe esikhathini esizayo.
Ngakho-ke, "i-Gentle Giant of Yala" ayisekho. Ipaki izoba nesizungu ngaphandle kwakhe, futhi izivakashi zesikhathi esizayo ezizovakashela leli paki ngokungangabazeki zizophuthelwa ithuba lokubona le ndlovu ebabazekayo, kodwa izindlela zemvelo ngezinye izikhathi zinonya futhi zinonya. Ukuphila endle kuyaqhubeka emjikelezweni wakho ongapheli.
Okungenani singaduduzeka ngokuthi u-Tilak waphila waze waguga (izindlovu zasendle ziphila cishe iminyaka engama-60), futhi wabhekana nokufa kwakhe okungazelelwe ezandleni zomunye wohlobo lwakhe, hhayi ngenhlamvu yomzingeli othile.
Lala ngokuthula mngane wethu othandekayo, futhi sibonga izikhathi ezimnandi osiphe zona. Kwangathi inhlabathi yekhaya lakho Yala ingahlala kancane kuwe.
Umbhali, u-Srilal Miththapala, udlulisa ukubonga kwakhe kuDkt. Sumith Pilapitiya, uGayan, i-Senior Naturalist eCinnamon Wild; Chamara, Senior Naturalist at Jet Wing Yala; kanye no-Roshan Jayamaha ngokunikeza ulwazi olusha oluvela kusayithi kanye nezithombe.
IZITHOMBE: U-Tilak ushone ekulimaleni kwakhe ngoJulayi 14, 2017.
