Kudala-dala, kwakuhlala inkawu. Inkawu yazala abantwana, kwaye abo bantwana bakhula baba nabantwana babo, ekuhambeni kwexesha inzala yabo yaphambuka yaya kwinqanaba lokuba kungasenakuthathwa njengohlobo olunye lwenkawu, kodwa babe ziintlanu. Bonke babekrelekrele kakhulu, kodwa omnye wayekrelekrele kunabanye. Ngesipho sayo sokuthetha, le mfene ikrelekrele kakhulu yanika abanye amagama: igorila, itshimpanzi, ibhonobo kunye neorangutan.
Obu bukrelekrele, nangona kunjalo, beza ngendleko. Nangona le mfene ithethayo yayikwazi ukwenza izinto ezimangalisayo, yayikwazi nokubatshabalalisa. Phakathi kwezinto ezimangalisayo eyazitshabalalisayo yayingamahlathi amaninzi awayehlala kuwo ezinye iinkawu. Elinye lamahlathi akwisiqithi saseIndonesia iSumatra, apho amalungu ohlobo oluthile lweeorangutan abambelele kula masalela endawo yokuhlala. Kwihlobo lasehlotyeni, ndiziva ndingazithembanga kunesiqhelo kwindalo endiyifumeneyo, ndaya eSumatra ngokwam, ngethemba lokudibana nomnye waba basindileyo. Indawo endandisiya kuyo yayiyi-Leuser Ecosystem, ihlathi elithe saa kumantla eSumatra, kwintshona yeziqithi ezingaphezu kwe-16,000 zaseIndonesia. Iiorangutan zazikhe zahlala kuMazantsi mpuma eAsia, kodwa namhlanje zezona ntlobo zimbini zisaseleyo zihlala kuphela kwintsalela Ihlathi lemvula eSumatra naseBorneo ekufuphi. Ii-orangutan zaseSumatran, phantse zonke ezingama-7,000 aseleyo kuzo, zihlala eLeuser — indawo ekhuselekileyo ekhuselweyo neyantlukwano yezinto eziphilayo ekhula incipha ngokuncipha ngokwahlukahlukana kwezinto eziphilayo ngonyaka. Ukugawulwa kwemithi, ukuzingelwa, kunye nokuthengisa izilwanyana ngokungekho mthethweni konke oku kudlale indima ekuphelisweni kweorangutan, kodwa oyena nobangela oyintloko yimfuno yehlabathi yeoyile yesundu, into edla ngokuveliswa kumhlaba onamahlathi.
Abalondolozi bendalo balumkisa ukuba iorangutan yaseSumatran inokuba yinkawu yokuqala enkulu yokuphela, kunye neentlobo zeBorneo ezilandela ngasemva. Okwangoku, ukuguqulwa nokutshiswa kwendawo yabo yokuhlala kumthi wesundu kunceda ukuzalisa umhlaba kunye nekhabhoni engaphezulu, esongela ubukho bethu sonke. Abahambi abangafuni kuchitha iiholide zabo becinga ngeenyaniso ezinjalo banokufuna ukunika iSumatra impazamo. I-Bali intle, ndiyakuva. Kodwa iBali ayinazo iiorangutan zasendle. Okanye amahlosi. Okanye iintyatyambo ubukhulu bamatayara etraki. Okanye umkhombe waseSumatran onqabileyo. Nangona iziseko zokhenketho zaseSumatra ziyaphucuka, esi siqithi sikhulu, esasendle, esinehlathi sihlala singaphuhliswanga kakhulu kunendawo efana neBali. Kuhlobo oluthile lomhambi, yiyo loo nto yindawo enomdla ukuya kuyo.
Iiorangutan eSumatra Iiorangutan zasendle kwihlathi laseLeuser. | Ityala: Stefan Ruiz