PHAKATHI ehlathini elisenkabazwe ye-Central African Republic kunegugu lemvelo abangakaze balibone abaningi. Sabekezelela uhambo olungamahora angaphezu kwangu-12 ezindleleni ezimagebhugebhu ukuze sifinyelele eDzonga-Ndoki National Park, isiqiwu esisengxenyeni eseningizimu-ntshonalanga yaleli zwe, phakathi kweCameroon neRepublic of Congo. Umgomo wethu kwakuwukubona uMakumba, i-gorilla lasemathafeni asentshonalanga kanye nomndeni wakhe.

Umqondisi wethu wasitshela ukuba sihlale sindawonye njengeqembu futhi siqaphele izindlovu, ngoba sasizohamba emizileni ezihamba kuyo nsuku zonke lapho zifuna ukudla. Kodwa sasingakhathazekile ngezindlovu nje kuphela. Umqondisi wethu wasixwayisa, “Uma i-gorilla liza ligijima lifuna ukukuhlasela, yima unganyakazi ubheke phansi. Ngeke likulimaze; liyobanga umsindo nje kuphela. Ungalibuki neze emehlweni. Empeleni, ngikuthola kuwusizo ukuvele ngicimeze.”

Thina nomqondisi wethu sasiholwa umuntu okwazi ukuthungatha izilwane ovela esizweni samaBaAka, iqembu labantu elibhekwa njengabaThwa ngenxa  yokubukeka nokuba bafushane kwabo. Lo muntu ongungoti wothungatha izilwane ukwazi ukuthola isilwane esikwazi ukuzifihla ngokusibona ngisho noma sicashile, ngokuzwa iphunga nemisindo esiyenzayo. Sazungezwa iqulo lezinyosi. Kwakunzima ukuhambisana naye njengoba yena echusha kalula ehlathini eliminyene.

Ngokushesha lo chwepheshe wokuthungatha izilwane wasiholela ehlathini elalingakaze ligawulwe nalapho bembalwa nje abantu baseNtshonalanga abake bafinyelela kulo. Kungazelelwe, wavele wama waphakamisa izandla esibonisa indawo enkulu eseduze nalapho sasikhona. Kule ndawo sabona izihlahla ezihlephukile notshani obunhlakanhlaka lapho kwakukade kudlala khona ama-gorilla asemancane, kuhlanganise namagatsha axetshuliwe naphukile—izinsalela zokudla kwasekuseni. Ilukuluku lethu laya ngokuya likhula njengoba sasiqhubeka sihamba.

Ngemva kwamakhilomitha angaba mathathu, umthungathi waqala ukuhamba kancane. Ukuze angawethusi ama-gorilla, wenza imisinjwana ngolimi. Bude buduze, sasiyizwa imisindo yawo ezwakala njengokufohloza amagatsha. Umqondisi wethu wasiqhweba. Ebeka umunwe emlonyeni wakhe, wathi asithule dú. Wasitshela ukuba sigobe, sisinge phakathi kwezihlahla. Ebangeni elingaba amamitha angu-8 phambi kwethu, sambona uMakumba!

Ihlathi elalikade linomsindo lathula cwaka, izinhliziyo zethu kuphela esasizizwa zishaya. Empeleni sasizibuza ukuthi, uMakumba uzosihlasela na? UMakumba waphenduka wasibheka ngobuso bakhe obunesikhumba esiqinile, futhi ngemva kokusibukisisa wabe esesamukela ngokuzamula. Kwathi gidi, kithi!

Nakuba ngolimi lwesi-Aka igama elithi “Makumba” lisho “iJubane,” phakathi nesikhathi esasikule ndawo ngaso, uMakumba wayejabulela nje ukuzidlela ukudla kwasekuseni engajahile. Buqamamana, kwakudlala ama-gorilla amabili asemancane egingqagingqana futhi ekitazana. USopo, i-gorilla elinamehlo amakhulu elinezinyanga eziyishumi wayedlala eduze kukanina, uMopambi, owayemdonsa kahle njalo lapho esethanda ukuqhela kuye ngenxa yokuba nelukuluku. Wonke umndeni wawuhlephula amaqabunga namagatsha noma udlale njengeqembu, udé usijeqeza ngemva kwalokho uziqhubekele nokudlala.

Ngemva kwehora, saphela isikhathi esasinaso. Kubonakala sengathi noMakumba wayesekhathele yithi, wabhodla kwaba kanye wabe esenombela ezihlahleni ngezandla zakhe ezinkulu wangena phakathi ehlathini. Ngokuphazima kweso, umndeni wonke wanyamalala. Nakuba sachitha isikhathi esincane nje nalezi zilwane ezimangalisayo, asisoze sakukhohlwa lokho esakubona.