Vaitō Murchison​—Konga Laulōtaha ʻo ʻIukanitā ʻi he Nailá

“Ko e vaitō lahi taha eni ʻo e Nailá.”​—Tokotaha-Fakatotolo Pilitānia ko Sir Samuel White Baker.

KO E ngaahi vaitoó kuo nau puke maʻu pē ʻa e tokanga mo e ofoofo ʻa e kakaí. Ko e ongo fakafiemālie ʻo e haʻaki ʻa e vaí ʻi he maka ʻi laló mo e hauhau mālūlū mo mokomoko ʻo e vai ʻoku faʻa aafu hake mei he vaitoó ʻoku maʻu ai ʻe he kau ʻaʻahi taʻefaʻalaua ʻa e ngaahi houa fakafiemālie.

ʻOku ʻikai toe kehe mei ai ʻa e Vaitō Murchisona ʻi ʻIukanitaá. Ko e Vaitafe Nailá ʻoku lele ia ʻo laka ʻi he maile ʻe 4,000 (kilomita ʻe 6,400), pea ʻoku ui ʻe he niʻihi e vaitō ko ení ko e tafaʻaki fakaholomamata taha ia ʻo e vaitafé. Ko e moʻoni, ʻoku ʻikai te ne maʻu ʻe ia ʻa e māʻolunga ʻo e Vaitō Angel ʻi ʻAmelika Tongá pe ko e lahi ʻo e Vaitō Victoria ʻi ʻAfiliká pe ko e Vaitō Niagara ʻi ʻAmelika Tokelaú. Neongo ia ko e fakaʻofoʻofa mo e mālohi ʻo e Vaitō Murchison ʻoku fakaueʻiloto tuʻuloa.

Hisitōlia ʻo e Vaitō Murchison

Ko e Vaitō Murchison ko e tafaʻaki pē ia ʻe taha ʻo e feituʻu sikuea maile ʻe 1,483 (sikuea kilomita ʻe 3,841) ʻoku faʻuʻaki ʻa e Paʻake Fakafonua Vaitō Murchison. Ko e paʻaké, ʻoku tuʻu ʻi he tokelau-hihifo ʻo ʻIukanitaá, naʻe fokotuʻu ia ʻi he 1952. Naʻe ʻaʻahi ki he vaitoó ʻa Baker ʻi he 1860 tupu siʻí. ʻI heʻene tohi ko e Albert N’yanza, ʻokú ne fakamatala ai ki heʻene fuofua mamata ʻi he vaitoó.

“ʻI heʻemau afe mai ʻi ha tuliki,” ko ʻene tohí ia, “ne ʻasi fakafokifā mai ai kia kimautolu ha mātanga fisifisimuʻa. . . . Ko e vaitoó naʻe hinaekiaki, ʻa ia ne fakaʻofoʻofa ʻaupito ia ʻi hono fakahoa ki he lilifa lanu fakapoʻupoʻuli ne ʻalu ki ʻolunga he ongo tafaʻaki ʻo e vaitafé, lolotonga ia ʻoku hanga ʻe he ʻulu paame fakaʻofoʻofa ʻo e talopikí mo e ʻulu hopá ʻo fakakakato e fakaʻofoʻofa ʻo e mātangá. Ko e vaitō lahi taha eni ʻo e Nailá.” Naʻe muʻaki uiʻaki ʻe Baker ʻa e vaitoó e hingoa ko e Vaitō Murchison ʻi hono fakalāngilangiʻi e palesiteni ʻo e Royal Geographical Society.

Ngaahi Founga ki Hono Mamataʻí

Ko ha founga lelei ki hono mamataʻi ʻo e vaitoó ko e heka vaka. ʻOku kamata ʻa e heká ʻi he taulanga Paraa pea ʻoku ʻoange ai ki he kau ʻaʻahí ʻa e hokosia fakafiefia ʻo e heka ʻo ʻeva ʻi he Nailá lolotonga hono siofi e fanga manu kaivaó ʻi ha mamaʻo feʻunga. ʻOku anga-maheniʻaki ai e sio ʻi he fanga hipopotamá kae toe pehē foki ki he fanga manu ʻAfilika lalahí ʻa e fanga ʻelefānité, fanga kalokatailé mo e pafaloó. Ko e meʻamoʻui kaivao fisifisimuʻa ʻi he Nailá ʻe aʻu nai ʻo ne fakatupunga fakataimi ke ngalo ʻi ha tokotaha ʻaʻahi ʻene taumuʻa ke sio ʻi he vaitoó. Ka ʻi heʻene aʻu pē ki he vaitō hinaekiakí ʻa ia ʻoku hā ngali haʻaki mālohi mai he vahavahaʻa maka ʻi ʻolungá, ʻokú ne mahinoʻi ai e ʻuhinga naʻe mātuʻaki fakaueʻiloto ai kia Baker.

Neongo ʻoku fiefia ʻaupito e kau ʻaʻahi tokolahi ʻi he mamataʻi mei ha vaka ʻa e vaitoó, ko e mamataʻi mei ʻolungá ʻoku ʻi ai hono tuʻunga fakatoʻoaloto makehe pē ʻoʻona. ʻOku pehē ʻe he niʻihi ko e lelei tahá ia. Mei aí ʻoku lava ai ke sio ha taha ʻi he fālahi ko e fute ʻe 160 (mita ʻe 49) ʻo e Nailá ʻi heʻene tafe mālohi ki ha ava ʻoku fakafuofua ki he fute ʻe 20 fālahi (mita ʻe 6) pea toki ngangana hifo ai ʻi he fute ʻe 130 (mita ʻe 40). Kuo fakamatalaʻi eni ko e “taha ia ʻo e tatafe mālohi taha ʻo e vaí ʻoku maʻu ʻi ha feituʻu pē ʻi he māmaní.” ʻOku ongoʻi he taimi ʻe niʻihi ʻe he kau ʻaʻahí ha kiʻi ngalulu ʻa e kelekelé ʻi he kokolo mālohi ʻa e vaí ʻo tafe ki he tafaʻaki ʻe tahá.

ʻOku talanoa ʻa Baker fekauʻaki mo e fakaueʻiloto kiate iá ki muʻa pē ke ne sio ʻi he vaitoó. Naʻá ne pehē naʻá ne fanongo ki he ongo hangē ha maná lolotonga haʻane ʻeveʻeva pongipongia. Naʻá ne pehē ko e longoaʻá naʻe haʻu mei ha mana ʻi he mamaʻó ka naʻá ne ʻohovale heʻene ʻiloʻi ko e haʻu mei he vaitoó.

ʻI he taʻu taki taha, hangē ko Baker, ʻoku ofo ai ʻa e laui afe ʻi he fakaʻofoʻofa mo e mālohi fakaofo ʻo e mātanga fakaholomamata ko ení. Ko e sio ki he mālohi ʻo e vai ko ení heʻene ngangana lōloa hifo ki laló ko ha hokosia ia ʻoku fakangalongataʻa. Ko e Vaitō Murchison ko ha konga laulōtaha moʻoni ia ʻo e Nailá.

[Fakamatala ʻi lalo]

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Paʻake Fakafonua Vaitō Murchison

ʻI ha savea he 1969 naʻe ʻiloʻi ai ne moʻui ʻi he paʻaké ha fanga hipopotama ʻe toko 14,000 nai, fanga ʻelefānite ʻe 14,500, mo e fanga pafalō ʻe 26,500. ʻI he ngaahi hongofuluʻi taʻu talu mei aí, naʻe hoko ʻo hōloa lahi ai ʻa e tokolahi ʻo e fanga manu ko iá. Ki muí ni mai, tupu mei he ngaahi feinga ke fai hono fakatolongá, ʻoku toe ʻalu hake ai honau tokolahí. ʻI he taimi ní ʻoku toe hoko ai ʻa e vaotaá ko e ʻapi ia ki he fāmili ʻo e fanga ngeli tokolahi hangē ko e fanga simipanisií, mo e pāpuní, lolotonga ia ko e ngaahi tafangá ʻoku kaikai ai ʻa e fanga manu hangē ko e fanga silafí mo e kalasi ʻo e fanga tiá ko e Jackson’s hartebeest. Ko hono moʻoní, ʻoku lahi hake he kalasi ʻe 70 ʻo e fanga manú mo e kalasi ʻe 450 ʻo e fanga manupuná kuo ʻiloʻi ʻoku nau ʻi he paʻaké.

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All photos pages 24 and 25: Courtesy of the Uganda Wildlife Authority