Ihlakaniphe Kangakanani Indlovu?
“Angikholelwa ukuthi ‘indlovu ayikhohlwa,’” kubhala esinye isiphathi-mandla uJim Williams, encwadini yaso iElephant Bill. Nokho, uJim wayeyazisa kakhulu inhlakanipho yalezilo ezazisetshenziswa inkampane yezihlahla zokwakha ifenisha eBurma lapho ayeqashwe khona. Wathola ukuthi indlovu ingafundiswa ukwenza ngokuvumelana neziyalezo zezwi lomlomo ezingama-24 ezihlukene kuhlanganise neziyalezo eziningi ezenziwa buthule ngokunyakaza komzimba walowo oyigibele. Isenzakalo esilandelayo simayelana nendlovu ebizwa ngokuthi uBandoola nomgibeli wayo waseBurma uPo Toke:
“UPo Toke wayekujabulela kakhulu ukubukisa ngamandla kaBandoola . . . Wabeka izinto eziyishumi phambi kwakhe—imbazo, isaha, amaketango amathathu angalingani, isando, njll.
“‘Nginikeze isaha,’ esho ngesiBurma.
“UBandoola wabheka okleleni lwamathuluzi futhi ngokushesha wadlulisela isaha kuPo Toke ngomboko wakhe.
“‘Kulungile, libeke phansi,’ esho. ‘Manje nginike isando.’ Naso futhi sathathwa ngaphandle kokulibala; kwase kuba yiwo wonke amanye amathuluzi ngokulandelana ngaphandle kwephutha.
“‘Uyinsizwa enhle enkulu,’ kusho uPo Toke, futhi kwabonakala sengathi uBandoola wayekulindele lokho kutuswa.
“Khona-ke uPo Toke wehla ngasenhloko yendlovu, wabamba ngezandla zakhe iketango elilodwa ngasekugcineni kwalo wayesetshela uBandoola ukuba alibophe libe ifindo. Lokhu wakwenza ngokuzimisela okukhulu, elisonta ngomboko wakhe laba ifindo isandla somuntu esasingeke sibe namandla okuliqaqa. Nokho, lapho uBandoola etshelwa ukuba aliqaqe, wenza kanjalo njengokungathi kwakuyintanjana nje. UTreve [indodana kaWilliams] wajabula.
“‘Oh, angenza okwedlula lokho,’ kusho uPo Toke ngokuziqhenya. ‘Wozani nizobona angakwenza ngesihlahla.’
“Wahamba naye izinyathelo ezimbalwa waya lapho kwakumila khona imithi emincane. Manje zonke iziyalezo zazinikezwa ngaphandle kwezwi lokuyala—sasingekho isihlalo sokuhlala kuyo, singekho nesiswebhu—ukucindezela nje kwethanga lakhe umqala wesilwane nokuthinta ngobhozo [we-oozie, (umqhubi wendlovu)] ngemva kwendlebe yaso.
“Ngaso sonke isikhathi, uPo Toke wayesibonisa ukuthi yini ayezocela uBandoola ukuba ayenze, khona-ke adlulisele izifiso zakhe buthule esilwaneni, leso amandla aso okuhlukanisa ayengavelele ngempela. Sambona esabela ohlwini lweziyalezo ezikhishwa buthule. Ejikela kwesobunxele—ejikela kwesokudla—ebhekisa ikhanda lakhe phansi—ebhekisa ikhanda phezulu—edonsela igatsha phansi—ecindezela umuthi phansi—edonsa umuthi omncane, noma avikele umuthi omncane.”—Kuvela kuyiThe Footprints of Elephant Bill, kaSusan Williams.
Kudingeka ziphi izimfanelo lapho uqeqesha indlovu ukuba isabele kanjalo? Unya noma umusa? “Njengoba ukulalela kwendlovu ngokwengxenye enkulu kungenxa yothando lomzwelo,” kuchaza umlobi wesifazane ongenhla, “ukuqeqeshwa kwayo kumelwe kwenziwe ngobumnene nangomusa omkhulu.”
Ukuqeqesha kumelwe futhi kuqale lapho isilwane sisesincane. Ukuqeqeshwa kukaBandoola kwaqalwa onyakeni wakhe wesithupha. Okokuqala wasetshenziswa njengesilwane sokupakisha, futhi wacatshangelwa njengokhule ngokwanele ukuba enze umsebenzi onzima wokuthwala izingodo kuphela lapho eseneminyaka engama-20. Ingabe ukuqeqesha okunjalo okudinga ukubekezela kuwufanele umzamo? Ngokusobala kunjalo. Indlovu endala ingadonsa izingodo ezisindayo cishe iminyaka engama-35. Zingaki izimoto zanamuhla ezithwala izinto ezihlala isikhathi eside kangako?