Umhlaseli Othulile

UMA wake wahamba ehlashaneni ebusuku, kungenzeka wezwa umsindo wosizi wabahlaseli abathulile—izikhova. Njengoba okungenani kunezinhlobo ezingu-145 zezikhova emhlabeni jikelele, abantu abaningi bangasondela ngokwanele ukuze bezwe ukukhala kwesikhova. Isikhova esivamile i-barn siyatholakala kuyo yonke iNyakatho neNingizimu Melika, eYurophu, e-Afrika, nasezingxenyeni eziningi ze-Asia, kanye naseTasmania nakwezinye izindawo zase-Australia. Yini eyenza isikhova siphawuleke?

Okokuqala ngqá, ubuso namehlo aso. Ukwakheka kobuso kuyahlukahluka kuye ngezinhlobo, kodwa ngokuvamile ‘sinekhanda elikhulu elibanzi elinensephunsephu yezinsiba ezimise okwesosa ezizungeze amehlo. . . . Lensephunsephu isiza ekuthutheleni umsindo ezimbotsheni zezindlebe zesikhova.’ (The World Book Encyclopedia) Ngokungafani namehlo ezinyoni eziningi, amehlo esikhova abheka phambili; asikwazi ukuwahambisa ezingoxini zawo. Ngakho, izikhova kumelwe zihambise amakhanda azo ukuze ziqalaze izinto ezinyakazayo. Futhi zingajikisa amakhanda azo cishe isiyingi esiphelele!

Esinye isici esiphawulekayo salabahlaseli basebusuku umklamo wezimpiko zabo obavumela ukuba bandize buthule ngokuphelele. Lapho bethola inyamazane yabo ngokubona noma ngezindlebe ezibukhali, bangahlasela ngokwehla buthule ukuze bathole ukudla kwabo okulandelayo. Kuthiwa baphakathi ‘kwezinyoni eziwusizo kakhulu kubalimi’ ngoba babhubhisa izilwane eziququdayo ezivame ukonakalisa izitshalo.

I-Book of North American Birds ithi: “Emhlabeni jikelele izikhova . . . ziye zacatshangelwa kuzo zonke izizinda zokuphila njengezinyoni zeshwa nababikezeli bokufa.” Imbongi eyiNgisi yekhulu le-14 leminyaka uGeoffrey Chaucer yabiza isikhova i-barn ngokuthi “umprofethi kamaye neshwa.” IBhayibheli likhuluma ngezikhova emavesini ayisikhombisa, kuhlanganise nokubhekisela kuka-Isaya ezindlini zaseBabiloni ezibhujisiwe, ‘ezigcwele izikhova.’—Isaya 13:21.

Isikhova esineziluba ezinkulu ezindlebeni (great horned) sithanda ukudla kakhulu. Omunye umthombo uthi: “Ezenzakalweni ezingandile, lenyoni iye yaziwa ngisho nangokuthi iyahlwitha futhi ihlasele abantu abambethe izigqoko zoboya, ngokusobala ngephutha icabanga ukuthi loboya buyinyamazane ephilayo”! Nakuba kwathiwa siyinyoni engcolile ngaphansi koMthetho kaMose, ukuklanywa kwesikhova okuyingqayizivele kufakazela uMdali oyingqayizivele.—Levitikusi 11:16, 17.

[Izithombe ekhasini 31]

Isikhova i-“great horned”—sinamehlo abukhali, izindlebe ezibukhali, futhi asizwakali lapho sindiza

[Umthombo]

Photos: Courtesy of Green Chimneys Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Brewster, NY