Nanso-ke Imvubu Yansondo!

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EKENYA

ICHIBI elikhulu lasesiqiwini esiwudedangendlale saseMasai Mara eKenya liyacwebezela licwebile njengoba ilanga lishona. Njengoba ilanga seliyozilahla kunina, amanzi aveza umbala ocwebezelayo onsundu ngokusagolide. Ebangeni elingamamitha ambalwa, kusondela imihlambi yamadube nezinkonkoni iza ingajahe lutho. Dukuduku, lezi zinyamazane zima nse, zibonakala zithukile, amehlo azo ethe njo kokuthile okwakusadwala elintanta onqenqemeni lwechibi. Ngemva kokudunga amanzi ngomsindo omkhulu, leli “dwala” liyacwila lingabe lisabonakala. Lezi zinyamazane eziklabayo zazisanda kubona isilwane sasemanzini esinolaka oluyinqaba—imvubu.

Imvubu, itholakala ezizibeni, emifuleni nasemachibini empumalanga ne-Afrika, futhi ngobukhulu idlulwa indlovu kuphela. Lapho isikhule ngokugcwele, imvubu ingaba ngamamitha angaphezu kwamane ubude, iphakame ngamamitha angu-1,5 emahlombe. Isisindo sayo singaba amathani amane. Ngokuvamile, kucatshangwa ukuthi igama elithi “Bhehemoti” okukhulunywa ngalo encwadini yeBhayibheli kaJobe libhekisela emvubwini. Akumangalisi ukuthi iBhayibheli lichaza lesi silwane esikhulu ngokuthi sinamathambo ‘ayimibhobho yethusi,’ futhi liwaqhathanisa ‘nezinduku zensimbi esetshenziwe.’—Jobe 40:15-18.

Njengoba inesikhumba esiwugqinsi, ingenaboya, ihamba ngokungathi iyabhadazela, kanti nomzimba wayo umise okomphongolo, kusobala ukuthi imvubu ingakhala ngaphansi emqhudelwaneni kanobuhle. Imilenze yemvubu iyizigqamfana, okwenza umuntu azibuze ukuthi kazi ikwazi kanjani ukuphasa umzimba omkhulu kangaka. Kodwa ungalokothi uweye amandla akulezi zigqamfana zemilenze. Uma ingaphandle kwamanzi, imvubu ingagijima ngejubane elidlula elomuntu. Emanzini kuthiwa inejubane elidlula elezikebhe ezigwedlwa umuntu ngisho nelezikebhe ezinenjini imbala.

Ukuphila Kwasemanzini

Izimvubu yizilwane ezithanda ukuhlala ndawonye, ngokuvamile zihlala zingamaqembu asukela kweziyishumi kuya kwezingu-15 eziphethwe yinkunzi eyodwa ekhonyayo, nakuba kuye kwenzeke zibonakale zingamaqembu amakhulu ezingaba ngu-150. Ziyakwazi ukuphila kokubili emanzini nasezweni futhi ziyaphuma emanzini—ikakhulukazi ebusuku—ukuze ziyodla uhlaza olukhephuzelayo olumila ezingwini. Ngokuvamile, ziyakugwema ukuba kude namanzi. Nokho, ngesikhathi sesomiso, kuyaziwa ukuthi ezinye izimvubu ziye zihambe ibanga elingamakhilomitha ayishumi zithungatha ukudla.

Akukacaci ukuthi izimvubu ziyidweba kanjani imingcele yazo. Abanye bacabanga ukuthi umkhuba omangazayo ezinawo wokusakaza ubulongwe bazo ngomsila uyindlela yokukhanga izinsikazi noma yokwethusa imbangi. Lapho zihlaselwa, ziyiyiza njengehhashi, futhi ziyakhonya noma zibhonge lapho zilwa. Ukuthimula kwazo kuyezwakala ngisho nalapho lezi zilwane zingaphansi kwamanzi. Inkunzi engumakhonya uyizwa ngomsindo wokubhonga kwayo othi MUH-Muh-muh.

Imvubu ichitha usuku lonke ingxenye yomzimba wayo noma umzimba wonke ucwile emanzini, futhi umzimba wayo omkhulu awunankinga yokwenze njalo. Nakuba ingase ingabi yinhlambi njengomakhelwane bayo abahlala kokubili emanzini nangaphandle njengayo, imvubu iyakwazi ukuhlala ngaphansi kwamanzi kuze kuphele imizuzu engu-15! Amakhala ayo, amehlo nezindlebe kuphezulu ekhanda, okwenza lesi silwane sikwazi ukufihla wonke umzimba ngaphansi kwamanzi. Eziningi zezinto eziphathelene nezimvubu—kuhlanganise nokweshelana nokukhwelana—zenzeka lapha, ngaphansi kwamanzi.

Ngemva kokumitha izinyanga ezingaba yisishiyagalombili, inkomazi izala inkonyane eyodwa emanzini angajulile. Ingancelisela ngaphandle noma emanzini afika emaqakaleni. Yize iyisilwane esinamandla kangaka, imvubu ikukhathalela kakhulu ukuba umzali, iyiphatha ngesisa esimangalisayo inkonyane yayo. Empeleni, akuve kujabulisa ukubona umama ontantayo etete inkonyane emhlane. Kodwa-ke, lesi silwane esibonakala singeyona ingozi sivuka indlobane simelane nanoma yimuphi umzamo wokuhlwitha inkonyane yaso esemhlane!

Isikhumba semvubu siklanyelwe ukuphila emanzini. Kuba nezinguquko eziphawulekayo lapho lesi silwane siphumela ngaphandle kwamanzi. Izindlala ezingaphansi kwesikhumba zikhiqiza uthikithiki olusamafinyila angajiyile olunombala onsundu ngokubomvu futhi olunosawoti omningi. Uma ukude, lo mbala wenza lesi silwane kubonakale sengathi sijuluka igazi. Nokho lolu thikithiki luvikela lesi silwane kokubili emanzini nasenhlabathini eyomile. Emiphakathini yamandulo yase-Afrika, kwakusikwa isikhumba semvubu sibe yimichilo, bese icwiliswa emafutheni. Le michilo yayibe isiphothwa yomiswe ukuze kwenziwe isiswebhu esesatshwayo esasisetshenziswa lapho kulwelwa indawo.a I-Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia iphawula ukuthi ngemva kwenqubo yokushuka—inqubo ethatha okungenani iminyaka eyisithupha—isikhumba semvubu “siqina okwetshe futhi sibe ugqinsi olungamasentimitha angaba mane nengxenye.”

Ukuzamula Okuhlaba Umxhwele Kodwa Okwesabekayo

Akungatshazwa ukuthi umlomo wemvubu oyinkebelele yiwona ophawuleka kakhulu. Uma singaphandle kwamanzi, lesi silwane sisebenzisa izindebe zaso ezinobubanzi obuyingxenye yemitha ukuze sidle utshani eduze kwamanzi. Kodwa-ke, umlomo waso awusetshenziselwa ukudla nje kuphela. Lapho imvubu ivula imihlathi yayo ngokuphelele, isuke ingazamuli kodwa isuke isongela imbangi ngokuyivezela amandla ayo. Ukuvikela indawo yayo elokhu inciphe njalo kuholela ezimpini ezimbi kakhulu nezimbangi. Umlomo wayo ovulekile uveza amazinyo ayo enja angezansi amakhulu. La mazinyo angaba amasentimitha angu-30 ubude, ayizikhali ezivikela ngawo.

Umlomo wemvubu awuyona ingozi kwezinye izimvubu kuphela, kodwa uyingozi nakubantu. Yonke imizamo yomuntu yokuhlalisana nemvubu iye yaba nhlanga zimuka nomoya. Lesi silwane sala ukhasha kunoma ubani olinga ukusondela endaweni yaso. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uma imvubu ilimele, icasuka kalula ngakho ingalimaza noma ubani osondelayo. Ngisho nezikebhe sezike zashaya ungqimphothwe ngenxa yayo belu imihlathi emikhulu yemvubu evuke umbhejazane.

Lesi silwane sinolaka ngendlela efanayo nalapho siphumile emanzini. Ngokwesibonelo, kuyingozi enkulu ukuba maphakathi kwemvubu eklabile namanzi. Empeleni, kwezinye izingxenye ze-Afrika, abantu bendawo abangaqaphile baye bahlaselwa izimvubu eziye zabona indlela yazo eya emanzini ivinjiwe. Lesi silwane siyesabeka kumuntu nakwezinye izilwane futhi kumelwe ugawule ubheke uma usebenzelana naso.

Ingabe Izosinda Ingaqothulwa?

Uma iklabile, imvubu ehamba yodwa isengozini yokuhlaselwa amabhubesi. Noma kunjalo, kubonakala sengathi isitha esikhulu esisongela imvubu umuntu. “Abantu baye basinciphisa kakhulu isibalo sezimvubu kanye nobukhulu bendawo ezihlala kuyo,” kusho i-World Book Encyclopedia. “Abazingeli baye babulala izimvubu eziningi, kwathi abalimi bona benza izindawo eziningi ezazikade zingamakhaya ezimvubu zaba amasimu.”

Yebo, ukuphazamisa komuntu indawo yemvubu kuye kwashiya lesi silwane sinendawo encane, kanjalo kwakhinyabezeka inkululeko yaso yokuhamba nokuzalana kwazo. Kuyajabulisa ukwazi ukuthi ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu, uMdali uthembisa ukubuyisela izinto esilinganisweni esifanele phakathi komuntu nezilwane, ukuze kungabikho muntu ‘oyolimaza noma oyobangela incithakalo’ ePharadesi lasemhlabeni elibuyiselwe.—Isaya 11:9.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 25]

Elizabeth DeLaney/Index Stock Photography