Ukuvakashela Izimfene Endle

NJENGOBA silandela umzila omncane ongena ehlathini lemvula enkabazwe ye-Afrika, amehlo ethu azivumelanisa nokukhanya okufilizayo okuthubeleza phakathi kwamaqabunga namagatsha. Umsindo obeleselayo wezinyendle nezihlahla ezinkulu zomvini—ezinye ezingaphezu kwamamitha angu-55 ukuphakama—usishiya sikhexile futhi sinokulangazela. Sifikelwa umuzwa wokuthi kule ndawo ethanda ukuba mnyama kufanele sinyathele ngokuqapha singawubangi umsindo. Kungazelelwe, kuzwakala ukuhhohhoza okukhulu okuhambisana nokuhefuzela okusheshayo. Le misindo iya ngokuya ikhula ize ivale izindlebe, ngaphambi kokuba ithule dú. Uhambo lwethu olukhathazayo selufinyelele eqophelweni elijabulisayo ebesinethemba lokufinyelela kulo—sitholé izimfene eziningi.

Imisindo ebangela isasasa njengale—ehlanganisa ukuhhohhoza, ukuklabalasa, futhi ngezinye izikhathi, nokushaya izihlahla—iyizindlela zokuxhumana zezimfene, noma zokubiza imbizo. Kubonakala sengathi insada yamakhiwane avuthiwe ehl’ esiphundu iyo ebangele lesi sidingo esiphuthumayo sokuxhumana kwalezi zimfene. Njengoba sibuka phezulu emagatsheni amakhulu esihlahla eside somkhiwane, sibona izimfene eziningi, ezingaba ngu-20 noma ezingu-30, zidla amakhiwane ngokuthula. Uboya bazo obumnyama buyakhazimula njengoba butholwa yimisebe yelanga. Enye yalezi zimfene iqala ukusijikijela ngezinti, futhi ngokushesha kulandela ithala lazo—uphawu olusobala lokuthi azifuni ukuhlanganyela lokhu kudla kanye nathi.

Isikhathi esihle kakhulu sokubona izimfene kulapho kunezithelo eziningi. Ngezinye izikhathi, kunzima kakhulu ukuzibona, ngoba zingase zizifihle phakathi kohlaza ziyidlanzana. Izimfene ezisendle zidla njalo njengoba zehla zenyuka endaweni engamakhilomitha-skwele amaningi. Ngaphandle kwezithelo, ukudla kwazo kuhlanganisa amaqabunga, izinhlamvu neziqu zemithi. Zidla nezintuthwane, amaqanda ezinyoni nomuhlwa. Ngezinye izikhathi zingase zizingele futhi zibulale izilwane ezincane, ezihlanganisa nezinkawu.

Njengoba cishe sekusemini, lezi zimfene ziqala ukuzwa ukushisa. Enye yazo iqala ukwehla esihlahleni, futhi ngokushesha nezinye ziyalandela. Khona-ke, zilandelana, zingena phakathi esinindolweni. Iduna eligangayo liyaphambuka ngokuzwibeka emagatsheni ukuze lisondele lizosibuka. Ukubuka lesi silwane sidlala futhi sinelukuluku kusenza simomotheke.

Izici Ezithakazelisayo

“Bhekani emva kwenu,” kusho omunye eqenjini lethu njengoba sesiphindela emuva. Njengoba siphenduka, sibona imfene ilunguza icashe ngesihlahla. Ima ngezinyawo ezimbili, iphakame ngemitha. Lapho siyibuka, izifihla ngesihlahla futhi, iphinde ivele ngemva kwesikhashana. Ayive inelukuluku! Yebo, izimfene zingama ngezinyawo ezimbili zize zithi ukuhamba ibangana. Kodwa ngokuvamile ziyisebenzisa yomine imilenze yazo ukuze zisekele umzimba. Umhlandla wemfene awugobile emaphethelweni awo njengowomuntu omenza akwazi ukuma aqonde. Futhi imisipha yazo yomhlubulo ebuthaka, kanye nezingalo ezinde futhi eziqinile kunemilenze, kwenza ukuhamba ngayo yonke imilenze, noma ukugibela nokuzwiba ezihlahleni, kuvumelane nendlela imfene edalwe ngayo.

Uma izimfene zifuna ukukha izithelo ezisemagatsheni amancane angeke akwazi ukuthwala isisindo sazo, zisebenzisa izingalo zazo ezinde. Izandla nezinyawo zime ngendlela efanele ukuze zikwazi ukubamba ziqinise zibambelele emagatsheni. Obhozo babheke emaceleni futhi basebenza njengeminwe okusiza lesi silwane ukuba sigibele izihlahla noma sibambe futhi siphathe izinto kalula ngezinyawo njengokungathi sisebenzisa izandla. Leli khono liwusizo lapho sekuyisikhathi sokulungisa indawo yokulala ebusuku. Ngemva kwemizuzwana yokugoba nokuhlela amahlamvu, isuke seyakhe indawo entofontofo yokulala.

Ukubuka nokufunda ngezimfene ehlathini, ezinezici eziningi ezinhle futhi ezifana ncamashi nokwakheka komuntu nokuziphatha, ngokuqinisekile kuzenza zikhange. Kodwa, abantu abathile bathanda izimfene ngenxa nje yokufuna ukucwaninga ngazo ukuze basekele umbono wokuziphendukela kwemvelo wokuthi umuntu uhlobene nazo. Ngakho, kungase kube nemibuzo enjengethi: Yini ngempela eyenza abantu bangafani nezimfene? Ngokungafani nezilwane, umuntu wenziwe kanjani “ngomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu”?—Genesise 1:27.

Isenzakalo Esingeke Silibaleke

Endle, izimfene ziyacasha, futhi ngokuvamile ziyashesha ukubaleka lapho nje zibona umuntu. Kodwa, ukuze zivikeleke futhi zilondolozwe, izimfene ezithile ziye zabekwa endaweni enabantu ukuze zibajwayele.

Ukuvakashela kwethu ehlathini eliyikhaya lezimfene kuyisenzakalo esingeke silibaleke. Kuye kwasisiza ngokwezinga elithile ukuba sibone ukuthi zinjani ngempela izimfene—zihluke kakhulu kulezo ezitholakala lapho kubukiswa khona ngezilwane noma ezindaweni okwenziwa kuzo ucwaningo. Ziyizilwane ezimangalisayo ngempela futhi ziphakathi ‘kwezilwane ezihambayo nezilo zasendle zomhlaba,’ uNkulunkulu abona ukuthi zinhle—ziklanyelwe ukuba zivumelane ngokuphelele nendawo ezidalelwe ukuhlala kuyo.—Genesise 1:24, 25.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 14, 15]

ABANTU NEZIMFENE

Encwadini yaso ethi In the Shadow of Man, isazi sezilwane uDkt. Jane Goodall sibhala ngalokho esakubona phakathi nawo-1960 okuphathelene nezimfene “ezakha amathuluzi ezaqinisekisa ososayensi ngokuthi kwakufanele kucatshangelwe kabusha ukwakheka komuntu ngendlela eyinkimbinkimbi kunangaphambili.” Izimfene zisebenzisa amaqabunga njengesipanji, amadwala noma amagatsha ukuze ziqhephule amantongomane, nokususa amaqabunga ezintini ngaphambi kokuzifaka esidulini ukuze zibambe umuhlwa kwaba yizinto ezimangalisayo ezatholakala. Kodwa muva nje, sekuyinto eyaziwayo ukuthi kunezilwane eziningana ezinamakhono okwakha amathuluzi. UDkt. T. X. Barber umlobi wencwadi ethi The Human Nature of Birds—A Scientific Discovery With Startling Implications, uthi: “Zonke izilwane okucwaningwe ngokuphelele ngazo, ngaphandle nje kwezinkawu namahlengethwa kodwa nezintuthwane nezinyosi, ziye zabonisa ukuqapha nokuhlakanipha.”

Lokhu akulishintshi nakancane iqiniso lokuthi umuntu uyingqayizivele. Njengoba uProfesa David Premack esho, “indlela yokubhala ulimi noma isimiso sokuhlelwa kwamazwi olimi lwabantu kuyinto emangalisayo.” Yebo, ubunkimbinkimbi bolimi lwabantu kuhlanganise nokuceba kosiko-mpilo lwabo, lapho ulimi nendlela yokukhuluma kunendima enkulu, ngokuqinisekile lokhu kuyasihlukanisa nezilwane.

Ngemva kweminyaka ecwaninga ngezimfene endle, uJane Goodall wabhala: “Angicabangi ukuthi izimfene zingaba nemizwelo ngenye nenye, engaqhathaniswa nozwela, ukuvikela, ukubekezela nokwazisa izinto ezingokomoya okuyizinto eziphawula uthando lwabantu ngendlela eyiqiniso nejulile.” Wabuye wabhala: “Ukuzazi komuntu kudlula kude ukuzazi kwanoma yisiphi isilwane. Umuntu ufuna ukuchazelwa ukuthi iyini imfihlo yokuba khona kwakhe nesimangaliso sendawo emzungezile kuhlanganise nendawo yonke emengamele.”

Lapho lichaza umehluko ophakathi kwabantu nezilwane iBhayibheli lithi umuntu wenziwa “ngomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu.” (Genesise 1:27) Ngakho, ngokungafani nezilwane, umuntu wayezobonisa umfanekiso ongokomoya woMdali wakhe, abonise izimfanelo zaKhe, evelele phakathi kwazo okuwuthando. Umuntu wayezokwazi nokuthola ulwazi oluningi nokulusebenzisa ngokuhlakanipha okwedlula noma yisiphi isilwane. Umuntu wadalwa waba nekhono lokuzinqumela, engalawulwa yimizwelo engokwemvelo nje kuphela.

[Izithombe ekhasini 15]

Izimfene ziyizilwane ezithanda ukudlala futhi ezinelukuluku eziklanyelwe ukuba zivumelane ngokuphelele nendawo ezidalelwe ukuhlala kuyo

[Imithombo]

Chimpanzees, top right: Corbis/Punchstock/Getty Images; lower left and right: SuperStock RF/SuperStock; Jane Goodall: © Martin Engelmann/age fotostock

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 13]

© Photononstop/SuperStock