Wake Wayibona I-Xoloitzcuintli?

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eMexico

MHLA ngiqala ukuthinta i-Xoloitzcuintlia—okuthiwa i-Xolo uma kufushaniswa—ngamangala. Umzimba wayo omnyama ongenaboya wawuthambile futhi ushisa! Le nja yombukiso eyiqhawe yayilokhu iyaluza ngemva komnikazi wayo, isinika ithuba lokubona umzimba wayo omncane onomsila ohlobe ngechopho elimhlophe “lebhulashi”—ohluke ngempela emzimbeni wayo obushelelezi omnyama!

Ngaphambi kokufika kwabantu baseSpain, izinja zaziyimfuyo ethandwayo emazweni aseMesoamerica. Ezinye zazingcwatshwa nabanikazi bazo, ukuze zibe ‘abangane kwelizayo.’ Ama-Xolo ayenendawo ekhethekile emphakathini. Kwakukholelwa ukuthi anamandla okwelapha. Yebo, kubonakala sengathi ukuthinta lezi zilwane ezinomzimba oshisayo kwakusiza labo abanesifo samathambo. Yebo, i-Xolo yayifudumeza nezinyawo phakathi nobusuku obubandayo!

Namuhla, abaningi bayazifela nge-Xolo. Njengezinye izinja eziningi, i-Xolo iyaqeqesheka futhi itholakala ngobukhulu obuhlukahlukene—kuhlanganise nezincane. Okuhle nakakhulu ukuthi ukungabi noboya kwazo kusho ukuthi azinawo amazeze, futhi i-Xolo iyinja efanelekayo kulabo abangezwani noboya bezinja. Kulula kakhulu ukunakekela i-Xolo. Ukuze isikhumba sale nja sihlale sithambile, kudingeka uyigcobe ngamafutha esikhumba ngezikhathi ezithile. UMiguel Ángel Moreno, umfuyi wezinja, uveza okunye okwenza kube yinzuzo ukuba ne-Xolo: “Kuthatha umzuzu owodwa kuphela ukuyigeza,” esho, “futhi yoma ngokushesha.” Kuthiwani ngekhono le-Xolo lokwelapha? Ngisho nanamuhla, abanye bathi ukuqaqamba kwamathambo kuyadamba uma bebeka i-Xolo esithweni somzimba esigulayo. Nokho, uMoreno ukholelwa ukuthi i-Xolo “injengebhodlela lamanzi ashisayo.”b

Esikhathini esingeside esidlule i-Xolo yayibhekwa njengesilwane esisongelwayo, kodwa kuye kwenziwa umzamo omkhulu wokulondoloza lesi silwane. Namuhla, ama-Xolo awatholakali nje eMexico kuphela, kodwa nakwamanye amazwe, njengasePeru nase-United States. Ungathanda yini-ke ukubona i-Xoloitzcuintli? Uma kwenzeka, awusoze walukhohlwa usuku oyohlangana ngalo nale nja eyingqayizivele.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]