Ihlosi—Ikati Engumnyewu
NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! EKENYA
KWAKUNGONGCWALAZI. Usuku lwethu sasiluchithele ekubukeleni nasekufoteni izilwanyana zasendle kuMzi Wezilwanyana waseKenya iMasai Mara. Phambi kokuba siphumle ebusuku kwindawo eqeshisayo eneentente, sasiza kubona omnye umbono omangalisayo. Oku kwenzeka xa omnye umsebenzi walapha wayehambahamba enqumla ibhulorho eyenziwe ngentambo phezu koMlambo iTalek, ethe tyu inyama yomlenze webhokhwe egxeni. Le nyama wayibophelela exhantini phezulu kumthi womnga.
Njengoko imibala yongcwalazi olukhawulezayo kwelenjiko yayisiya ifiphala, inkunzi enkulu yehlosi yarhubuluza ngokuzolileyo phezulu emthini yaye yaqalisa ukutsala ngamandla nokuxhuzula le nyama. Eli hlosi lalikhanyiselwe ngesibane esiqaqambileyo esikwindawo yokubukela. Noko ke, lizimisele ukunandipha isidlo salo, eli hlosi lalingasisanga so njengoko sasilibukele ngoloyiko simangalisiwe. Kamva saxelelwa ukuba utyelelo lwalo kulo mthi unokudla kwakulisiko lalo lasebusuku, siko elo elaliligcina kangangeminyaka enokuba mithandathu. Ngoko ngobusuku obulandelayo sonwatyiswa ngendlela efanayo!
Sinokusixabisa ngokwenene isizathu sokuba ihlosi liye lachazwa “njengeyona kati igqibeleleyo kwiikati ezinkulu, entle ngenkangeleko nendolosayo ukuhamba kwayo.” Linobunzima obuziikhilogram ezingama-60 okanye ngaphezulu, ihlosi sesinye sezona zilwanyana zinezihlunu ezinamandla, limalunga neesentimitha ezingama-60 ukuphakama emagxeni neemitha ezi-2 ubude ukususela empumlweni ukusa encamini yomsila. Xa sikhangele amachaphaza amnyama alungelelaniswe njengomhombiso ofana nerozi kwisikhumba salo esimpofu, sikhunjuzwa umbuzo owakha wabuzwa ngumprofeti uYeremiya: “UmKushi unokuluguqula na ulusu lwakhe, nengwe [ihlosi, NW] inokuwaguqula na amabala ayo?”—Yeremiya 13:23.
Eyona nto ingumtsalane ngokukhethekileyo ngamehlo alo akhanyayo aluhlaza. Axhotyiswe ngomaleko okhethekileyo weeseli—itapetum—elenza libone ngendlela ekhethekileyo ebusuku. Ihlosi linokubona ngomlinganiselo wokukhanya okusisithandathu kokufunwa ngamehlo omntu. Lo maleko weseli, ubuyisela ukukhanya kwiretina, ubangela ukukhazimla okubonakala xa imitha yokukhanya ifikelela amehlo alo ebusuku.
Ukuba unokondela ihlosi liphumle ebudeni bemini, uya kuphawula ukuba likhefuzela ngokungathi liphelelwa ngamandla. Noko ke, ukuphefumla kwalo ngokukhawuleza yinxalenye yenkqubo yokuzipholisa. Ngokukhefuzela kangangezihlandlo ezili-150 ngomzuzu, ukufuma okusuka elulwimini, emlonyeni, nakwijelo leempumlo kunokuguquka kube ngumphunga.
Amahlosi azezona kati zinkulu zikwaziyo ukuzilungelelanisa neemeko, anokufumaneka kwiintlango nasemahlathini; ezintabeni nakwiindawo ezikumphakamo wolwandle; kumazwe ahlukahlukeneyo anjengeTshayina, i-Indiya neKenya. Phezu kwako nje ukungenelela kwabantu kwiindawo ezihlala amahlosi, izazinzulu ziqikelela ukuba kukho phantse isigidi eAfrika naseAsia kuphela. Sekunjalo, kangangeenkulungwane izazinzulu azikhange zenze uhlolisiso olunzulu ngehlosi. Ngokomzekelo, cinga ngehlosi laseSinayi. De labhaqwa kutshanje kwintlango yakwaYuda, kangangethuba elide elo hlosi belisoloko lithatyathwa njengelingasekhoyo!
Ikati Esoloko Iyodwa
Ihlosi likuphepha njani ukubonwa ngabantu? Likwenza ngokuba sisilwanyana esihamba ebusuku—ngaphezu koko liyachwechwa yaye lingumnyewu. Kwimimandla apho abantu basisisongelo, ihlosi ngobulumko liyazola. Kuphela kuxa licaphukile apho lithi ligqume yaye likhohlele njengengonyama. Phantsi kweemeko eziqhelekileyo, umgqumo walo awoyikeki: isandi esitshothozelayo esirhabaxa—esingathi sisandi sesarha esarha umthi. Ngokutsho kwencwadi ethi Animals of East Africa, ebhalwe nguC. T. Astley Maberly, sivakala njengo “Gri! Gri! Gri! Gri!—ngokuqhelekileyo siphela ngesilumkiso sokufutha okurhabaxa.” Ukuvumelana nokuthanda kwalo ukuzifihla, kwakhona ihlosi likhupha izandi ezahlukeneyo eziphantsi, ezininzi ezingenakuviwa ngabantu.
Ngaphezu koko, ngokungafani nengonyama yona ethanda ukusoloko ihleli nezinye, ihlosi liyikati engabathandiyo abahlobo. Nangona izibini zibonwa ngamaxesha athile, amahlosi ngabazingeli abangamalolo. Ukunciphisa amadabi angalindelekanga okanye ubutshaba, ihlosi lizicandela ummandla walo osenokugubungela ukususela kwizikwere zeekhilomitha ezingama-25 ukusa kwezingama-65. Litshiza incindi ephuma kumadlala akhethekileyo ukucacisa imida yommandla walo. Ivumba lale ncindi ephawula ngayo linokwazisa amanye amahlosi ngesini, ubudala, ukuba linalo iqabane, mhlawumbi kwanokuba ngubani “umnini mhlaba.”
Ihlosi liyachwechwa xa lizingela. Kumaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile lalisaziwa ngokulalela ecaleni kweedolophu, lilungele ukutsibela izilwanyana zasekhaya ngamendu amangalisayo. (Yeremiya 5:6; Hoseya 13:7; Habhakuki 1:8) Ukukhusela ixhoba lalo kwezinye izilwanyana ezitya inyama yento efileyo, ezinjengeengcuka noodyakalashe, ligcina ixhoba lalo elikhulu exhantini lomthi malunga neemitha ezisi-9 okanye ezili-12 phezu komhlaba. Kodwa liphumelela njani ukutsalela umzimba wenyamakazi okanye ithole lendlulamthi eliziimitha ezisisi-1,5 imitha ubude kwindawo ephezulu ngolo hlobo? Le yimfihlo ekungelula ukuba ihlosi liyenze yaziwe. Kodwa ababukeli abanomonde bathi kufikelelwa ngokusebenzisa amandla amaninzi. Amahlosi akathandi ukutya ngokungxama, imizimba ixhonywa ngokucubhuka phezu kwamasebe omthi, yaye kwindawo efihlakeleyo, igqunywe ngamasebe namagqabi.
Xa kungekho nto elicela undikho, ihlosi lityekela ekubeni neentloni lilulame yaye liya kukuphepha ukujongana nabantu. Ngoko ngoxa wambi amahlosi engasaboyiki abantu aye aba zizidla bantu, amaninzi akasosisongelo ebantwini. Phofu ke, ukuba lenzakalisiwe okanye livingcelwe, ihlosi alibonisi loyiko nakancinane ngotshaba lwalo. KwiThe Leopard’s Tale, uJonathan Scott ubhala oku: “Ihlosi elineengcwangu liyindlobongela yokwenene, . . . liyakwazi ukuhlanganisa onke amandla alo amakhulu kumgama omfutshane lize lihlasele ngesantya sombane.”
Amahlosi Angoomama
Ngoko ke, akumangalisi ukuba, kananjalo amahlosi akhulise amathole awo ngendlela efihlakeleyo. Amathole asandul’ ukuzalwa ayafihlwa, ngokufuthi emqolombeni, kwiinyanga ezimbini zokuqala zokuphila kwawo. Nangona utata engenanxaxheba ekukhuliseni amathole, umama wakha umanyano olusondeleyo nawo ngokuwondla nokuwacoca nangokuwagcina efudumele. Ekugqibeleni, umama usenokufudusela amantshontsho akhe angamathole amabini okanye amathathu kwikhaya elitsha, ewabambe ngomlomo ukuba asemancinane kakhulu okanye ngokusuka nje awabize ukuba amlandele ukuba madadlana.
Kwakhona ihlosi elingumama lizama ukugcina abantwana balo besendaweni enqabileyo kwiintshaba ezinjengeemfene. Kodwa ukuba iimfene zihlasela amathole alo, liya kuzihlasela, lona lizibeke engozini ukuze linike amathole alo ithuba lokusabela kwindawo ekhuselekileyo. Kwakhona lizibeka engozini enkulu ukondla amathole alo. Ngokuqhelekileyo le kati ingumnyewu iya kuhamba phakathi komhlambi weendlovu ezinxakamayo ukuze iye nenyama ebantwaneni bayo abalambileyo.
Okubangel’ umdla kukuba amahlosi aselula akabonakalisi umoya wokuzimela geqe kangangexesha elithile. Amathole ayalunyulwa xa emalunga neenyanga ezintandathu kodwa akazibulaleli ixhoba de abe nonyaka ubudala. Iinkunzi ezindala aziziphileli zodwa de zibe neminyaka emibini enesiqingatha ubudala. Amathole aziimazi asenokuqhubeka ehlala nonina naxa sele emadala.
Ihlosi—Ngaba Ekugqibeleni Liya kuze Libe Seluxolweni?
Kodwa loo mantshontsho ekati alungele ukubekwa esifubeni ayakhula aze abe ngababulali. Ngaloo ndlela kusenokubonakala kunzima ukukholelwa ukuba amazwi omprofeti uIsaya anokuze azaliseke: “Ingcuka iya kuhlala nemvana, ingwe [ihlosi, NW] ibuthe netakane lebhokhwe.”—Isaya 11:6.
Imigudu yakutshanje yokuqhelanisa amahlosi nobomi basekhaya iye ayaphumelela kangako. USieuwke Bisleti van der Laan nendoda yakhe bakhulisa amantshontsho alo kwifama yabo eseAfrika. La mathole anandipha “inkululeko epheleleyo” yaye ngokufuthi ayetyiswa ngesandla. Kodwa enyanisweni akazange abuqhele ubomi basekhaya. USieuwke Bisleti ubhala oku: “Lakuba ihlosi likhule ngokupheleleyo, lenza into eliyithandayo. Ingonyama iya kusoloko ikuthanda yaye ikuthobela; ihlosi liya kusoloko lisiqonda isikhundla sakho kodwa liyazigqibela ngento eliya kuyenza ngaso nasiphi na isihlandlo.”
Ekugqibeleni kwabonakala kuyingozi ukuvumela amathole amadala aqhubeke edakasa kule fama. Kwagqitywa ekubeni abuyiselwe endle. Ngaba ukukhuliswa kwamahlosi aselula phakathi kwabantu abanobuhlobo kuye kwawenza mbuna? Nakanye. Kwiintsuku ezintathu zokukhululwa kwawo, inkunzi yabonwa ihleli ecaleni kwembabala eyayiyibulele.
Sekunjalo, impumelelo enjalo esikelwe umda ekwenzeni mbuna amahlosi ayisiphuthisi isiprofeto esiphefumlelweyo sikaIsaya soxolo phakathi kwehlosi nebhokhwe. Esi siganeko sothusayo siya kwenzeka, kungekhona ngemigudu yabantu, kodwa ngokungenelela kukaThixo. Noko ke, ulawulo lukaThixo luya kwenza okungakumbi kunokwenza izilwanyana zibe seluxolweni. UIsaya waxela ngenx’ engaphambili ukuba: “Ilizwe liya kuzala kukwazi uYehova.” (Isaya 11:1-9) Ngoko ke kwanabantu baya kukulahla ukuziphatha ngokungathi zizilwanyana okuye kwadala imfazwe neyantlukwano. Kwangaxeshanye, isimo sengqondo soluntu ngokubhekisele kwizilwanyana naso siya kuguquka. Akusayi kuphinda kubekho nasiphi na isilwanyana esilixhoba lokubulawa ngokungenankathalo. Nabantu abasayi konakalisa ikhaya lazo okanye ubukho bazo babubeke engozini, kuba uYehova uya ‘konakalisa abo bawonakalisayo umhlaba.’—ISityhilelo 11:18.