Iimfihlelo Ngokulala Kwezilwanyana

NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! EKENYA

UKULALA—sichitha malunga nesinye kwisithathu sobomi bethu silele. Kunokuba kube yinkcitha xesha, ukulala kubonakala kusanelisa iimfuno ezininzi ezibalulekileyo zokusebenza kwamalungu omzimba nengqondo. Ngaloo ndlela ukulala kunokujongwa njengesipho esixabisekileyo esivela kuThixo.—Thelekisa INdumiso 127:2.

Akumangalisi ke ngoko, ukuba ukulala kunendima ebalulekileyo kubomi bezilwanyana. Ngokuqinisekileyo, izilwanyana ezininzi ziye zibeth’ ithatha ngeendlela ezinomtsalane, maxa wambi ezihlekisayo, yaye ngokufuthi ezingaqhelekanga. Makhe siqwalasele imizekelo embalwa.

Iintshatsheli Zokulala

Nabani na owakhe wabona ingonyama ilele ikhuphe ezo nzipho zayo zinde izijolise phezulu kwilanga lasemini laseAfrika eligqats’ ubhobhoyi unokugqiba kwelokuba esi silwanyana sinoburhalarhume silulame njengekati. Phofu ke, iinkangeleko ziyaqhatha. Umbhali wenkulungwane ye-17 uThomas Campion wabhala wathi: “Ngubani onokuphazamisa ingonyama eleleyo?” Ewe, nkqu nengonyama enamandla iyakufuna ukulala—malunga neeyure ezingama-20 ngosuku—ukuze ikwazi ukuphumelela kakuhle kubomi bayo bokuzingela.

Kwakhona, cinga ngetuatara, isilwanyana esicubhukileyo nesinjengecikilishe esifumaneka eNew Zealand. Sichitha malunga nesiqingatha sonyaka singalalanga ncam. Ewe, ituatara imathe kakhulu kangangokuba ifikelwa bubuthongo ngoxa isahlafuna ukutya kwayo! Kodwa bonke obo buthongo buyingenelo kuyo, kuba izazinzulu ziqikelela ukuba ezinye iituatara zinokuphila kangangeminyaka eli-100!

NjengoRip Van Winkle wasentsomini, ezinye izidalwa nazo zilala ixesha elide. Leyo yindlela uninzi lwazo olusinda ngayo kubusika obubandayo. Ukuzilungiselela, emzimbeni wesilwanyana kwakheka amanqatha aza kuhlala esilondolozile ebudeni bexesha elide laso lobuthongo. Noko ke, yintoni ethintela isilwanyana esisebuthongweni singabulawa yingqele? Njengokuba incwadi i-Inside the Animal World icacisa, ubuchopho buqalisa utshintsho lomchiza kwigazi lesilwanyana, nto leyo ebangela kubekho indlela engokwemvelo yokuthintela ingqele. Njengoko iqondo lobushushu lomzimba wesidalwa lisihla ukusa phezu nje kweqondo lomkhenkce, ukubetha kwentliziyo yaso kuyacotha kakhulu xa ithelekiswa nesantya sayo esiqhelekileyo; iphefumla kancinane. Emva koko ilala obentlombe, yaye isenokuhlala ikuloo meko kangangeeveki ezininzi.

Ngaba Ilala Ngoxa ‘Ibhabha’?

Ezinye izilwanyana zilala ngeendlela ezingaqhelekanga kakhulu. Cinga ngentaka yaselwandle ebizwa ngokuthi yisooty tern. Xa le sooty tern incinane ishiya indlwane yayo, iyabhabha isinge ngaselwandle yaye ihlala ibhabha ngokungaguquguqukiyo kangangeminyaka emininzi! Ekubeni ingenazo iintsiba zokuzikhusela emanzini yaye ingenazinyawo ezinenwebu njengezinye iitern ezinokuhlala emanzini, isooty tern iyakuphepha ukuzintywilisela elwandle. Izingela ngokuthi xhwii iintlanzi ezincinane ngaphezu kwamanzi.

Kodwa ilala nini? Incwadi iWater, Prey, and Game Birds of North America ithi: “Kubonakala kungenakwenzeka ukuba zilala elwandle ekubeni iintsiba zazo ziza kufunxa amanzi amaninzi. Ezinye izazinzulu zibonisa ukuba ezi ntaka zisenokulala ngoxa zibhabha.”

Ukuthi Qwaka Phantsi Kwamanzi

Ngaba iintlanzi ziyalala? Ngokutsho kweThe World Book Encyclopedia, kwizilwanyana ezinomqolo “kuphela zizilwanyana ezirhubuluzayo, iintaka, nezidalwa ezanyisayo ezifumana ubuthongo bokwenene, obuhambisana nokuguquka kobuchopho.” Sekunjalo, iintlanzi ziyawanandipha amaxesha okuphumla afana nokulala—nangona uninzi lwazo zingakwazi ukuwavala amehlo azo.

Ezinye iintlanzi zilala ngecala; ezinye, zijongise intloko ezantsi okanye zithe nkqo. Ezinye iiflatfish, njengeflounder, zihlala emazantsi olwandle ngoxa zingalalanga. Xa zilele, ziba ngathi zidada phezu kwamanzi kwiisentimitha ezimbalwa ukusuka kumazantsi olwandle.

Iparrot fish emibalabala inomsebenzi okhethekileyo wesiqhelo ewenza ngaphambi kokulala: Inxiba “ingubo yokulala.” Njengokuba ixesha lokulala lisondela, ikhupha uxakaxa, okanye into empunyumpunyu, ewugubungela ngokupheleleyo umzimba wayo. Siyintoni isizathu? Umbhali wendalo uDoug Stewart, uthi: “Kusenokwenzeka ukuba ukuze ikwazi ukuzifihla kwiintshaba zayo.” Ithi nyubululu ize iphume kuloo nto impunyumpunyu xa ivuka.

Neentini zolwandle ngokufanayo zinomsebenzi wesiqhelo obangel’ umdla eziwenza ngaphambi kokulala. Zivuthela imiqala yazo njengeebhaloni, zidala into enjengebhatyi yokuzikhusela. Zidada ngolo hlobo, zinokulala njengoko zidada zithe nkqo emanzini iimpumlo zazo zivele ngaphezulu ukuze ziphefumle.

Ukugcina Iliso Elinye Livuliwe

Kakade ke, ukulala endle kwenza isilwanyana sibe sengozini ngakumbi kwiintshaba. Ngokungathi kunjalo, izidalwa ezininzi zilala zivule iliso elinye. Ubuchopho bazo buhlala busebenza ebudeni bokulala, nto leyo ezenza zikwazi ukuthabath’ inyathelo nanini na zisiva isandi esiyingozi. Kanti ezinye izidalwa zisinda ngokusoloko zihlola ngokuthe rhoqo ukuze zizikhusele. Ngokomzekelo, iintaka ezilele njengeqela ngamaxesha athile zivula iliso zize zithi krwaqu, zikhangela ingozi.

Imihlambi yeenyamakazi okanye yamaqwarha eAfrika ngokufanayo iba nomlindi ebudeni bamaxesha okuphumla. Maxa wambi umhlambi wonke uya kufika uthe natya emhlabeni intloko zithe nkqo ziphaphile. Ngamaxesha athile, isilwanyana esinye siye siziqengqe ngecala yaye silale yoyi emhlabeni sisebuthongweni obunzulu. Emva kwemizuzu embalwa, elinye ilungu lomhlambi liba ngumlindi.

Ngokufanayo iindlovu zilala njengomhlambi. Noko ke, ezindala ngokuqhelekileyo zihlala zimi ngeenyawo yaye azilali buthongo, zivula amehlo ngamaxesha athile, zivule ezo ndlebe zazo zinkulu ukuze zive nasiphi na isandi esiyingozi. Ekhuselwe ngabalindi abakhulu, amathole amancinane angalala natya ngecala ngokukhululekileyo aze alale yoyi. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Elephant Memories, umbhali uCynthia Moss ukhumbula ebona umhlambi wonke usiya kulala uthi: “Kuqala amathole amancinane, kulandele ezindala, kuze kugqibele iimazi ezindala zonke zithi natya zilale. Xa inyanga ikhanya zazikhangeleka njengamatye amakhulu angwevu, kodwa ukurhona kwazo okundongozayo nokuzolileyo kwenza uqonde ukuba asingawo.”

Kuninzi esifanele sikufunde ngemikhwa yokulala kwezilwanyana. Kodwa xa ucinga ngoko ngokwentelekiso kuncinane esikwaziyo, ngaba akushukunyiselwa ukucinga ngobulumko obumangalisayo baLowo “wadala zonke izinto”?—ISityhilelo 4:11.