“IGerenuk” Insephe Efana Nendlulamithi
Ngomlobeli wePhaphama! eKenya
SISANDA KUNGENA nje esiqiwini iSamburu National Park enyakatho yeKenya. Amehlo ethu aqalaza nxazonke, ebuka ubuhle bezilwane zasendle, kuze kube yilapho egxila embukwaneni ojabulisayo walokho okubukeka njengezinyane lendlulamithi elidla esihlahleni. Kodwa uma sihlolisisa siphawula ukuthi akuyona indlulamithi.
“Yini leyana?” sibuza umholi wethu omomothekayo.
“Igerenuk,” uyasho. Sithola ukuthi igama elithi gerenuk, livela olimini lwesiSomali futhi lisho ukuthi “inomqala wendlulamithi.” Lesilwane ngesiSwahili sibizwa ngokuthi iswala twiga, okusho ukuthi ‘insephe eyindlulamithi.’ Iyisilwane esicishe silingane nenyamazane esinezimpondo ezinhle ezitshekele emuva.
Siyabuka njengoba igerenuk edlayo imi ngemilenze yayo yangemuva, iyame emthini ngemilenze yayo yangaphambili. Ngempela ibukeka ifana nendlulamithi njengoba intamo yayo ende ngokungavamile iluleka, iyivumela ukuba idle endaweni ephakeme ngo-1,8 kuya ku-2,4 m kusuka phansi. Yeka ukuthi kujabulisa kanjani ukubuka lesilwane, esinenhloko emise okwenhliziyo, amehlo aqhamile, namadlebe amakhulu! Nokho, ezingamaduna kuphela ezinezimpondo.
Ingcweti Yokudla Enomqala Omude
Lensephe ebukekayo ngokuvamile ihlala ezindaweni ezingasogwadule. Ngokuqinisekile kumelwe ukuba iwomela kakhulu amanzi. Nokho, iqiniso elimangalisayo ukuthi igerenuk ayivamisi ukuphuza uma ike iwaphuze. Iyakwazi ukudonsa wonke umswakamo ewudingayo emaqabungeni, emahlumeleni nasemaklumeni ewadlayo. Futhi ngenxa yokuthi igerenuk ithanda ukudla cishe izinhlobo ezingama-80 ezihlukahlukene zezihlahla nemithi—kuhlanganise nezitshalo ezihlala ziluhlaza ezidliwa izilwane ezimbalwa—iyakwazi ukuphila ngokuphumelelayo ezindaweni ezingenalutho ngempela.
Ngendlela yayo yodwa, igerenuk ithanda ukukukhetha ukudla, njengoba ikhetha kuphela izingxenye ezingcono zezitshalo, izingxenye ezinomsoco kakhulu. Nokho, okuthakazelisayo ukuthi igerenuk idla izinhlobo ezifanayo zamahlumela namaklume njengendlulamithi nedikdik, eyilungu elincane lomkhaya wezinyamazane, ecishe ilingane nonogwaja omkhulu waseMelika. Nokho, akukho ukubanga ukudla phakathi kwazo. Ngani? Ngenxa yokushiyana kobude bazo lapho zidla: izindlulamithi ziphakathi kwamamitha ayi-4,6 kuya ku-5, 5, amagerenuk cishe angamamitha ayi-1,8 m, bese kuthi idikdik encane cishe ibe amamitha ayi-0,6.
“Akungenwa”
Ngokungafani nabantu, abavamise ukulwela indawo, amagerenuk ngokuvamile anokuthula phakathi kwawo ngokuhlonipha impahla yamanye. Ngayinye iphawula imingcele yayo ngokusebenzisa indlala emaphambili engosini yeso ngalinye. Ikhetha isiqephu esingaba amakhilomithaskwele ayi-1,3 bese ngalendlala ikhipha okuthile okufana netiyela ikubeke emagatsheni nasemaklumeni. Lokhu kukhipha iphunga, futhi ngalendlela indawo yegerenuk iyaphawuleka kwenye nenye igerenuk engumakhelwane.
Kodwa kuthiwani ngezelelesi ezingafuneki, ezinjengengulule, ingwe noma ibhubesi, ezingazihloniphi izimpawu ezithi “Akungenwa?” Igerenuk kumelwe isebenzise izimfihlo zayo zokuphepha. Ngokwesibonelo, inekhono elimangalisayo lokungashukumi bese igqolozela, iwisele amadlebe ayo amakhulu emqaleni wayo. Ngemibala yayo emihle ensundu, ivumelana kahle kakhulu nemvelo yayo eyizungezile. Izigcina ingashukumi kanjalo zize zihambe izivakashi ezingafuneki.
Nokho, uma ingase ibonakale igerenuk iyobaleka ukuze igweme izitha. Ulwazi lwayo ngekhaya layo, kuhlanganise nekhono lokuthubeleza emahlathini nasezihlalweni ezinameva, lwenza kube nzima ngezitha eziningi ukuyilandela. Ngemva kokubona lesilwane esinejubane nesihle, sibona kalula ukuthi kungani iBhayibheli likhuthaza umuntu ukuba azikhulule esivumelwaneni esingahlakaniphile ngejubane lensephe.—IzAga 6:5.
Ukunakekela Kukanina
Lapho izalwa igerenuk ayinawo amasu okuzisindisa. Ngakho-ke, unina uyayinakekela igerenuk eseyizinyane ezinsukwini zokuqala zokuphila. Lapho kufika isikhathi sokuba igerenuk izale, ithola indawo ethulile. Amazinyane amaningi azalwa phakathi namahora asekuseni, okuwanikeza ithuba lokuthola amandla bungakafiki ubusuku obuyingozi. Ngokumangalisayo, ngemva nje kwemizuzu eyishumi izinyane legerenuk liyama ngaleyomilenze exegezelayo, ezacile! Ngesikhathi sakusihlwa lisuke seliphila impela, lijabulisa ngisho noNina ngokudlala kwalo okuhlekisayo.
Kulesikhathi sobuncane, izinyane legerenuk lingatholakala kalula impela. Khona-ke unina uhlanza izinyane lakhe kahle ukuze lingabi nanoma yiliphi iphunga elizoliveza obala. Futhi ukufana kwalo nemvelo ezungezile kuvumela unina ukuba alifihle ngokulondeka njengoba ephuma eyofuna ukudla. Nokho, ngezinye izikhathi insephe esencane ishintsha izindawo ebekwe kuzo. Njengoba unina engenakuthembela ephungeni ekulandeleni umkhondo, usebenzisa inkulumo yegerenuk—ukukhala okuphansi, okungafinyelela kude nakuba kungezwakali ezindlebeni zomuntu. Izinyane liyosabela kulokukhala ngokusukuma noma ngokusabela ekubizweni, lisho ukuthi likuphi. Nokho, ngemva kwamasonto amabili igerenuk encane akusadingeki ifihlwe kodwa bahlanganyela nomkhaya wayo ekuklabeni ithole amaklume namaqabunga.
Igerenuk iye yabizwa ngokuthi “esinye sezilwane ezixake kakhulu eMpumalanga Afrika.” Futhi kuyavunywa, ngenxa nje yokubukeka kuphela, ixake ngempela. Kodwa umngane wethu insephe eyindlulamithi naye uyabukeka, unamasu, futhi ngendlela yakhe yedwa muhle. Obunye ubufakazi bokuhlakanipha koMdali wethu oMuhle.
[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 30]
Photo by Dino Sassi/Copyright—Kenya Stationers Limited