Intibane Ehlekisayo

ENYE yezinto okujabulisayo ukuzibona emahlathini ase-Afrika ukubona umkhaya wezintibane ugijima. Zingabonakala zizigijimela nje zishesha ngendlela enesizotha yezintibane, ngayinye iphakamise umsila wayo ozacile, omiswe waqonda thwí njengensinjana edonsa amaza omsakazo. Yiqiniso, umgomo wentibane awukhona ukujabulisa izibukeli. Ngokwencwadi ethi Maberly’s Mammals of Southern Africa, “cishe lomkhuba usiza lezizilwane ukuba zibonane otshanini obude lapho zibaleka, ikakhulukazi ezincane, kwazise aziboni kahle.”

Okuhlekisa nakakhulu indlela ezingena ngayo “ekhaya” lazo, ikakhulukazi uma zingena ngesivinini esikhulu. “Ikhaya” lezintibane lingaba umgodi owandisiwe wesambane noma wengungumbane ombiwe emhlabathini, futhi izintibane zinendlela engavamile yokungena. Izingane zazo, ezingakafundi imikhuba efanelekile yezintibane, zingena ngamakhanda kuqala emgodini njenganoma yisiphi esinye isilwane esizihloniphayo. Abazali bazo abenzi kanjalo! Ngesivinini esikhulu, ngokuhleleka okunjengokwasempini, baphenduka ngokushesha emlonyeni womgodi wabo—bese behlehla nyovane ngokushesha bengena ekusithekeni kwekhaya labo! Lendlela yokwenza ayenzelwa nje ukujabulisa izibukeli. Phela, intibane kulokhu isinethuba elingcono lokubhekana nesitha sayo nokuvimbela noma yikuphi okunye ukuhlasela isebenzisa amazinyo ayo abulalayo.

Yebo, lokhu kuhlehla nyovane ngokushesha ngezinye izikhathi kungaba nezingqinamba ezingalindelekile. Inkinga iwukuthi akuzona zodwa izintibane okungenzeka zihlala kulemigodi enezintuli engaphansi komhlaba. Izimpisi, izinsele, izimpungushe, nezingungumbane zingase zibhace kulemigodi. “Uma lemigodi isinezinye izilwane kakade, [izintibane] ngesinye isikhathi zingase zibhekane nezimo ezingajabulisi,” kubika umagazini i-Custos. “Ezimweni eziningana izintibane ziye zabonakala zinezinsiba [zengungumbane] zivele ezinqeni.” Kuyavunywa, lokhu akumnandi kulentibane eyehlelwe yishwa.

Ngenxa yamazinyo ayo amabi, intibane ibukeka iyisilwane esidla ezinye esiyingozi esifuna izilwane esingazidla. Kodwa akunjalo neze. Intibane iye yachazwa ‘njengesilwane ngokuvamile esingenalo uchuku.’ Kuye kwacaca ukuthi intibane idla utshani, futhi ayidli noma yini nje! Cishe idla utshani obufushane kuphela, igxila kuphela ezihlokweni zotshani obusebusha ayilulokothi ukhula, utshani obude, noma ezinye izitshalo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, intibane izimisele ukuphanda ngisho nasezindaweni ezingathandeki ukuze ithole okuya ngasethunjini. Futhi lapho ifaka ibuso bayo emahlozini anameva ifuna utshani obumnandi obusha okungenzeka bukhula ngaphansi, amazinyo ayo avikela ubuso.

Phakathi namahora ashisa kakhulu osuku, izintibane ngokuvamile zitholakala “ekhaya” emigodini eyashiywa izambane eye yandiswa amazinyo ezintibane. Uma zingaphumule, ungase uzibone zizibhixa odakeni futhi ziphuza amanzi endaweni eseduze enawo. Uma sekuyisikhathi sokudla, zingase zibonakale zigijima emathafeni anotshani. (Azithandi ukugabavula uma zingaphoqelekile ukwenza kanjalo.) Zihamba ngesizotha, zonke—kusukela kwendala kuya kwencane—ziphakamisé imisila yazo enjengocingo iqonde ithe thwí.

Izintibane aziwona amalungu amahle kakhulu ezilwaneni ezingaphansi komkhaya wezingulube. Nokho, zinegama elifanelekayo (lesiNgisi elithi warthog), elisuselwa “ezinsumpeni (warts)” ezisobala ezisebusweni bazo obungunxande. Eqinisweni akuzona izinsumpa zangempela kodwa yisikhumba esiqinile, futhi zingaba usizo kakhulu. Zingasiza ekuvikeleni amehlo entibane lapho yimba noma idla. Futhi zingasiza lapho amaduna elwa, ziba amahawu avikela emazinyweni abukhali esilwane alwa naso.

Lobubuso obuhlekisayo bufihle isilwi esinolaka. Izintibane zensikazi ziyazinakekela futhi zizivikele kakhulu izingane zazo. Amanye amalungu asekhulile omhlambi nawo ayazivikela izingane, ngisho nakuba lokho kuwafaka engozini wona uqobo. Ngokwesibonelo, uma ingulule (cheetah) izama ukuthatha umntwana wentibane, intibane endala iyamjaha umhlaseli. Ngokuvamile ukusibona sisondela lesilwane esinolaka namazinyo abukhali kuyayixosha ingulule. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, abantwana bayodidizela, bezama ukukhosela ngaphansi kwesisu sikanina. Njengokulindelekile, uma usongo luthe ukuba lukhudlwana, njengalapho kuhlasela ingonyama noma ingwe, khona-ke izintibane zihoxa ngokuhlakanipha, imisila yazo isalokhu iphakeme. Nokho, ezindala ziyoqhuba ezincane, zenze ukuba zifike kuqala endaweni yokuphephela.

Nokho, uDkt. Darryl Mason uphawula lokhu kumagazini i-Custos, “Izintibane ezindala zingaba izitha ezesabekayo zezingulule, izingwe nezimpisi.” Intibane yensikazi yake yabonakala ivikela ingane yayo engweni enkulu yeduna. Ngesibindi yayisukela lengwe, yayijaha amamitha angu-30 ngaphambi kokuba ngokuphamazela ingwe inombele emthini. Kwesinye isenzakalo izintibane ezimbili zabonakala zilwa nomhlambi wamankentshane angu-16.

Yeka indlela okuhlaba umxhwele ngayo ukubuka imikhuba yalesisilwane esihlekisayo esesabekayo sasemahlathini ase-Afrika!