Imfihlo Yokulala Kwezilwane

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EKENYA

UKULALA—cishe sichitha ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yokuphila kwethu sikuleso simo sokuphumula. Kunokuba kube okuchitha isikhathi, ukulala kubonakala kwanelisa izidingo eziningi ezibalulekile ezingokomzimba nezingokwengqondo. Ngakho ukulala kungabhekwa njengesipho esiyigugu esivela kuNkulunkulu.—Qhathanisa neHubo 127:2.

Akumangalisi ukuthi ukulala kunendima ebalulekile nasezilwaneni. Ngempela, izinhlobonhlobo zezilwane zilala ngezindlela ezithakazelisayo, ngezinye izikhathi ezihlekisayo, futhi ngokuvamile ezingajwayelekile. Ake sibheke izibonelo ezimbalwa.

Ompetha Bokulala

Noma ubani owake wabona ibhubesi lilele libheke phezulu liphakamisele izidladla esibhakabhakeni phakathi nemini eshisayo yelanga lase-Afrika angase aphethe ngokuthi lesi silwane esinonya esifana nekati simnene njengekati lasekhaya. Nokho, ukubukeka kuyakhohlisa. UThomas Campion umlobi wekhulu le-17 waloba: “Ubani ongalinga athinte ibhubesi lilele?” Yebo, ngisho nesiqhwaga esiyibhubesi siyakudinga ukulala—cishe amahora angu-20 ngosuku—ukuze liqhubeke nendlela yalo yokuphila ngokudla ezinye izilwane.

Futhi, cabanga nge-tuatara, isilwane esivilaphayo esifana nesibankwa esitholakala eNew Zealand. Ichitha cishe isigamu sonyaka ilele ubuthongo obungajulile. Phela, i-tuatara ivilapha kangangokuba ubuthongo buyizuma ngisho isahlafuna ukudla kwayo! Kodwa lokho kulala ngokusobala kuyayisiza ngandlela-thile, ngoba ososayensi balinganisela ukuthi amanye ama-tuatara angaphila iminyaka ecishe ibe yikhulu!

Njengasenganekwaneni ethi Rip Van Winkle, ezinye izidalwa nazo zilala isikhathi eside. Kuyindlela iningi lazo, elisinda ngayo ebusika obubandayo. Ukuze sizilungiselele, isilwane siqongelela ungqimba lwamafutha oluyosigcina sondlekile phakathi nesikhathi saso eside sokulala. Nokho, yini evimbela isilwane esilele ekubulaweni amakhaza? Njengoba incwadi ethi Inside the Animal World ichaza, ingqondo ibangela ushintsho lwamakhemikhali egazini lesilwane, abangela ukuba umzimba waso ungabi yiqhwa. Njengoba izinga lokushisa komzimba walesi sidalwa lehla liba ngaphezudlwana kwezinga-qhwa, ukushaya kwenhliziyo yaso kuba ingxenyana yalokho okuvamile; ukuphefumula kwaso kuyehla. Khona-ke kulandela ubuthongo obukhulu, futhi bungathatha amasonto amaningi.

Ukulala Nalapho ‘Zindiza’?

Ezinye izilwane zilala ngezindlela ezingavamile neze. Cabanga ngenyoni yasolwandle okuthiwa yi-sooty tern. Lapho iphuphu le-sooty tern lishiya isidleke salo, liqonda olwandle bese lihlala lindizela lapho eminyakeni embalwa elandelayo! Njengoba izimpaphe zayo zingenwa amanzi kalula futhi ingenazo nezinyawo ezinjengezedada njengamanye ama-tern akwazi ukuhlala emanzini, i-sooty tern iyakugwema ukucwila olwandle. Ibamba izihlanzi ezincane ingaphezu kwamanzi.

Kodwa ilala nini? Incwadi ethi Water, Prey, and Game Birds of North America ithi: “Kubonakala kungenakwenzeka ukuthi zilala olwandle ngoba izimpaphe zazo zingangenwa ngamanzi. Abanye ososayensi basikisela ukuthi lezi zinyoni zingalala nalapho zindiza.”

Isihlwathi Ngaphansi Kwamanzi

Ingabe izinhlanzi ziyalala? Ngokusho kwe-World Book Encyclopedia, phakathi kwezilwane ezinomgogodla “izilwane ezihuquzelayo, izinyoni, nezilwane ezincelisayo kuphela ezilala ngempela, eziba noshintsho endleleni yokuma kwamaza engqondo.” Noma kunjalo, izinhlanzi ziyazijabulela izikhathi zokuphumula ezisakulala—nakuba eziningi zingenakuwavala amehlo azo.

Ezinye izinhlanzi zilala ngezinhlangothi; ezinye, zibheke phansi noma ziqonde zithi thwí. Ezinye izinhlanzi eziyisicaba, njenge-flounder, zihlala ziphapheme ngaphansi esihlabathini solwandle. Lapho zilele, ziba sesimweni sokuntanta ebangeni elingamasentimitha ambalwa ukusuka phansi.

I-parrot inhlanzi emibalabala enesimiso sokulala esingavamile: Igqoka “ingubo yokulala.” Njengoba isikhathi sayo sokuphumula sisondela, ikhipha uketshezi, noma injimbilili emboza wonke umzimba wayo. Injongo? Umlobi wezemvelo uDoug Stewart uthi, “Kucatshangwa ukuthi yenzelwa ukuba izitha zingayiboni.” Lapho iphaphama iyaphuma kulengubo yayo ewuketshezi.

Ngendlela efanayo izimvu zamanzi zinendlela ethakazelisayo yokulala ebizwa ngokuthi i-bottling. Zifutha imiphimbo njengebhaluni, zenze ibhantshi lomoya lemvelo (life jacket). Ziphakeme ngalendlela, zingalala njengoba zintanta emanzini ziqonde thwí amakhala evele ngaphezu kwamanzi ukuze ziphefumule.

Ukugcina Iso Elilodwa Livukile

Ngokuqinisekile, ukulala endle kwenza izilwane zibe izisulu zezilwane ezizingelayo. Ngakho singathi izidalwa eziningi zilala iso elilodwa livulekile. Ngokwezinga elithile ingqondo yazo ihlala iqaphile phakathi nokulala, okuzivumela ukuba zisabele kunoma imiphi imisindo esho ingozi. Kanti ezinye izidalwa zisinda ngokwenza ukuhlola kwasikhathi sonke kokuqiniseka ngokuphepha. Ngokwesibonelo, izinyoni ezilala ngamaqoqo ziyaye zivule iso ngezikhathi ezithile ziqalaze, zihlola ingozi.

Ngendlela efanayo umhlambi wamanoni noma owamadube e-Afrika uyaqaphelana phakathi nezikhathi zokuphumula. Ngezinye izikhathi wonke umhlambi ulala phansi amakhanda ebheke phezulu esesimweni sokuqapha. Ngezikhathi ezithile, isilwane esisodwa sigingqika ngohlangothi silale phansi ubuthongo obukhulu singanyakazi. Ngemva kwemizuzu embalwa, kuba ithuba lokulala kwelinye ilungu lomhlambi.

Ngendlela efanayo nezindlovu zilala njengomhlambi. Nokho, ngokuvamile ezindala zima ngezinyawo zingalali ubuthongo obujulile, zilokhu zivula amehlo ngezikhathi ezithile, ziphakamise futhi zendlale amadlebe azo amakhulu ukuze zizwe noma imiphi umsindo ongasho ingozi. Evikelwe yilaba baqaphi abakhulu, amankonyane asemancane akhululekile ukulala cababa ngezinhlangothi futhi alale ubuthongo obukhulu. Encwadini yakhe ethi Elephant Memories, umlobi uCynthia Moss ukhumbula ebona umhlambi wonke ulala: “Kwaqala amankonyane, kwase kuza ezindala, ekugcineni zonke izinsikazi ezindala zalala phansi futhi zazunywa ubuthongo. Ekukhanyeni kukanyezi zazifana namatshe amakhulu ampunga, kodwa ukuhona kwazo okukhulu, nokunokuthula kwakusho okuphambene.”

Kusekuningi esingakufunda ngemikhuba yokulala kwezilwane. Kodwa lapho ucabanga ngalokho okuncane esikwaziyo, awushukunyiselwa yini ukuba ucabange ngokuhlakanipha okumangalisayo kwaLowo ‘owadala zonke izinto’?—IsAmbulo 4:11.