I-marabou—Inyoni Ecatshangelwa Kabi

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eKenya

“Angikaze ngiyibone inyoni enebhadi njenge-marabou.”—The World’s Wild Places—Africa’s Rift Valley.

PHAKATHI kwezinyoni eziningi ezitholakala e-Afrika, zimbalwa eziye zagxekwa njenge-marabou. Le nyoni ivame ukuvezwa njengeyinkathazo, embi futhi engenaso isisusa esihle. Ngokusobala, i-marabou inenkinga yokuba nedumela elibi ngempela emphakathini.

Ingabe uyazithanda izinyoni ezinhle nezicula kamnandi? I-marabou ayinakho konke lokho. Njengoba inekhanda nentamo ebomvana okungenazimpaphe, le nyoni ibukeka iyimbi. Ezindala zilenga isikhuxu esibomvana esikhukhumele entanyeni esifana nefindo likathayi elikhulu eliyindilinga. Abantu abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi lesi sikhuxu asiyenzi ibe yinhle le nyoni. Kodwa uDkt. Leon Benun, umphathi woMnyango Wesayensi Yezinyoni eNational Museums of Kenya, uyasikhumbuza: “Ukuthi lesi sikhuxu sibi kithi akusho ukuthi sibi nakuyi-marabou.” Noma kunjalo, kuze kube manje akekho owaziyo ukuthi uyini umsebenzi walesi sikhuxu.

Imikhuba yokudla yale nyoni nayo ayibachazi ababuki bayo. Phela, idla ingcuba. Uma ingazitholi izidumbu, kuthiwa ibulala ezinye izinyoni ukuze idle njengoba ingashiyi lutho nje. Yingakho nje abantu abaningi bengafuni nokuyibona.

Nokho, nakuba ibukeka iyimbi futhi inezici ezimbi, i-marabou inezici ezinhle eziningana. Hamba nathi njengoba sizejwayelanisa kangcono nale nyoni enedumela elibi.

Inkulu Phakathi Kwezinyoni

Kunobufakazi bokuthi i-marabou iyona enkulu kakhulu emkhayeni wonogolantethe. Eyeduna endala ingaba ngamasentimitha angu-150 ukuphakama futhi ibe nesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-8. Izinsikazi zithé ukuba zincane ngomzimba. Uqhwaku lwale nyoni olusindayo nolucijile lungakhula lube ngaphezu kwamasentimitha angu-30—ithuluzi elinamandla ekuthatheni amaqatha enyama esidunjini.

Nakuba inkulu kangaka, le nyoni ingumpetha wokundiza. Njengoba izimpiko zayo zingamamitha angu-2,5 uma izivulile, i-marabou ikwazi ukundiza nezinye izingcweti. Uma indiza, ayive iyinhle nekhanda layo selithe ukubuya kancane leza emahlombe futhi imilenze yayo emide yelulelwe ngemuva. Iyakwazi nokusebenzisa umoya ofudumele futhi ingandiza ikhuphukele phezulu kakhulu kangangokuthi ngezinye izikhathi icishe ingabonakali uma uphansi! Phela, ama-marabou aye abonakala endizela phezulu ebangeni elingaba ngamamitha angu-4 000!

Abazali Abanokwethenjelwa

Nokho, okuncomeka kakhulu umsebenzi owenziwa i-marabou njengomzali. Ngempela, ukuba ngumzali kuwumsebenzi oyinselele oqala ngokwakha isidleke. Ngemva kokukhetha indawo efanelekayo, eyeduna iqala umsebenzi wokwakha, kamuva izosizwa eyensikazi. Isidleke, ngezinye izikhathi esakhiwa endaweni ephakeme ngamamitha angu-30 ukusuka enhlabathini, asidle ngakuhlotshiswa. Isakhiwo saso esiyimitha ububanzi simane nje siyindawo evulekile enamahlamvu omile, amagatsha esihlahla namaqabunga. Eqinisweni, inyoni ezalelayo ngezinye izikhathi ithatha isidleke esidala okwakungesenye, isilungise ngokwenezela amahlamvwana ambalwa nokunye. Eminye imiphakathi yama-marabou kuthiwa igcina isidleke iminyaka engu-50.

Ngesikhathi kusakhiwa isidleke esisha, i-marabou yeduna iqala inqubo yokuthola umngane. Ngokuphambene nalokho okujwayelekile ezinhlotsheni eziningi zezinyoni, eyeduna ilinda ukweshelwa eyensikazi. Awensikazi amaningana azoza ezokweshela enethemba lokwamukelwa eyeduna. Kuvamile ukuba angavunywa. Kodwa ukuphikelela kuyavuza, futhi ekugcineni eyensikazi izovunywa. Lapho isivunyiwe, zombili izinyoni, izikhuxu ezisentanyeni zelulekile, zizokwenza imisindo ehloselwe ukuxosha izimbangi ezingafuneki. Le misindo iye yachazwa ngokuthi injengokukhala kwenkomo, ukukhala kosizi nekhwela—ukuphela kwemisindo eyaziwayo yama-marabou, ngaphandle komsindo ewenza ngezikhathi ezithile lapho ishayanisa uqhwaku lwayo olukhulu noqhwaku lwenye. Kwakheka isibopho esiqinile, esiqiniswa ukubingelelana “kokwehla kwenyukwa” okuvame ukwenziwa njalo lapho omunye umngane ebuyela esidlekeni kade engekho. Lokhu kuhilela ukuyisa ikhanda emuva, bese ithi ukulehlisa kancane, bese ishayanisa uqhwaku lwayo nolwenye isikhathi eside.

Lo mbhangqwana uqeda ukwakha isidleke ndawonye. Uzohlanganyela ndawonye nasekufukameleni amaqanda. Ngemva kokufukamela okuthatha inyanga, amaqanda amabili noma amathathu amhloshana azochamusela amaphuphu amancane abomvana anezimpaphe lapha nalaphaya azothandwa yibo bobabili abazali. La maphuphu ama-marabou anakekelwa kahle kakhulu. Kuzoqala uhlelo lokuwapha ukudla oluhlanganisa ukudla okunomsoco, njengenhlanzi. Ezindaweni ezinamaxhaphozi, ama-marabou athanda ukuvakashela kuzo, abazali bayakwazi ukuthola amaxoxo amaningi, enye into evamile ekudleni kwalezi zinyoni. La maphuphu asanda kuchanyuselwa ondliwa ngokuqoqa izingcezu zokudla abazali abakuphalazela esidlekeni. La maphuphu akhula kancane, futhi kuze kube yilapho esenezinyanga ezine ubudala—esekwazi ukundiza ahambe esidlekeni—lapho eqala khona ukuzimela.

Izisebenzi Zezenhlanzeko

Nakuba i-marabou ivame ukubukelwa phansi ngoba idla ingcuba, empeleni yenza umsebenzi owusizo kakhulu. Izilwane ezidla ezinye zishiya amathafa ase-Afrika egcwele izidumbu ezibolayo. Uma zishiywe kanjalo, lezi zidumbu zingasakaza kalula izifo futhi zibe yingozi kokubili kubantu nasezilwaneni. Nokho, i-marabou yenza umsebenzi owusizo wokususa udoti. Kanye namanqe—nawo ayizinyoni ezidla inyama—ahlola amathafa efuna izilwane ezibulawe zashiywa kanjalo. Uma esithola, ama-marabou azolinda amanqe anamandla ukuze avule isidumbu ngoqhwaku lwawo oluqinile nolugobile. Ngesikhathi esifanelekayo, i-marabou, uqhwaku lwayo olude selume ngomumo njengommese wokuhlinza, izogxuma ihlale izithonto esidunjini, ihlephule iqatha lenyama, bese ibuyela eceleni ilindele elinye ithuba. Lapho amanqe esedle ashaya esentwala, sekuyithuba lama-marabou lokuba abange noma iziphi izicubu zenyama ezisele. Ama-marabou azosina azibethele kunoma yini engehla emphinjeni, ngaphandle kwamathambo. Izicubu zenyama enesisindo esingaba amagremu angu-600 ziyazehlela nje.

Eminyakeni yamuva nje ama-marabou aye awandisa umsebenzi wawo wokuhlanza wadlulela ngalé kwasendle. Le nyoni ayisabesabi abantu futhi manje isivakasha njalo ezindaweni zokulahla udoti zasemadolobheni nasemadolobhaneni. Uyini umphumela? Indawo ehlanzeke kakhudlwana. I-marabou ize ihlunge ngisho noketshezi lwasemadeleni, ifuna noma imaphi amaqashana asele. Ukuthi le nyoni iqine kangakanani kuboniswa yilesi sibonelo esilandelayo. Ngesikhathi ifuna izinsalela emadeleni entshonalanga yeKenya, i-marabou yagwinya ummese owawukade uhlinza inyama. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva, lo mmese watholakala eduze kwayo leyo ndawo—uhlanzekile futhi ucwebezela—kuyilapho i-marabou ewubuyisile iqhubeka izenzela izinto zayo, ingazange igule!

Ikusasa Le-marabou

Nakuba encipha amanani esihlobo sayo esiseduze, unogolantethe i-adjutant enkulu yase-Asia, i-marabou yase-Afrika iyachuma. Azikho izitha zayo ezaziwayo endle. Ezikhathini ezidlule, isitha se-marabou esinonya kakhulu kwakungumuntu. Kwadutshulwa inqwaba yawo, futhi izimpaphe zawo ezithambile zangemuva zazichuthwa ukuze kuhlotshiswe ngazo iminqwazo yabesifazane. Incwadi ethi Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills of the World, ithi: “Ngeke ucabange ukuthi izimpaphe ezithambile nezinhle kangaka, lapho zihlobise isiphephetha-moya noma ubukhazikhazi obuthandwa owesifazane, ziwumkhiqizo walo mthuthi kadoti omkhulu, owomelele nongathandeki.” Ngenhlanhla, ukubhujiswa ngokungacabangeli kwalezi zinyoni kuye kwancipha lapho ngokuhamba kweminyaka, futhi inani lazo seliphinde lenyuka. Akungabazeki ukuthi ukuhlola kwethu kafushane i-marabou kuye kwembula ukuthi ayikufanele ukudelelwa nokubukelwa phansi. Indlela ephumelela ngayo nokukhuthala kwayo ekuhlanzeni indawo ezungezile kuyasisiza kakhulu. Nakuba ingeyona inyoni enhle, iletha udumo kuMdali wayo ngendlela yayo enganakekile.—IHubo 148:7, 10.

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Uqhwaku lwale nyoni olusindayo nolucijile lungakhula lube ngaphezu kwamasentimitha angu-25 ubude

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

I-“marabou” inamaphiko angaphezu kwamamitha angu-2,5 uma iwavulile

[Umthombo]

© Joe McDonald

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Amaphuphu ama-“marabou” anakekelwa kahle kakhulu

[Umthombo]

© M.P. Kahl/VIREO

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Awukaziwa umsebenzi wesikhuxu se-“marabou”

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

Ngezinye izikhathi isidleke sakhiwa endaweni ephakeme ngamamitha angu-30 ukusuka enhlabathini