Khanikhe Nize Kubona Iitshimpanzi Zasendle

NJENGOKO sihamba kwindlela emxinwa ekwihlathi elixineneyo elikumbindi weAfrika, amehlo ethu aqhelana nokukhanya okuman’ ukuvela phakathi kwamagqabi namasebe omthi. Ukungxola kweenyenzane nokubona imithi emikhulu ekunyuka imidiliya ngayo—eminye yayo efikelela kubude obuziimitha ezingama-55—kusishiya sibamb’ ongezantsi yaye silindele okungakumbi. Le ndawo isemthunzini ibe ifuna sizole yaye sihlale siphaphile. Sithi sisajonge loo nto, kuvakale isandi esithi, “hoo” nokukhefuzela. Sitsholo phezulu kakhulu ngaphambi kokuba siphele. Uhambo lwethu olusithez’ amandla lufikelela kweyona nto ebesiyifuna—lusithathe lwaya kusibeka kwiqela leetshimpanzi.

Le nto isibangel’ imincili kukukhefuzela, ukukhwaza, maxa wambi nokubeth’ izikhondo zemithi okuyindlela ezinxibelelana ngayo okanye ezitsala ngayo ingqalelo iitshimpanzi. Bubuninzi bamakhiwane avuthiweyo obubangel’ ukuba eli qela leetshimpanzi likhawuleze lifune ukunxibelelana. Kumasebe aphezulu kukho malunga neetshimpanzi ezingama-20 ukuya kwezingama-30 ezitya amakhiwane. Uboya bazo obumnyama bukhazimla ngenxa yemitha yelanga efikelela kubo. Enye kwezi tshimpanzi isigibisela ngamasetyana—into ebonis’ ukuba asifumani nentwana encinane koku kutya kwazo.

Elona xesha unokuzibona ngalo ezi tshimpanzi kuxa kukho iziqhamo ezininzi. Ngamanye amaxesha kunzima ukuzibona ngenxa yokuba ziya sele zingamaqela ambalwa kwizityalo ezisezantsi. Iitshimpanzi zasendle zithanda ukutya imini yonke njengoko zityhutyha imimandla ezizikwemitha ezininzi. Ukongezelela kwiziqhamo okunye ukutya kwazo ngamagqabi, imbewu nesiqu sentyatyambo. Kwakhona zitya iimbovane, amaqanda eentaka neentubi. Zithi ke ngamaxesh’ athile zizingele zize zibulale izilwanyana ezincinane eziquka iimfene.

Ekubeni sele kuza kuba semini emaqanda, iitshimpanzi ziyakuva ukunyuka kweqondo lobushushu. Kwehla enye yazo kuze kuthi kungekadlul’ ixesha elingephi zilandele nezinye. Zithi ke zilandelelane ziye kutsho kwintshinyela yemithi. Itshimpanzi encinane nendwebileyo ijinga kwisebe isiya kwelinye ukuze isondele kuthi. Kuvuyisa gqitha ukubona ezi zilwanyana zithanda ukudlala nezisoloko zifun’ ukwazi yonk’ into eyenzekayo.

Ziyamangalisa

“Jongani emva kwenu,” ukhwaza esitsho omnye wabantu abaze kule ndawo. Xa sijong’ emva kwethu sibona itshimpanzi ekrobe ngaphaya kwesiqobo somthi. Ime ngamanqina amabini, nto leyo eyenza iphakame kangangemitha. Ithi xa siyijonga isithelise intloko ngomthi iphinde ikrobe emva kwemizuzwana embalwa. Ithandeka ngokwenene xa isenjenjalo! Zona ziyakwazi ukuhamba imigama emifutshane ngamanqina amabini. Kodwa ke, ngokuqhelekileyo ziwasebenzisa omane ukuze zikwazi ukuthwala imizimba yazo. Umqolo wetshimpanzi awukwazi ukugoba ukuze ime nkqo njengabantu. Kwakhona izihlunu ezingenamandla kangako zangemva neengalo ezinde zenza ikwazi ukuhamba ngawo omane, ikhwele emthini ize ijinge kuwo kanye ngendlela ezibunjwe ngayo iitshimpanzi.

Ezi ngalo zayo zinde ziyinceda ikwazi ukukha iziqhamo ezikumasebe amancinane angenakuze akwazi ukuthwala ubunzima bazo. Izandla namanqina azo zenzelwe ukuba zikwazi ukubambelela nokugwencela emasebeni. Uzwane lwayo olukhulu lujonge ecaleni yaye lusebenza njengobhontsi ukuze ikwazi ukukhwela emthini, ibambelele ize iphathe izinto ngokulula. Loo nto yenza ikwazi ukuzenzel’ indawo yokulala xa kurhatyele. Iba yimizuzwana nje engephi ikrwabaze ize igobe amagqabi namasebe ade athambe iwabeke abe yindawo yokulala.

Ukubukela nokufunda ngeetshimpanzi zasendle ezineempawu ezimangalisayo nokufana kwazo nabantu ngokumila nangezimbo kuzenza zibangel’ umdla ngenene. Kodwa ke, abanye abantu banomdla kwiitshimpanzi kuba nje befuna izizathu zokungqina ukuba umntu waqala waba yitshimpanzi. Kungenxa yaloo nto kanye kuphakama le mibuzo: Yintoni ngokwenene eyahlula abantu kwiitshimpanzi? Kungayiphi indlela umntu ahluke ngayo kwizilwanyana njengoko edalwe “ngokomfanekiso kaThixo?”—Genesis 1:27.

Into Esingenakuze Siyilibale

Kunzima ukuzibona iitshimpanzi endle kuba zithi zakubona abantu zizimele. Kodwa ke, ukuze zikhuseleke zize zilondolozwe, ezinye iitshimpanzi ziye zabekwa kwindawo enabantu ukuze ziqhelane nabo.

Ukutyelela kwethu eli hlathi lilikhaya leetshimpanzi kuye kwaba yinto esingenakuze siyilibale. Kusincede sazazi kakuhle iitshimpanzi—zahluke gqitha kwezo zikwimizi egcina izilwanyana nakwiilebhu. Zizilwanyana ezimangalisayo yaye ziphakathi ‘kwezilwanyana zasekhaya namarhamncwa omhlaba’ awathi uThixo wabona ukuba alungile kwaye enzelwe iimeko ahlala kuzo.—Genesis 1:24, 25.

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 14, 15]

IITSHIMPANZI NABANTU

Kwincwadi yakhe ethi In the Shadow of Man, uGqr. Jane Goodall osisazinzulu ngezilwanyana, emva kokuba ebone iitshimpanzi “zisenza izixhobo zokusebenza” ngowe-1960 wathi, “izazinzulu ezininzi ziye zaqiniseka ukuba zifanele ziqonde ukuba umntu untsonkothe ngaphezu kokuba bezicinga.” Kumangalisa gqitha ukufumanisa ukuba iitshimpanzi ziyakwazi ukusebenzisa amagqabi njengeziponji, zisebenzise amatye namasebe ukuze ziqhekeze amandongomane zize ziphinde zikwazi ukususa amagqabi kwizikhuni zomthi ngaphambi kokuba zizifake emanzini xa zikhangela iintubi. Kodwa ke, kule mihla sele iyinto eyaziwayo ukuba izilwanyana ezininzi zinobuchule bokwenza izixhobo zokusebenza. Umbhali wencwadi ethi, Human Nature of Birds—A Scientific Discovery With Startling Implications uGqr. T. X. Barber uthi: “Kuzo zonke izilwanyana ekukhe kwafundwa ngazo, kuquka iitshimpanzi namahlengesi kodwa iimbovane neenyosi zezona zazi izinto ezininzi yaye zikrelekrele.”

Loo nto ayisitshintshi isibakala sokuba umntu wahluke gqitha. Unjingalwazi uDavid Premack ubhala athi: “Igrama nendlela yokusebenzisa isigama xa sithetha yenza ulwimi lwabantu lwahluke.” Ukuntsokotha kolwimi lwabantu nokwahlukahlukana kwendlela abaphila ngayo besebenzisa olu lwimi nendlela yokuthetha kuyabahlula kwizilwanyana.

Emva kweminyaka efunda ngeetshimpanzi zasendle uJane Goodall osebenza kumzi wogcino-zilwanyana wabhala wathi: “Andiqondi ukuba iitshimpanzi zingaze zikwazi ukubonakalisa iimvakalelo ngendlela umntu akwazi ngayo ukuthantamisa, ukukhusela, ukunyamezela nokwaneliseka ngenxa yokukwazi ukuthanda abanye, zinto ezo eziphawula abantu.” Waleka ngelithi: “Isibakala sokuba umntu ezazi siyasodlula esokuba isilwanyana siyawazi umzimba waso. Umntu ufuna ukwazi ngesiqu sakhe, ihlabathi elimngqongileyo nangendalo iphela”

IBhayibhile ichaza umahluko omkhulu phakathi kwezilwanyana nabantu ngokuthi umntu wadalwa “ngokomfanekiso kaThixo.” (Genesis 1:27) Ngoko ke, ngokungafaniyo nezilwanyana, umntu uyakwazi ukuba neempawu zoMenzi wakhe ibe uphawu lothando lolona lubalaseleyo. Kwakhona umntu uyakwazi ukufunda izinto ezininzi nokusebenzisa ubukrelekrele ngendlela eyodlula izilwanyana. Ukongezelela, umntu wadalwa wanenkululeko yokuzikhethela engalawulwa lithuku.

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 15]

Iitshimpanzi ezithand’ ukudlala nezifun’ ukwazi yonk’ into eyenzekayo, zizilwanyana ezidalelwe ukuphila kwindawo yazo

[Inkcazelo]

Chimpanzees, top right: Corbis/Punchstock/Getty Images; lower left and right: SuperStock RF/SuperStock; Jane Goodall: © Martin Engelmann/age fotostock

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 13]

© Photononstop/SuperStock