INKOMO yasezintabeni zaseScotland, iphawuleka kalula ngezimpondo ezinde, uboya obude obulengela emehlweni kanye noboya obukhulu obumavukuvuku obumboze umzimba wayo oyisigqigqi.

Le nkomo yasezintabeni eqinile—engolunye lwezinhlobo zezinkomo ezindala kakhulu ezaziwayo—iye yaphila amakhulu eminyaka esimweni sezulu esibi sasezintabeni naseziqhingini zaseScotland. Ekuqaleni, izinkomo ezaziphila ezintabeni ezikude zazinkulu futhi zibomvu, kanti ezaseziqhingini ezisogwini olusentshonalanga zazincane futhi ngokuvamile zimnyama. Namuhla, abantu babheka le nkomo njengeyohlobo olulodwa kanti imibala yayo iyahluka kusukela kobomvu, omnyama, ompofu nophuzi othi awube mhlophe.

Uboya bale nkomo obude obulengela emehlweni futhi obubukeka ngendlela ehlekisayo bunendima ebalulekile. Ebusika buyayivikela ezivunguvungwini, emvuleni nalapho likhithika. Ehlobo buyivikela ezinambuzaneni ezindizayo ezingase ziyifakele amagciwane.

Nakuba iqoqo lezinkomo livame ukubizwa ngomhlambi, lolu hlobo lubizwa ngegama lesiNgisi elisho isibaya. Leli gama laqala endulo lapho kwakuthi kusihlwa, abantu basemaphandleni ababefuyile noma abalimi abaqashe amadlelo babuyisele izinkomo esibayeni samatshe esinesango ngaphambili. Lokhu kwakwenzelwa ukuzivikela esimweni sezulu esibi nasezimpisini.

Le nkomo yasezintabeni engavamile inoboya obelekene. Uboya obumavukuvuku obungaphandle bude, ngezinye izikhathi bungafinyelela kumasentimitha angu-33. Lobu boya obunamafutha benza ukuba ingabi manzi lapho lina noma likhithika. Ngaphansi kunoboya  obuthambile obuwuvolo obenza lesi silwane sihlale sifudumele.

UJim, osesebenze ngalezi zinkomo iminyaka eminingi, wathi: “Ukuzigeza ngensipho kunzima kakhulu njengoba kungelula ukuzimanzisa ngokuphelele!” Ngenxa yoboya bayo obumavukuvuku, le nkomo iyachuma futhi iyakwazi ukuqhubeka izala kulezi zintaba ezikhungethwe izimvula ezinkulu nomoya oshubisa umnkantsha, lapho lungekho olunye uhlobo lwenkomo olungakwazi ukuphila khona.

Lapho isimo sezulu sishisa kakhulu futhi lomisile ehlobo, uboya bale nkomo evumelana nezimo zendawo, buyaqothuka. Kamuva, lapho kubuya inkathi ebandayo yezimvula, lobu boya buphinde bukhule.

Nakuba izimvu zivame ukubuqothula utshani ngokudla izimpande kanye nalobo obusahluma, izinkomo—kuhlanganise nale yasezintabeni—azikwenzi lokho. Eqinisweni, le nkomo iwenza abe ngcono amadlelo. Kanjani? Ngezimpondo zayo ezinde eziqinile nomlomo omkhulu, isusa utshani obukhulu ezingafuni nakubuthinta ezinye izinhlobo zezinkomo. Lokho kwenza ukuba utshani nezihlahla kuphinde kuhlume.

Uboya bale nkomo obelekene bubuye bube usizo nangenye indlela. Njengoba ingawadingi amafutha engeziwe ukuze ifudumale, inyama yale nkomo ayinawo amafutha amaningi kanti icebe kakhulu ngamaprotheni nokusansimbi kunenyama yezinye izinkomo. Kanti le nyama yezinga eliphakeme ikhiqizwa ngaphandle kwezindleko ezinkulu zokuyondla!

Lezi zinkomo zinomlando omude wokuphila nabantu. Abantu bakudala baseScotland babezigcina emagumbini angaphansi ezindlu zabo eziyizitezi. Ukuba khona kwazo kwakwenza kufudumale esitezi esiphezulu lapho umndeni wawuhlala khona.

Nakuba ngokuvamile izinkomo ezifuywayo zingenalo udlame, ngezinye izikhathi ezinye zalezi zinkomo zingaba yingozi. Ngokwesibonelo, inkomazi enenkonyane ingase ingafuni lutho oluzosondela. Kanti umuntu kudingeka aqikelele ukuthi uyawugega umhlambi wazo kunokuba adabule phakathi kwawo.

Ukukwazi kwale nkomo ukuzivumelanisa nokuphila ngaphansi kwezimo ezihlukahlukene kuyenze yathandwa kakhulu emhlabeni jikelele. Iphila nasenyakatho ekude njengase-Alaska naseScandinavia, futhi ingase itholakale iklabe endaweni ephakeme ngamamitha angu-3 000 ezintabeni zase-Andes. Nokho, iphila kahle nasezindaweni ezifudumele.

IScotland saziwa ngendwangu yaso eyisikoshi, iziketi eziyisikoshi ezigqokwa abesilisa nomtshingo onamapayipi amaningi kanti siyaziwa nangenkomo yakhona enhle yasezintabeni. Zikhona yini izinkomo ezinoboya obunjengalobu ngakini?