“I-MOOSE ibukeka kabi nangendlela exake ngokungavamile. Kungani iphakeme kangaka? Kungani inobuso obude kangaka?” Umlobi walawo mazwi wangekhulu le-19, uHenry David Thoreau, wayengeyedwa neze ekuhloleni i-moose. Ukubukeka okuhlekisayo kwalesi silwane esingunkom’ idla yodwa nokungavami kwaso ukubonakala endle, kuye kwabangela inkolelo yokuthi sixakile futhi sinengqondo ethatha kancane. Ingabe kunjalo? Abacwaningi baseNyakatho Melika, eYurophu nase-Asia baye bavumbulula amaqiniso amaningi ngalesi silwane esingajwayelekile.

Akekho ongaphika ukuthi i-moose inkulu. Nakuba le “nkosi yehlathi” inemilenze emide eyenza ibonakale ixadazela, leyo milenze izivikela ngayo ebuthweni lezimpisi. Ama-moose afunda ukubhukuda ngezinsukwana nje ezelwe, futhi aye abonakala ebhukuda amabanga angamakhilomitha amaningi kanti akwazi nokuya ekujuleni okungamamitha ayisithupha ukuze adle izinto ezimila emanzini!

I-moose ikwazi ukuphendula amehlo ukuze ibone into enyakaza ngasemva kwayo ngaphandle kokujikisa ikhanda. Ikhala layo nalo liwusizo. Abacwaningi basikisela ukuthi ngenxa yokuthi izimbobo zekhala layo ziqhelelene kakhulu, ziyenza ibe nekhono elingavamile lokuthola ukuthi into ethile ingakuphi. Amadlebe ayo ayenezela kulezi zinzwa zayo. Amadlebe ayo akwazi ukujikela kuzo zonke izinhlangothi futhi akwazi ukuzwa imisindo yamanye ama-moose aqhele ngebanga elingamakhilomitha amathathu!

 Amankonyane ama-moose avame ukuba nelukuluku futhi awanaki, omunye umbhali uwachaza ngokuthi “aweve ethandeka.” Onina bawavikela ngokuwanakekela ngesisa nangobuqotho. Izinsikazi zihlasela noma yini efuna amankonyane azo, kuhlanganise izimpisi, amabhere ngisho nabantu. Ekugcineni, lapho inkonyane selinonyaka ubudala futhi unina esephinde wamitha, uyalixosha ukuze liqale ukuzinakekela.

Njengoba ama-moose edla izitshalo kuphela, amisa kanjani ebusika obubandayo? Okunye akwenzayo, adla kakhulu ngesikhathi sasehlobo. Ama-moose adla ukudla okungaba amakhilogremu angu-23 ngosuku, kungaba izitshalo ezihluma enhlabathini ezingamamitha amathathu noma ezimila ngaphansi kwamanzi. Akusebenzisa ngokugcwele lokhu kudla ngokukugaya eziswini zawo ezinezingxenye ezine, amunce wonke umsoco ukuze akhuluphale. Nokho, kunezinye izingozi lezi zinyamazane ezibhekana nazo ebusika.

Amakhaza ashubisa umnkantsha kanye neqhwa ayithwalisa kanzima le nyamazane. Ithanda ukuzihlalela yodwa ebusika, ayihambi kakhulu kanti inoboya obukhulu okuyenza ihlale ifudumele. Kunzima kakhulu ukubalekela izimpisi eqhweni, kodwa ngokuvamile ingozi enkulu nakakhulu i-moose ebhekana nayo abantu—ikakhulu abazingelayo nabahamba ngezimoto.

Le nyamazane iyawuthanda usawoti osuke uchithwe emigwaqweni eminingi yasenyakatho engothela-wayeka ukuze kuncibilikiswe iqhwa. Nokho, ngenxa yokuthi i-moose inombala ongagqamile kanti iyathanda ukweqa imigwaqo sekuhwalele, abashayeli abasheshi ukuyibona ukuze bangayishayisi. Lokhu kuye kwaholela ekufeni kwabantu nama-moose.

I-moose iye yabonakala idlala emagagasini olwandle, yabuye yabonakala ibhukuda ijabulile eziphethwini ezishisayo. Izinkunzi nezinsikazi ziyazwelana ngesikhathi sokukhwelana, kanti ukwethembeka kwensikazi enkonyaneni layo kuthinta inhliziyo ngempela. Amankonyane akhuliswa abantu aye asondelana kakhulu nabo njengokungathi bangonina. UDkt. Valerius Geist uyaphawula: “Lesi silwane esingavamile esinobuso obungabukeki sikhaliphile, sinothando futhi sithembeke kakhulu.”

Nokho, nasi isixwayiso: I-moose iyisilwane sasendle esiqine kakhulu futhi esinamandla. Uma kwenzeka uyibona endle, yihloniphe futhi ungasondeli eduze kwayo. Ukungasondeli kuyo kubaluleke ngokukhethekile lapho kunamankonyane amancane eduze. Kodwa, qiniseka ukuthi ngisho noma ukude, uyokhexa njengoba ubuka le nyamazane yasehlathini enkulu ngokungavamile.