EMINYAKENI engu-3 000 edlule, umbusi waseChina wenza isiqiwu futhi wasibiza ngokuthi iGarden of Intelligence. Lesi siqiwu sasinezilwane eziningi futhi singama-hektare angu-607. Ngaleso sikhathi, lolu hlobo lwepaki lwaluyivela-kancane.

Nokho, namuhla, izigidi zabantu emhlabeni ziyakwazi ukuya ema-zoo. Incwadi ethi Zoos in the 21st Century iyaphawula: “Ezweni lapho izindawo ezinemvelo zincipha khona futhi banda abantu abahlala emadolobheni, kubantu abaningi ama-zoo aseyindawo yokubona nokufunda ngezilwane.”

Ama-zoo anika izivakashi ithuba lokubona izilwane ezikhangayo nezihlaba umxhwele kunazo zonke emhlabeni esimweni esingokwemvelo. Ungase ubone izimvemvane ezihlakaniphile zindiza engadini noma uhlobo lwenyoni yasolwandle (penguin) lugeza eqhweni endaweni eyenziwe yafana ne-Antarctic.

Ungase udabule ehlathini elincane lasendaweni eshisayo futhi ubone ezinye izilwane nezinyoni ezihlala kuleyo ndawo. Noma ungase ungene endaweni emnyama ukuze ubone izilwane ezihamba ebusuku. Kwamanye ama-zoo ungase ubone ngisho nezinyoni ezidla inyama zibukisa ngokundiza kwazo noma ubone ama-dolphin enza imigilingwane yawo. Izilwane ezisengozini ezazivalelwe emakhejini sezikhululiwe futhi manje sezihlukaniswe ngemisele emikhulu ehlukanisa izilwane zasendle nomphakathi.

Abanye abantu abalwela amalungelo ezilwane bayazibuza ukuthi kufanele yini izilwane zithathwe endle bese zizovalelwa endaweni ezingadalelwanga ukuba ziphile kuyo. Laba balweli bezilwane bathi ama-zoo enza izilwane zingakwazi ukuzihambela ngokukhululekile futhi aphazamisa ukuziphatha kwazo okungokwemvelo.

Bephendula kulokhu kugxeka, abanikazi bama-zoo bathi benza umsebenzi obalulekile wokulondoloza nokufundisa. UJaime Rull, wepaki okuthiwa iFaunia, eMadrid, eSpain uyachaza, “Umgomo wethu uwukufundisa abantu ukuhlonipha izilwane. Sifuna ukwenza izivakashi zethu zibe nesifiso sokusiza ekulondolozeni izindawo ezihlala izilwane, futhi uma kungenziwa lokho ziyokufa zonke.” Okunye ukuhlola kubonisa ukuthi ngempela i-zoo ephumelelayo yenza umphakathi usiphaphamele isidingo sokuvikela izilwane ezisengozini yokuqothulwa.

Ezinye izilwane ezingavamile—njenge-panda enkulu—sebezithanda kakhulu abantu. “Zonke izivakashi zifuna ukubona ama-panda ethu amabili,” kusho uNoelia Benito, osebenza  kuyi-Aquarium ese-zoo yaseMadrid. “Lezi zilwane ezidumile seziwuphawu lokulwa kwethu ukuze sisindise izilwane ezisengozini yokuqothulwa. Sinethemba lokuthi ama-panda azozala, nakuba lezi zilwane ziziqhenya kakhulu uma zikhethana ukuze zizale.”

Ngokungafani nama-panda, izilwane eziningi zizala ngokukhululekile ema-zoo, ngenxa yezimo ezingcono nokunakekelwa kahle odokotela bezilwane. Izimiso zokuzalanisa eziphumelelayo ziye zasiza ekuphenduleni abagxeki abathi ama-zoo akufanele ahileleke ekuhwebelaneni ngezilwane ezisengozini yokuqothulwa. Ngaphandle kokugcina izilwane eziningi ukuze zibukwe, ama-zoo amaningi azama nokuzalanisa izilwane ezisengozini yokuqothulwa ngethemba lokuthi ekugcineni zingabuye zibuyiselwe endle.

Imbangela eyinhloko yokuphela kwalezi zilwane endle iwukuphela kwendawo yazo yokuhlala. Ngakho, ama-zoo asehileleke ngokugcwele ekuxhaseni isimiso sokulondolozwa kwazo, esebenza ngokuqondile nezinhlangano ezinakekela izilwane zasendle emazweni ashisayo. *

Njengoba izingane eziningi zinesithakazelo esingokwemvelo ezilwaneni, ukuthatha impelasonto noma iholidi ukuze nivakashele e-zoo njengomkhaya kunganika abazali ithuba lokufundisa izingane zabo ngendalo kaNkulunkulu. Ningabuka indalo ndawonye.

Kusukela ekuqaleni komlando, isintu besilokhu sinesithakazelo ezilwaneni. Lokhu kuyisithakazelo okufanelekayo ukuba sisihlakulele ezinganeni zethu, njengoba indalo isenza siqonde ubuntu boMdali wayo. Ukuvakashela e-zoo kungakhulisa nenhlonipho nokuqaphela kwethu izidalwa ezimangalisayo ezihlala kule planethi yethu enhle.