MUNTHU wina wolemba mabuku wa m’zaka za m’ma 1800, dzina lake Henry David Thoreau, analemba maganizo ake okhudza mphalapala. Iye analemba kuti, “Mphalapala ndi nyama yonyansa moti sungafune kuiyang’ana kawiri. Ndi chachitali komanso chili ndi mutu wautali.” Anthu ena amaganiza kuti zimene ananena Henry ndi zoona. Nyamayi sioneka kawirikawiri, imaoneka moseketsa ndipo ena amaganiza kuti ndi yaulesi komanso yopanda nzeru. Koma kodi zimenezi n’zoona? Akatswiri ofufuza a ku North America, Europe ndi ku Asia apeza zinthu zambiri zokhudza nyama imeneyi.

Aliyense amene anaonapo mphalapala sangatsutse kuti ndi nyama yaikulu kwambiri. Ngakhale kuti anthu ena amaona kuti nyama imeneyi ndi yonyansa chifukwa ili ndi miyendo yaitali, koma miyendo imeneyi ndiyofunika kwambiri kwa nyamayi chifukwa imaithandiza kubalalitsa chigulu cha nkhandwe. Mwana wa mphalapala amayamba kusambira akangotha masiku owerengeka atabadwa. Anthu ena aonapo tiana ta mphalapala tikumira m’madzi akuya pafupifupi mamita 6 kuti tikadye zomera za m’madzimo.

Mphalapala imatha kutembenuza maso ake n’kumaona mbali zonse popanda kutembenuza mutu wake. Ilinso ndi mphuno zamphamvu. Akatswiri ofufuza amati chifukwa chakuti mabowo amphuno ya mphalapala ndi otalikirana, imatha kununkhiza zinthu zimene zili patali. Komanso makutu ake ndi ochititsa chidwi chifukwa amatha kumva  phokoso lochokera mbali zonse moti amatha kumva kulira kwa mphalapala zina zomwe zili patali pamtunda wamakilomita atatu.

Munthu wina analemba kuti tiana ta mphalapala “n’tosangalatsa kwambiri” ndipo ndi topulupudza kwabasi. Mphalapala yaikazi imateteza ana ake kwambiri moti imatha kumenyana ndi nkhandwe, anthu komanso nyama zina zolusa zomwe zikufuna kugwira anawo. Kamwanako kakakwanitsa chaka chimodzi ndipo mayi akewo akakhala ndi bere, amakathamangitsa kuti kazikadzisamalira kokha.

Popeza mphalapala zimadya zomera, anthu ena amadabwa kuti zimakhala bwanji m’nyengo yozizira? Kuti zisadzavutike m’nyengo yozizira, mphalapala zimadya kwambiri kuti thupi lake likhale ndi zakudya zokwanira. Mphalapala imadya pafupifupi makilogalamu 23 a zomera tsiku lililonse ndipo imatha kufufuza zakudya pansi pa madzi akuya pafupifupi mamita atatu. Mphalapala ili ndi mimba ya zigawo zinayi zomwe zikutanthauza kuti imakhala ndi malo ambiri osungira zakudya. Zimenezi zimathandiza kuti thupi lake likhale ndi zakudya zokwanira. Komabe nyamazi zimakumana ndi mavuto enanso m’nyengo yozizira.

Mphalapala zimavutika chifukwa chozizira komanso chipale chofewa. Kuti zisawononge chakudya chake cham’thupi, sizimayendayenda ndipo ubweya wake umazithandiza kuti zizimva kutentha. M’nyengo imeneyi, mphalapala zimagwidwa ndi nkhadwe mosavuta chifukwa zimavutika kuthawa chifukwa cha chipale chofewa. Koma mdani wamkulu wa nyamazi ndi alenje komanso magalimoto.

Mphalapala zimakonda kwambiri mchere umene umapezeka mumsewu watala womwe amasungunulira chipale chofewa. Koma kawirikawiri nyamazi zimagundidwa ndi magalimoto chifukwa zili ndi ubweya wakuda komanso zimakonda kuwoloka mumsewu kutada, zomwe zimachititsa kuti madalaivala azilephera kuziona mwansanga. Anthu komanso mphalapala zambiri zafa chifukwa cha ngozi zapamsewu.

Mphalapala zikakhala m’mphepete mwa nyanja zimakonda kusewera ndi mafunde komanso kusamba madzi a mu akasupe otentha. M’nyengo yoti zikufuna kukhala ndi bere, mphalapala zazimuna ndi zazikazi zimasonyezana chikondi kwambiri. Mphalapala zazikazi zimasamalira ana ake mwachikondi. Komanso tiana ta mphalapala tomwe taleredwa ndi anthu timayamba kukonda kwambiri amene akutisamalirawo. Dr Valerius Geist ananena kuti: “Ngakhale kuti mphalapala zimaoneka zosakongola, ndi zanzeru chifukwa zimasonyezana chikondi komanso n’zokhulupirika kwambiri.”

M’pofunika kusamala kwambiri ndi nyama zimenezi chifukwa ndi zamphamvu kwambiri. Mukadzakumana nayo mudzaonetsetse kuti musaiyandikire, makamaka ikadzakhala kuti ili ndi ana. Komabe mudzasangalala nayo chifukwa ndi nyama yochititsa chidwi kwambiri.