UMary Allen
Ingwenkala yeyosapho lweekati ezincinci. Iingwenkala ngoku zifumaneka phantse kuphela eAfrika, kumazantsi eSahara. Isilwanyana esinye yingwenkala, ezininzi ziingwenkala okanye ingwenkala.
Ingwenkala inobude obuziisentimitha ezingama-150 ukusuka empumlweni ukuya ezantsi. Umsila kwakhona malunga nesiqingatha ubude. Uboya bayo butyheli ngokwawo, kodwa kukho amachaphaza amaninzi amnyama kuyo. Imilenze ibhityile kakhulu kwaye inde. Umzimba ufana ne-greyhound ekhawulezayo. Ingwenkala yeyona kati ikhawulezayo kwaye ingumzingeli ogqwesileyo.
Ziphila njani iingwenkala?
Iingwenkala zihlala emathafeni, nakwintlango esentlango: kukho ingca ephezulu apho zikwaziyo ukuzimela khona, kodwa kukho amatyholo nemithi embalwa enokuphazamisa ukubaleka kweengwenkala. Yiyo loo nto bengahlali ehlathini.
Iingwenkala zidla ngokutya ama-ungulate amancinci, ngakumbi amabhadi. Amaqwarhashe neenqu sele emakhulu kakhulu kuwo. Ingwenkala ichwechwa iye kwixhoba malunga neemitha ezingama-50 ukuya kwi-100. Emva koko iyaleqa isilwanyana ize isihlasele. Inokufikelela kwisantya esingangeekhilomitha ezingama-93 ngeyure, malunga nokukhawuleza njengemoto kwindlela yasemaphandleni. Kodwa ngokuqhelekileyo akapheli nomzuzu.
Iinkunzi zengwenkala zikholisa ukuhlala kwaye zizingele zodwa okanye kunye namaqabane azo. Kodwa inokuba ngamaqela amakhulu. Iimazi zihlala zodwa ngaphandle kwaxa zisemancinci. Iinkunzi neemazi zidibana kuphela ukuze zilingane. Umama uthwala amathole esiswini malunga neenyanga ezintathu. Idla ngokuba yiXNUMX ukuya kweyesihlanu. Umama ulungisa umngxuma, umngxuma omncinane emhlabeni. Ihlala ifihliwe emva kwamatyholo. Apho izala amathole.
Isilwanyana esincinci sinobunzima obuphakathi kwe-150 ukuya kwi-300 grams, eyona nto inzima kakhulu njengeebha ezintathu zetshokolethi. Amantshontsho ahlala emhadini kangangeeveki ezisibhozo aze asele ubisi lukanina. Kufuneka zihlale zifihlwe kakuhle kuba unina akanakukwazi ukuzithethelela kwiingonyama, amahlosi okanye iingcuka. Uninzi lolutsha lukwatyiwa ngamarhamncwa anjalo. Amaxhoba aye aqole ngokwesondo malunga neminyaka emithathu ubudala. Unokwenza ube mncinci ngokwakho. Iingwenkala zinokuphila ukuya kutsho kwiminyaka eyi-15.
Ingaba iingwenkala zisengozini?
Iingwenkala zazidla ngokusuka eAfrika ukuya kumazantsi eAsia. E-Asia, nangona kunjalo, zikhona kuphela kwiipaki zelizwe kumantla e-Iran yanamhlanje. Zilikhulu izilwanyana. Nangona zikhuselwe kakhulu, zisongelwa ngokubhanga.
Zimalunga nama-7,500 XNUMX iingwenkala ezisahlala eAfrika. Ngaphezu kwesiqingatha sabo bahlala emazantsi, oko kukuthi, kumazwe aseBotswana, eNamibia naseMzantsi Afrika. Uninzi luhlala kwiindawo ezikhuselweyo. Oku kudala ubunzima kubafuyi beenkomo kuba iingwenkala zikwathanda ukutya iinkomo ezincinci.
Izazinzulu ezininzi kunye nabalwela amalungelo ezilwanyana banceda iingwenkala ukuba zizale kwakhona. Nangona kunjalo, oku kunzima. Ngo-2015, umzekelo, ngaphezu kwe-200 yeengwenkala zazalwa. Noko ke, itakane ngalinye lesithathu lalifa ngaphambi kokuba libe nesiqingatha sonyaka ubudala. Iingwenkala zaseAfrika zisesichengeni namhlanje, ezinye iindidi zisesichengeni.