UMary Allen
Iichimpanzi luhlobo lwemfene ezinkulu. Zizezi zilwanyana ezanyisayo yaye zizona zizalamane ezisondeleyo ebantwini. Ngokwendalo, bahlala kumbindi weAfrika kuphela. Apho bahlala kwihlathi elinemvula kunye nakwi-savannah.
Zimbini iindidi zeetshimpanzi: “I-chimpanzee eqhelekileyo” idla ngokubizwa ngokuba yi“chimpanzee”. Olunye uhlobo yi bonobo, ekwaziwa ngokuba yi “pygmy chimpanzee”. Nangona kunjalo, iphantse yalingana ne-chimpanzee eqhelekileyo kodwa ihlala kuphela kumahlathi ashinyeneyo.
Iimfene zimalunga nemitha ubude ukusuka entloko ukuya ezantsi. Xa zimile, ziphantse zilingane nomntu omncinane. Iimazi zifikelela kwi-25 ukuya kwiikhilogram ezingama-50, iinkunzi malunga neekhilogram ezingama-35 ukuya kuma-70. Iingalo zakho zinde kunemilenze yakho. Zineendlebe ezingqukuva entloko kunye namathambo angqindilili phezu kwamehlo azo.
Iichimpanzi zisengozini enkulu. Esona sizathu: abantu bathatha iindawo zokuhlala ezininzi ngakumbi ngokususa amahlathi kunye nokutyala amasimi. Abaphandi, abazingeli abangekho mthethweni nabakhenkethi bosulela iitshimpanzi ezingakumbi ngezifo. Oku kunokuphulukana nobomi beetshimpanzi.
Ziphila njani iimfene?
Iichimpanzi zitya kakhulu emithini, kodwa nasemhlabeni. Batya yonke into, kodwa ubukhulu becala iziqhamo kunye namandongomane. Kodwa amagqabi, iintyatyambo kunye nembewu zikwakwimenyu yazo. Kukwakho nezinambuzane kunye nezilwanyana ezanyisayo ezincinci ezifana namalulwane, kodwa nezinye iinkawu.
Iichimpanzi zinobuchule bokukhwela phezu kwemithi. Ehlabathini, bahamba ngeenyawo nangezandla. Nangona kunjalo, azixhaswanga kwisandla sonke, kodwa kuphela kwiminwe yesibini neyesithathu. Kuthi bantu, oko kuya kuba ngumnwe wesalathisi kunye nomnwe ophakathi.
Iimfene ziphaphama emini zize zilale ebusuku, njengokuba kunjalo ngabantu. Kubusuku ngabunye bakhe indlwane entsha yamagqabi emthini. Abakwazi ukuqubha. Itshimpanzi eqhelekileyo isebenzisa izixhobo: iinkuni njengezando okanye iintonga zokwemba okanye ukukhupha iintubi emingxunyeni yazo.
Iichimpanzi zizilwanyana ezihlala nabantu. Bahlala kumaqela amakhulu okanye bahlulwe babe ngamaqela amancinci. Kwimeko ye-chimpanzee eqhelekileyo, indoda idla ngokuba ngumphathi, kwimeko ye-bonobos, idla ngokuba yimazi. Zonke iichimpanzi zilungisa uboya bomnye ngokuchola izinambuzane nezinye izilwanyana ezincinane kwenye.
Zizala njani iimfene?
Iichimpanzi zinokukhwelana unyaka wonke. Ngokufanayo namabhinqa, amabhinqa aya exesheni rhoqo emva kweeveki ezintlanu ukuya kwezintandathu. Ukukhulelwa kuthatha iinyanga ezisixhenxe ukuya kwezisibhozo. Leyo yindlela umama ethwele ngayo ithole lakhe esiswini. Idla ngokuzala itakane elinye ngexesha. Ambalwa kakhulu amawele.
Intshontsho letshimpanzi linobunzima obumalunga nekhilogram enye ukuya kwezimbini. Emva koko isela ubisi kumabele kanina kangangeminyaka emine ukuya kwemihlanu. Kodwa ke ihlala kumama ixesha elide.
Iimfene kufuneka zibe neminyaka esixhenxe ukuya kwesithoba ngaphambi kokuba zibe nabantwana bazo. Noko ke, kwiqela kufuneka balinde. Iichimpanzi eziqhelekileyo zimalunga neminyaka eli-13 ukuya kweli-16 ubudala ngaphambi kokuba nazo zibe ngabazali. Endle, iimfene ziphila iminyaka engama-30 ukusa kwengama-40, yaye kumyezo wezilwanyana ngokuqhelekileyo ziphila malunga neminyaka engama-50.