UMary Allen
Iindlovu zizilwanyana ezanyisayo. Ngabona bakhulu abahlala kweli lizwe. Inkunzi ibizwa ngokuba yinkunzi yenkomo, imazi ibizwa ngokuba yinkomo okanye inkomo yendlovu, kwaye isilwanyana esincinci sibizwa ngokuba yithole.
Iinkomo namathole ahlala emhlambini. Zizulazula zikhangela ingca namagqabi okutya namanzi okusela. Iinkunzi zihlala zodwa okanye zingamaqela amancinci kwaye ziye kuphela kwiimazi ukuze zibe namathole.
Zimbalwa kwaye zimbalwa iindlovu ehlabathini. Abantu babahlutha umhlaba wabo, okanye badubula iindlovu baze babone amabamba azo. Bandula ke bazithengise njengophondo lwendlovu oluxabisekileyo.
Iindlovu zizilwanyana ezanyisayo. Ngabona bakhulu abahlala kweli lizwe. Inkunzi ibizwa ngokuba yinkunzi yenkomo, imazi ibizwa ngokuba yinkomo okanye inkomo yendlovu, kwaye isilwanyana esincinci sibizwa ngokuba yithole.
Zikhangeleka njani iindlovu?
Inkunzi yenkomo, inkunzi enkulu, ikhula ngokuphindwe kabini ubude benkunzi ekhule ngokupheleleyo yaye inobunzima obufikelela kwiinqwelo ezincinane ezisixhenxe, neetoni ezintandathu. Ukulinganiswa ukuya egxalabeni, iindlovu ziimitha ezine ukuphakama. Umzimba wabo unokuba ziimitha ezintlanu ezinesiqingatha ukuya kwezisixhenxe ezinesiqingatha ubude.
Umboko wendlovu yimpumlo emide enempumlo. Iproboscis yimisipha kuphela kwaye ayinamathambo. Yiyo loo nto ebaleka kakhulu. Indlovu ayikwazi nje ukuphefumla kunye nevumba ngomboko wayo. Unokuwusebenzisa ukubamba izinto kwaye, umzekelo, afake ingca emlonyeni wakhe. Usenokusebenzisa ukufunxa amanzi aze awagalele emlonyeni ukuze asele.
Ayizizo zonke iindlovu ezinamathambo afana ncam. Umqolo unokuba ne-326 ukuya kwi-351 i-vertebrae nganye ukusuka entanyeni ukuya kwincam yomsila. Intliziyo ibetha kuphela malunga namaxesha angama-30 ngomzuzu. Oko kumalunga nesiqingatha sesantya somntu.
Iindlovu zineendlebe ezinkulu, imilenze engqindilili, nemiboko namabamba amade kunaso nasiphi na esinye isilwanyana emhlabeni. Ulusu lwazo lujike ngokomnwe womntu omdala ngoko ke iindlovu zikwabizwa ngokuba zii “pachyderms”. Nangona kunjalo, ulusu lubuthathaka kakhulu. Amabamba ayeyi-incisors kwizinyanya zokuqala zeendlovu. Ziyaqhubeka zikhula.
Ziphila njani iindlovu?
Iindlovu zihlala emhlambini. Nangona kunjalo, oku kubandakanya iinkomo kunye nezilwanyana ezincinci, hayi iinkunzi ezindala. Umhlambi onjalo ukhokelwa yimazi yendlovu enamava. Inkomo ikhusela iqela ngokubonisa ukuba iya kuhlasela ukuba kuyimfuneko: isasaza iindlebe zayo kwaye iphakamisa impumlo yayo.
Iinkunzi ezindala zidla ngokuhlala zodwa okanye zibe ngamaqela aqhawukayo aphinde adibane kwakhona. Basondela kuphela kwimihlambi yeenkomo ukuze bahlangane.
Iindlovu azidli imifuno kuphela. Zikhetha ukutya ingca namagqabi, kodwa namasebe nezinye izityalo. Bafuna malunga neekhilogram ezingama-200 yonke imihla. Basela ngaphezulu kwe-100 leelitha zamanzi.
Iindlovu zilala kancinci kunabantu. Bafuna lonke ixesha lokutya. Kwakhona kufuneka bahambe umgama omde ukuze benze oku. Nangona becotha, bayazingisa kakhulu. Yiyo loo nto kunzima ukugcina iindlovu kwindawo yogcino-zilwanyana kuba ixinene kakhulu kuzo.
Xa kushushu kakhulu nokunyamekela ulusu lwabo, bathanda ukuhlamba okanye ukutshiza amanzi emqolo ngemiboko yabo. Xa kushushu, ziphephezela iindlebe zazo ukuze zizipholise.
Zizala njani iindlovu?
Iindlovu zinokuzala nanini na enyakeni. Nangona kunjalo, inkomo kufuneka ibe nokutya okwaneleyo ukuze ithande. Emva kokukhwelana nenkunzi, inkomo imitha phantse iminyaka emibini. Kwimeko yezilwanyana, oku kuthetha “ukumithi” kuba unina uthwele isilwanyana esiselula esiswini. Amawele anqabile.
Ekuzalweni, usana lwendlovu lunobunzima obumalunga neekhilogram ezili-100, ngokulingana nendoda enzima. Inokuphakama kwangoko. Kangangeminyaka emine akatyi kwaye akaseli nto ngaphandle kobisi lukanina. Bayisela ngqo ngomlomo wabo. Ngokungafaniyo nezilwanyana ezininzi ezanyisayo, imazi yendlovu ithwala amabele ayo phakathi kwemilenze yayo yangaphambili.
Kuthatha iminyaka engama-20 ukuba indlovu ikhule. Ukususela kwiminyaka engama-40 ubudala, inkomo yendlovu ayinakuphinda ibe nabantwana. Noko ke, uphila eminye iminyaka engama-20. Oku kunqabile kakhulu kwizilwanyana. Lilonke, iindlovu zihlala malunga neminyaka engama-60 ubudala.
Zahluke njani iindlovu?
Amaqela amabini amakhulu eendlovu asaphila namhlanje: indlovu yaseAfrika kunye nesihlobo sayo esisondeleyo, indlovu yehlathi, ehlala eAfrika. Indlovu yaseAsia ihlala eAsia.
Indlovu yase-Afrika inzima kunendlovu yaseAsia. Ulusu lwakhe lushwabene. Iinkunzi zenkomo neenkomo zinamabamba. Iinkunzi ezininzi kwiindlovu zaseAsia zinamabamba. Iinkomo azinawo okanye azinawo amabamba amancinane kuphela. Iindlovu zaseAfrika nazo zineendlebe ezinkulu.
Iindlovu zaseIndiya zinokuqeqeshelwa ukuthwala imithwalo enzima. Amaxesha amaninzi benza umsebenzi owenziwa yitrektara ehlathini lethu, umzekelo ukurhuqa iziqu zemithi. Kwelinye icala, iindlovu zaseAfrika kunzima ukuzilulamisa.
Bekukade kukho iintlobo ezininzi zeendlovu ehlabathini. Ngokomzekelo, kwakukho i-mammoths eYurophu kunye ne-mastodon eMelika. Babenoboya kwaye nomzimba ukhangeleka wohluke kancinci. Ebudeni be-Ice Age, kwakukho neendlovu zepygmy kwiziqithi zoLwandle lweMeditera. Zonke ezi ziphelile namhlanje.
Ngaba iindlovu zisengozini?
Iindlovu phantse azinazo iintshaba zendalo. Kunqabile ukuba iingonyama okanye amahlosi aphumelele ekuleqeni nasekutyeni itakane. Phezu kwako nje oku, zimbalwa kakhulu iindlovu namhlanje kunokuba kwakunjalo ngaphambili.
Kwiminyaka engama-30 eyadlulayo kwakusekho izigidi ezininzi zeendlovu ezihlala eAfrika, ngakumbi kwi-savannah. Namhlanje kusekho malunga nesiqingatha sesigidi. Abazingeli badla ngokubulala iindlovu ngenxa nje yamabamba. Akuvumelekanga phantse kuyo yonke indawo. Abantu abaninzi bayaluthanda olu phondo lwendlovu njengeqhekeza lezacholo kuba lugudileyo kwaye kulula ukuluqingqa.
NaseAsiya kwakukhe kwakho iindlovu ezininzi. Wonke umzantsi we-Asiya wayazi iindlovu, namhlanje kukho iindawo ezimbalwa kuphela e-Indiya nakwamanye amazwe afana ne-Indonesia. Endle namhlanje, kusekho malunga nama-50,000. Ukongezelela, kukho iindlovu zaseAsia eziseluvalelweni, umzekelo kwimizi yogcino-zilwanyana.
Kuba iindlovu zidinga ixesha elide ukuze isilwanyana esincinane sikhule, sinokuzala ngokucothayo. Kwakhona abantu bathabatha umhlaba ongakumbi nangakumbi kubo, nto leyo eyenza ubomi bube nzima ngakumbi kwiindlovu.