UMary Allen
Iindlulamthi zizilwanyana ezanyisayo. Asikho esinye isilwanyana sasemhlabeni esikhulu ngobude ukusuka entloko ukuya ezinyaweni. Baziwa kakhulu ngeentamo zabo ezinde ngokungaqhelekanga. Indlulamthi inamathambo asixhenxe omlomo wesibeleko entanyeni, njengezinye izilwanyana ezanyisayo. Noko ke, ithambo lomqolo lendlulamthi lide ngendlela engaqhelekanga. Enye inkalo ekhethekileyo yeendlulamthi ziimpondo zazo ezimbini, ezigqunywe ngoboya. Ezinye iintlobo zinamaqhuma phakathi kwamehlo.
EAfrika iindlulamthi zihlala kumathafa, kumathafa nakumatyholo. Kukho i-subspecies ezisithoba ezinokuchongwa ngoboya bazo. I-subspecies nganye ihlala kwindawo ethile.
Iinkunzi zikwabizwa ngokuba ziinkunzi, zikhula zifikelele kwiimitha ezintandathu ukuphakama kwaye zinobunzima obufikelela kwi-1900 yeekhilogram. Iimazi zendlulamthi zibizwa ngokuba ziinkomo. Ziyakwazi ukukhula ngeemitha ezine ezinesiqingatha ubude kwaye zinobunzima obufikelela kwi-1180 yeekhilogram. Amagxa azo aphakathi kweemitha ezimbini ukuya kwezintathu ezinesiqingatha ukuphakama.
Ziphila njani iindlulamthi?
Iindlulamthi zizilwanyana ezitya utyani. Yonke imihla batya malunga neekhilogram ezingama-30 zokutya, bachitha iiyure ezingama-20 ngosuku besitya kwaye bekhangela ukutya. Intamo ende yendlulamthi iyenza ibe luncedo kakhulu kunezinye izilwanyana ezitya utyani: izivumela ukuba zitye kwiindawo zemithi ekungekho silwanyana sinokufikelela kuzo. Basebenzisa ulwimi lwabo oluzuba ukukha amagqabi. Ifikelela kuma-50 eesentimitha ubude.
Iindlulamthi zingahlala iiveki zingamanzi kuba zifumana ulwelo olwaneleyo emagqabini azo. Ukuba ziyawasela amanzi, kufuneka ziyivule banzi imilenze yazo yangaphambili ukuze zikwazi ukufikelela emanzini ngentloko yazo.
Iimazi iindlulamthi zihlala ngokwamaqela, kodwa azihlali kunye. Umhlambi onjalo weendlulamthi maxa wambi uba nezilwanyana ezinokuba ngama-32. Iinkunzi ezincinci zendlulamthi zizenzela amaqela azo. Njengabantu abadala, zizilwanyana ezihlala zodwa. balwe omnye komnye xa bedibana. Emva koko bamelana ecaleni bangqubanise iintloko zabo kwiintamo ezinde zomnye.
Zizala njani iindlulamthi?
Oomama bendlulamthi phantse basoloko bethwele umntwana omnye kuphela esiswini ngexesha. Ukukhulelwa kuthatha ixesha elide kunabantu: ithole lendlulamthi lihlala iinyanga ezili-15 esizalweni sikanina. Iimazi zendlulamthi ziphakamisa amathole azo. Intshontsho alikhathali ukuwa phantsi lisuka phezulu.
Ekuzalweni, isilwanyana esincinci sele sinobunzima beekhilogram ezingama-50. Inokuphakama emva kweyure ibe yi-1.80 yeemitha ubude, ilingana nendoda esele ikhulile. Le yindlela efikelela ngayo emibeleni kamama ukuze ikwazi ukuncanca ubisi apho. Inokubaleka ixeshana elifutshane. Oku kubaluleke kakhulu ukuze ikwazi ukulandela umama kwaye ibaleke kumarhamncwa.
Intshontsho lihlala nonina kangangonyaka onesiqingatha. Iyakhula ngokwesondo xa imalunga neminyaka emine ubudala kwaye ikhule ngokupheleleyo kwiminyaka emithandathu ubudala. Indlulamthi iphila iminyaka emalunga nama-25 endle. Ekuthinjweni, inokuba yiminyaka engama-35.
Ingaba iindlulamthi zisengozini?
Iindlulamthi azifane zihlaselwe ngamarhamncwa ngenxa yobukhulu bazo. Ukuba kuyimfuneko, zikhaba iintshaba zazo ngamanqina angaphambili. Oku kuba nzima ngakumbi kumantshontsho xa ehlaselwa ziingonyama, amahlosi, iingcuka nezinja zasendle. Nangona unina ezikhusela, kuphela ikota ukuya kwisiqingatha samantshontsho akhula.
Olona tshaba lukhulu lwendlulamthi yindoda. KwanamaRoma namaGrike ayezingela iindlulamthi. Benjenjalo nabahlali. Imitya emide yeendlulamthi yayithandwa ngemitya nanjengeentambo zezixhobo zomculo. Noko ke, oku kuzingelwa akuzange kubangele ingozi enkulu. Ngokubanzi, iindlulamthi ziyingozi kakhulu ebantwini ukuba ziziva zisongelwa.
Kodwa abantu bawahlutha ngakumbi nangakumbi indawo ezihlala iindlulamthi. Namhlanje azisekho kumntla weSahara. Kwaye ezinye iintlobo zendlulamthi zisengozini. ENtshona Afrika, zisesichengeni sokuphela. Iindlulamthi ezininzi zisafumaneka kwiSerengeti National Park eTanzania kunxweme olusempuma Afrika. Ukukhumbula iindlulamthi, rhoqo nge-21 kaJuni luSuku lweHlabathi lweNdlulamthi.