UMary Allen
Iihagu zaseGuinea ziimpuku. Zibizwa ngokuba “zihagu” kuba zincwina njengehagu. “Ulwandle” luvela kwinto yokuba zaziswa eYurophu zisuka eMzantsi Merika, ngaphaya kolwandle.
Iintlobo ezihlala ngokukhululekileyo zihlala zombini amathafa anengca kunye neendawo ezinamatye anqabileyo kunye neentaba eziphakamileyo ze-Andes. Apho zinokufumaneka ukuya kuthi ga kwi-4200 yeemitha ngaphezu komphakamo wolwandle. Zihlala ngokwamaqela ezilwanyana ezintlanu ukuya kwezilishumi kumatyholo ashinyeneyo okanye emingxunyeni. Bazimbela ngokwabo okanye bazithathele kwezinye izilwanyana. Okona kutya kweguinea pig kwilizwe lazo yingca, imifuno okanye amagqabi.
Kukho iintsapho ezintathu ezahlukeneyo zeehagu zeguinea: Imivundla ye-pampas evela kwiintaba zaseMzantsi Melika inobude obuziisentimitha ezingama-80 ukusuka empumlweni ukuya ezantsi kwaye inobunzima obuziikhilogram ezili-16. Enye intsapho yi<em>capybara, ekwabizwa ngokuba ziihagu zamanzi. Zezona mpuku zinkulu ehlabathini. Bahlala kwiindawo ezifumileyo zaseMzantsi Melika.
Usapho lwesithathu zii “Guinea pigs”. Kubo, siyayazi eyona hagu yasekhaya. Zizizilwanyana zasekhaya ezidumileyo njengoko kulula kakhulu ukuzikhathalela. Ziye zakhuliswa amakhulu ambalwa eminyaka. Ngoko abasahambi njengookhokho babo ngokwendalo.
Ziphila njani iihagu?
Iihagu zasekhaya zimalunga neesentimitha ezingama-20 ukuya kwezingama-35 ubude kwaye zinobunzima obumalunga nekhilogram enye. Iindlebe zazo zincinci kwaye imilenze yazo mifutshane. Azinamsila. Zine-incisors ezide kwaye ezinamandla ezihlala zikhula. Uboya beehagu zeguinea bungabonakala buhluke kakhulu. Isenokuba mpuluswa, shaggy, imfutshane, okanye inde.
Izilwanyana ezincinci ziphefumla ngokukhawuleza okuphindwe kabini kunobantu. Intliziyo yakho ibetha malunga nezihlandlo ezihlanu ngomzuzwana, malunga nakahlanu ngokukhawuleza kunomntu. Ziyakwazi ukubona kude macala onke ngaphandle kokujika iintloko zazo kodwa zihlwempuzekile xa ziqikelela imigama. Amabhovu abo abanceda ebumnyameni. Bayakwazi ukubona imibala, kodwa kunzima ukwazi ukuba benze ntoni ngayo. Beva izandi eziphezulu kunabantu. Impumlo yabo ikwazi ukunuka kakhulu, eyona nto ibalulekileyo kwiguinea pig.
Iihagu zasekhaya zichitha imini ngokwahlukileyo kuthi bantu: Zihlala ziphaphile kwaye zihlala zilala, zombini ixesha elifutshane kakhulu. Ebudeni bemini, batya izihlandlo ezimalunga nama-70, ngoko ke izidlo ezincinane ngokuphindaphindiweyo. Ke ngoko bahlala befuna ukutya, ubuncinci amanzi, kunye nefula.
Iihagu zaseGuinea zizilwanyana ezincinci ezinxulumanayo, ngaphandle kweenkunzi phakathi kwazo, azivani kwaphela. Isilwanyana ngasinye siziva singakhululekanga. Ngoko ke kufuneka ugcine abafazi ababini okanye ngaphezulu kunye. Bangqengqe basondelelane ukuba balale. Noko ke, zibambana kuphela xa kubanda kakhulu. Kakade ke, kwahlukile kwizilwanyana eziselula. Iihagu zaseGuinea azidibani naso nasiphi na esinye isilwanyana ngaphandle kwemivundla.
Iihagu zaseGuinea zidinga indawo yokuhamba. Kwisilwanyana ngasinye, kufuneka kubekho indawo eyimitha enye ngesinye. Ngoko nezilwanyana ezibini azifanele zibekwe phezu komandlalo. Bakwafuna iindiza okanye uthuli lwamaplanga, izindlu zamaplanga, iitonela zamalaphu, kunye nezinye izinto zokufunxa nokuzifihla.
Zizala njani iihagu zasekhaya?
Ngaphezu kwako konke, iihagu zasekhaya zizala ngokukhawuleza! Kwiiveki ezimbalwa emva kokuzalwa kwabo, banokuzenzela inzala. Umama uthwala abantwana bakhe esiswini kangangeeveki ezisithoba. Abantwana ababini ukuya kwabane badla ngokuzalwa. Banxiba uboya, bayakwazi ukubona, ukuhamba, kwaye ngokukhawuleza baqalise ukufunxa nantoni na abayifumanayo. Zinobunzima obumalunga ne-100 grams, nto leyo emalunga nebhari yetshokolethi. Izilwanyana ezincinci zisela ubisi kumama wazo kuba iiguinea pigs zizilwanyana ezanyisayo.
Kamsinya nje emva kokuba izele, imazi yeguinea pig inokuphinda ikhwelwe ize ikhulelwe. Izilwanyana ezincinci kufuneka zibe malunga neeveki ezine ukuya kwezintlanu ubudala kwaye zilinganise malunga ne-250 grams ngaphambi kokuba zisuswe kumama. Ukuba zikhathalelwe ngokufanelekileyo, zinokuphila de zibe neminyaka emithandathu ukuya kwesibhozo ubudala, ezinye nangaphezulu.