UMary Allen
Inyamakazi sisilwanyana esanyisayo. Yeyosapho lwamaxhama. Inyamakazi kuphela kwenyama yexhama ekhe yathotywa ngabantu. Ihlala kumantla aseYurophu naseAsia, apho ibizwa ngokuba yinyamakazi okanye i<em>reindeer. Ubukhulu becala zibizwa ngokuba ziinyamakazi okanye iinyamakazi. Kwaesi silwanyana sihlala eKhanada naseAlaska. Apho zibizwa ngokuba yi<em>caribou, gama elo elisuka kulwimi lwaseIndiya.
Ubungakanani benyamakazi buxhomekeke kwindawo yokuhlala. Ingakhula ilingane neponi, nayo inzima. Inxibe uboya obungqingqwa kunye neenwele ezinde ngokuchasene nengqele. Ebusika, idyasi ilula kancinci kunehlobo. I-Peary caribou ihlala kwisiqithi saseKhanada. Iphantse ibe mhlophe kwaye ke ngoko kunzima kakhulu ukuyibona ekhephuni.
I-Reindeer inxiba i-antlers njengazo zonke iinyamakazi, kodwa kunye neempawu ezimbalwa ezikhethekileyo: la macandelo mabini awayi-mirror-inverted, okt i-symmetrical, kodwa yahluke ngokupheleleyo. Imazi lolona hlobo lwexhama lodwa elineempondo, nangona zincinci kunenkunzi. Iimazi zilahla iimpondo zazo entwasahlobo kunye neenkunzi ekwindla. Nangona kunjalo, bobabini balahlekelwa sisiqingatha se-antler ngexesha, ngoko ke isiqingatha se-antler sihlala sihlala. Ayiyonyaniso into yokuba ixhama lisusa ikhephu ngeempondo zalo.
Ziphila njani iinyamakazi?
Iinyamakazi zihlala emhlambini. Imihlambi ingaba mikhulu: ukuya kuthi ga kwi-100,000 yezilwanyana, e-Alaska kukho umhlambi wezilwanyana ezisisiqingatha sesigidi. Kule mihlambi, iinyamakazi zifudukela emazantsi ashushu ekwindla ziphinde zibuyele emantla entlakohlaza, zisoloko zifuna ukutya, oko kukuthi ingca nobulembu. Ekugqibeleni, bahlukana babe ngamaqela amancinane. Emva koko kukho izilwanyana ezili-10 ukuya kwi-100 kuphela xa zidibene.
Ekwindla, iinkunzi zizama ukuqokelela iqela leemazi ngeenxa zonke kuzo. Inkunzi idibana neemazi ezininzi kangangoko. Imazi ithwala itakane layo ngesisu phantse iinyanga ezisibhozo. Ihlala inye nje. Ukuzalwa kwenzeka ngoMeyi okanye ngoJuni. Emva kweyure sele ikwazi ukuhamba, ilandele unina, ize isele ubisi kuye. Uninzi lwezilwanyana ezincinci zifa kuphela xa imozulu imanzi kwaye ibanda kakhulu. Malunga neminyaka emibini, isilwanyana esincinane sinokuba nentshontsho laso. Inyamakazi iphila iminyaka eli-12 ukuya kweli-15 ubudala.
Iintshaba ze-reindeer ziingcuka, iilynx, iibhere, kunye ne-wolverine, i-marten ekhethekileyo. Nangona kunjalo, iinyamakazi ezisempilweni zidla ngokubaleka ezi zilwanyana. Kwelinye icala, izifunxi-gazi ezithile zimbi, ingakumbi iingcongconi zase-arctic.
Abantu bazisebenzisa njani iinyamakazi?
Abantu bazingela iinyamakazi zasendle ukusukela kwiStone Age. Inyama iyagaywa. Uboya bunokusetyenziselwa ukuthunga iimpahla okanye iintente. Izixhobo zingenziwa kwi-antlers kunye namathambo.
Abantu abazingeli kuphela iinyamakazi zasendle, kodwa bakwagcina iinyamakazi njengezilwanyana zasekhaya. Ngenxa yoko, izilwanyana zasendle zazaliswa nje kancinci. Iinyamakazi ezibumbu zikulungele ukuthwala imithwalo okanye ukutsala izileyi. Kumabali amaninzi, uSanta Claus unenyamakazi phambi kwesileyi sakhe.
Imihlambi yenyamakazi yanamhlanje ikhululekile ukuba ingazulazula, abantu bayilandela nje. Emva koko baye baziqokelele, bafake amatheki kumantshontsho baze bathathe isilwanyana ngasinye ukuze sixhelwe okanye sithengiswe. Ukuba ugcina inyamakazi kufutshane, unokusela ubisi lwayo okanye uyigaye ibe yitshizi. Ubisi lwenyamakazi lunesondlo ngakumbi kunobisi lweenkomo zethu.