UMary Allen
Ingwe yaseSiberia sisilwanyana esanyisayo. Yi-subspecies ye-tiger kwaye yeyosapho lwekati. Lirhamncwa elikhulu, elikhawulezayo, nelinamandla. Izingwe zaseSiberia zezona kati zikhulu zinemigca ehlabathini.
Baphila de babe neminyaka eli-15 ukuya kwengama-20 ubudala. Iinkunzi zinokuba ngaphezu kweemitha ezimbini ubude kwaye zinobunzima obuphakathi kwe-180 kunye ne-300 yeekhilogram kunye neemazi phakathi kwe-100 kunye ne-170 yeekhilogram. Uboya bengwe yaseSiberia bubomvu yaye isisu salo simhlophe. Imigca imnyama okanye imdaka. Ihlosi laseSiberia lidla ngokuba khaphukhaphu ngombala kunezinye ezifumaneka eIndiya nakuMzantsi-mpuma weAsia.
Apho ingwe yaseSiberia isekhaya, abantu bazingela izilwanyana ezininzi. Ngoko ke, kudla ngokuba kuncinane kakhulu ukutya kwamahlosi. Amahlosi nawo azingelwa ukuthengisa izikhumba namathambo awo. Kungoko sele kushiyeke izingwe zaseSiberia ezingama-500 kuphela ehlabathini. Malunga nama-400 kubo ngabantu abadala, yaye abamalunga ne-100 zizilwanyana eziselula.
Izingwe zaseSiberia zihlala kwiindawo ezibandayo. Zithanda amahlathi anamahlathi ashinyeneyo ukuze zichwechwe kwaye zizimele. Bahlala kwiMpuma Ekude yaseRashiya nakwiindawo ezikufuphi neNorth Korea neChina. Phezu kwako nje ukuba ziikati, izingwe zaseSiberia ziyawathanda amanzi. Ziindadi ezigqwesileyo kwaye ziphawula indawo yazo ngeempawu zokukrwela.
Zikholisa ukuhlala zodwa kwaye zidibana kuphela ngexesha lokukhwelana. Ihlosi eliyimazi linokuba nabantwana rhoqo kwiminyaka emibini ukuya kwemithathu. Emva koko uzala amantshontsho amathathu ukuya kwamane. Ihlosi elingumama linokuba namathole ali-10 ukuya kwangama-20 ebudeni bokuphila kwalo. Abancinci badla ngokuzalwa entlakohlaza. Kwasinda kuphela isiqingatha solutsha. Ixesha lokuncancisa amahlosi amancinci lithatha iinyanga ezimbini. Ukususela malunga nenyanga yesithathu bafumana inyama kunina.
Izingwe zaseSiberia zichitha ixesha elininzi zizingela. Ixhama, ixhama, ielk, ilynx, neehagu zasendle zifumaneka kwimenyu yazo. Ngemizimba yabo enamandla, banokuthwala amaxhoba anzima kumgama omde. Ekubeni ezizilwanyana ezitya inyama, izingwe zaseSiberia zitya inyama efikelela kwiikhilogram ezili-10 ngosuku. Bafuna ukutya okuninzi ukuze bahlale bomelele kubusika obubandayo baseSiberia, ilizwe labo lokuzalwa.