UMary Allen
Ihlosi lekhephu lizulazula ngokuzolileyo kwaye liphantse lingabonakali kwiintaba zeHimalaya: Ngoboya balo obungwevu-bumhlophe kunye namabala amnyama, ligqunywe ngokugqwesileyo.
iimpawu
Ijongeka njani ingwe yekhephu?
Iingwe zekhephu zizilwanyana ezidla inyama kwaye zingamalungu osapho lwekati kwaye phaya kwiikati ezinkulu. Xa uthi krwada nje, banokubhidaniswa namahlosi aseAfrika: omabini anoboya obunamachokoza amnyama. Kodwa ukujonga okwesibini kubonisa ukuba amahlosi ekhephu ahlukile: uboya bawo bude kwaye bukhanya grey ukuya kumhlophe ngombala.
Izilwanyana zitshintsha uboya bazo kabini ngonyaka. Uboya behlobo abuxinene kwaye bufutshane kunoboya obushinyeneyo basebusika. Iimpawu zoboya zikhaphukhaphu kuboya basebusika, ngoko ke amarhamncwa afihlakele ngakumbi kwindawo emhlophe enekhephu kwaye ayibonakali. Kwilizwe labo, ke ngoko babizwa ngokuba zii-phantom zeentaba. Ngoboya bawo obushinyeneyo, amahlosi ekhephu abonakala emaninzi kakhulu, kodwa mancinane kunezalamane zawo zaseAfrika.
Ukusuka entloko ukuya ezantsi zilinganisa i-80 ukuya kwi-130 yeesentimitha, kunye ne-80 ukuya kwi-100-centimeter ubude bomsila. Ubude begxalaba bumalunga nama-60 eesentimitha. Iinkunzi zinobunzima obuphakathi kwe-45 kunye ne-55 yeekhilogram, imizekelo emikhulu kakhulu kunye neekhilogram ezingama-75. Iimazi zinobunzima obuzikhilogram ezingama-35 ukuya kuma-40 kuphela. Umsila omde kakhulu unoboya kakhulu. Xa zitsiba, izilwanyana ziwusebenzisa njengephini lokujika. Intloko incinci kwaye impumlo imfutshane.
Iimpuphu zikhulu kakhulu ngokumalunga nomzimba kwaye zigqunywe ngepadi yeenwele ezinqeni. Ezi pads zisebenza njengezicathulo zekhephu: zonyusa indawo ye-paws ukuze ubunzima busasazwe ngcono kwaye izilwanyana zingatshoni kwikhephu. Ukongezelela, iinyawo zeenyawo zikhuselekile kakuhle kubanda.
Njengeengonyama, amahlosi, iingwe namahlosi, amahlosi ekhephu ziikati ezinkulu, kodwa ayahluka ngokweempawu zawo. Ngokungafaniyo nezi, amahlosi ekhephu awakwazi kugquma. Badla ngokugoba njengekati yasendlwini. Kwelinye icala, abanye batya ngoxa belele. Impumlo yengwe yekhephu imfutshane kakhulu kwaye ukakayi luphezulu kunolo lwezihlobo zalo ezinkulu.
Zihlala phi izingwe zekhephu?
Izingwe zekhephu zihlala kwiintaba eziphakamileyo zoMbindi Asia. Ummandla wabo wokusasaza usuka emazantsi ukusuka kwiiHimalaya eNepal naseIndiya ukuya kwiintaba zaseRashiya iAltai kunye neSanjan emantla.
Ukusuka empuma ukuya entshona amakhaya abo asusela kwiindawo eziphakamileyo zaseTibet ukuya kwiPamir kunye neHindu Kush esentshona. Uninzi lwelizwe labo liseTibet naseTshayina. Izingwe zekhephu zihlala kwimimandla yeentaba ukuya kwi-6000 yeemitha ukuphakama. Indawo abahlala kuyo iquka imimandla enamatye, amathafa eentaba, iindawo ezinamahlathi ashinyeneyo namahlathi ashinyeneyo. Ehlotyeni, izilwanyana zihlala kwiindawo eziphakamileyo ze-4000 ukuya kwi-6000 yeemitha, ebusika zifuduka ukuya kwimimandla kwi-2000 ukuya kwi-2500 yeemitha.
Zeziphi iindidi zeengwe zekhephu ezikhoyo?
Usapho lwekati lubandakanya iikati ezinkulu nezincinci. Ingwe yekhephu, ekwaziwa ngokuba yi-iris, iyinxalenye yeekati ezinkulu kwaye ihlobene nehlosi, ingonyama, ijaguar kunye nehlosi.
Ingaba izingwe zekhephu ziba neminyaka emingaphi?
Ekuthinjweni, iingwe zekhephu zihlala umyinge weminyaka eyi-14, kwaye ubuninzi beminyaka engama-21 ubudala. Ubude bexesha eziphila ngalo endle akwaziwa.
Ziphathe
Iphila njani ingwe yekhephu?
Kangangexesha elide, amahlosi ekhephu kwakucingelwa ukuba zizilwanyana zasebusuku. Namhlanje siyazi ukuba ziyasebenza emini kwaye ngakumbi ngorhatya. Okuqinisekileyo kukuba bakhetha ukuzula-zula bodwa kwaye baphephe oontanga babo. Ekubeni kukho izilwanyana ezimbalwa kuphela kwindawo yazo, ngamanye amaxesha zihlala kwiindawo ezinkulu kakhulu. Ezi zinokulinganisa phakathi kwe-40 kunye ne-1000 yeekhilomitha zeekhilomitha.
Uluhlu lwamadoda kunye nabasetyhini lunokudibana. Amahlosi ekhephu aphawula iindlela ezisetyenziswa rhoqo ngendle, ivumba eliphumayo, kunye namanqaku okukrwela. Ukuze ziphumle, amahlosi ekhephu abuyela kwimiqolomba yamatye akhuselweyo emoyeni nakwingqele.
Izingwe zekhephu zilungelelaniswe ngokugqibeleleyo kubomi kubanda kakhulu: uboya babo bunzima kakhulu kwaye ngamanye amaxesha buneenwele ezingama-4000 ngesentimitha yesikwere. Ebusika ikhula ifikelele kwiisentimitha ezintlanu ubude ngasemva ize ifike kwishumi elinesibini leesentimitha ubude esiswini. Umngxuma weempumlo wengwe ikhephu uyakhula ukuze umoya obandayo eliwuphefumlayo ufudumale kakuhle. Xa zilele, zibeka imisila yazo engqindilili phezu kweempumlo, ziwakhusela kwingqele eqhaqhazelisa amazinyo.
Abahlobo kunye neentshaba zengwe yekhephu
Izingwe zekhephu azinazo iintshaba zendalo, utshaba lwazo olukhulu ngabantu. Nangona ekhuselwe, azingelwa uboya bawo. Kuba maxa wambi zihlasela iinkomo ezidla amadlelo, zisoloko zileqwa ngabafuyi.
Zizala njani izingwe zekhephu?
Iinkunzi neemazi zidibana kuphela ngexesha lokukhwelana phakathi kukaJanuwari noMatshi. Bandula ke batsalele ingqalelo kubo ngokwenza iminxeba yokukhwelana ngendlela yesikhalo esinexesha elide. Iimazi zizala amantshontsho amabini ukuya kwamathathu rhoqo emva kweminyaka emibini emva kokumitha kweentsuku ezingama-94 ukuya kwezili-103 phakathi kuka-Epreli noJuni.
Aba bantwana bazalelwa kwindawo ekhuselekileyo kumqolomba owenziwe ngeenwele zikanina. Abancinci baneenwele ezimnyama kwaye baziimfama ekuzalweni. Zinobunzima obungama-450 grams kuphela. Bavula amehlo abo malunga neveki emva kokuzalwa. Umama uncancisa amantshontsho akhe kangangeenyanga ezimbini, emva koko inzala iya kutshintshela kukutya okuqinileyo ize ilandele unina xa isiya kuhlasela.
Izingwe ezincinci zekhephu zihlala nonina kangangeenyanga ezili-18 ukuya kwezingama-22, kuphela ke zizimele ngokupheleleyo kwaye zihambe ngendlela yazo. Baye baqole ngokwesondo kwiminyaka emibini ukuya kwemithathu ubudala. Kodwa zidla ngokuzala kuphela xa ubuncinane zineminyaka emine ubudala.
Ingwe ikhephu izingela njani?
Izingwe zekhephu azisukeli amaxhoba azo kumgama omde, kodwa zichwechwela izilwanyana okanye zizilalele. Emva koko zitsibela ixhoba ngokutsiba ukuya kutsho kwi-16 leemitha – oku kuzenza iintshatsheli zehlabathi kumtsi omde phakathi kwezilwanyana ezanyisayo. Ngokuqhelekileyo babulala amaxhoba abo ngokuluma emqaleni okanye entanyeni.
Zinxibelelana njani izingwe zekhephu?
Ngokungafaniyo nezinye iikati ezinkulu, amahlosi ekhephu awakwazi kugquma. Bavele bagqume kwaye babhomboloze njengeekati zasekhaya.