UMary Allen
Iingwamza lusapho lweentaka. Ingwamza emhlophe yaziwa kakhulu kuthi. Iintsiba zayo zimhlophe, kuphela amaphiko amnyama. Umlomo kunye nemilenze ibomvu. Amaphiko azo oluliweyo aziimitha ezimbini ububanzi okanye nangaphezulu. Ingwamza emhlophe ikwabizwa ngokuba yi “rattle stork”.
Kukwakho nezinye iindidi ezili-18 zeengwamza. Bahlala kuwo onke amazwekazi ngaphandle kwe-Antarctica. Zonke zizilwanyana ezidla inyama kwaye zinemilenze emide.
Iphila njani ingwamza emhlophe?
Iingwamza ezimhlophe zifumaneka phantse kulo lonke elaseYurophu ehlotyeni. Zizala apha. Ziintaka ezifudukayo. Iingwamza ezimhlophe ezisuka eMpuma Yurophu zichitha ubusika kwindawo efudumeleyo yaseAfrika. Iingwamza ezimhlophe entshona Yurophu zenza okufanayo. Namhlanje, uninzi lwazo lubhabha kuphela ukuya kutsho eSpeyin. Oku kubagcina amandla amaninzi kwaye bafumana ukutya okuninzi kwiindawo zokulahla inkunkuma kunaseAfrika. Ngenxa yokutshintsha kwemozulu, malunga nesiqingatha seengwamza ezimhlophe eSwitzerland sihlala sikwindawo enye. Ngoku kushushu ngokwaneleyo apha ukuze bakwazi ukuphila kakuhle ebusika.
Iingwamza ezimhlophe zitya imisundululu, izinambuzane, amasele, iimpuku, iimpuku, intlanzi, amacilikishe, neenyoka. Ngamanye amaxesha zikwatya inyama efileyo. Zinqumla amadlelo nakumathambeka zize zibethe ngesantya sombane ngemilomo yazo. Iingwamza zinezona ngxaki zinzima kuba imigxobhozo iyancipha kwaye imbalwa apho inokufumana khona ukutya.
Inkunzi ibuya kuqala ukusuka emzantsi ize ihlale kwi-eyrie yayo kunyaka ophelileyo. Yiloo nto iingcali zithi yindlwane yengwamza. Imazi yakhe iza emva kwexeshana. Izibini zengwamza zihlala zinyanisekile omnye komnye ubomi babo bonke. Oko kunokuba yiminyaka engama-30. Xa bebonke bayandisa indlwane ide ibenzima kunemoto, oko kukuthi malunga neetoni ezimbini.
Emva kokukhwelana, imazi izalela amaqanda amabini ukuya kwasixhenxe. Nganye ilingana neqanda lenkukhu eliphindwe kabini. Abazali bayatshintshana ngokufukama. Amantshontsho aqanduselwa emva kweentsuku ezimalunga nama-30. Kudla ngokuba malunga nesithathu. Abazali bazo bazondla kangangeeveki ezisithoba. Emva koko amakhwenkwe abhabha aphume. Bakhulile ngokwesondo xa bemalunga neminyaka emine ubudala.
Maninzi amabali ngengwamza. Ngoko ke ingwamza ifanele ukuzisa iintsana zabantu. Ulala eqhiyeni, ingwamza ibambe iqhina okanye intambo emlonyeni wayo. Le ngcamango yaziwa ngentsomi enesihloko esithi "Iingwamza" nguHans Christian Andersen. Mhlawumbi yiloo nto iingwamza zigqalwa njengamakhubalo ethamsanqa.
Zeziphi ezinye iingwamza ezikhoyo?
Kukho olunye uhlobo lwengwamza eYurophu, ingwamza emnyama. Oku akwaziwa kakhulu kwaye kunqabile kakhulu kunengwamza emhlophe. Ihlala emahlathini kwaye ineentloni kakhulu ngabantu. Incinci kancinane kunengwamza emhlophe kwaye ineentsiba ezimnyama.
Iintlobo ezininzi zengwamza zineminye imibala okanye zinemibala engakumbi. I-Abdimstork okanye ingwamza yemvula isondelelene nengwamza yaseYurophu. Ihlala eAfrika, kanye njengembila. I-saddle stork ikwavela e-Afrika, ingwamza enkulu ihlala kwitropiki yaseAsia naseOstreliya. Zombini ziingwamza ezinkulu: umlomo wengwamza uwodwa uziisentimitha ezingamashumi amathathu ubude.