UMary Allen
Iwalrus sisilwanyana esanyisayo esikhulu esihlala kulwandle olubandayo lweArctic eYurophu, eAsia nakuMntla Merika. Ludidi lwezilwanyana olwahlukileyo kwaye lolwamatywina. Okukhethekileyo ngamazinyo ayo amakhulu angasentla, lawo abizwa ngokuba ngamabamba, ajinga emlonyeni wayo.
Iwalrus inomzimba oqinileyo kunye nentloko engqukuva. Inamaphiko endaweni yemilenze. Umlomo wayo uzaliswe ngamabhovu aqinileyo. Ulusu lushwabene kwaye lungwevu-bumdaka. Umaleko oshinyeneyo wamafutha phantsi kwesikhumba, obizwa ngokuba yi-blubber, ugcina i-walrus ishushu. IiWalrus zinokukhula zibe ziimitha ezintathu kunye neesentimitha ezingama-70 ubude kwaye zinobunzima obungaphezulu kwe-1,200 yeekhilogram. Iiwalrus zamadoda zineengxowa zomoya ezinceda ukugcina iintloko zabo phezu kwamanzi ngelixa i-walrus ilele.
Iwalrus inebamba kwicala ngalinye emlonyeni wayo. Amabamba anokuba yimitha ubude kwaye anobunzima obungaphezulu kancinane kweekhilogram ezintlanu. Iwalrus isebenzisa amabamba ayo ukulwa. Ikwasebenzisa wona ukusika imingxuma emkhenkceni kwaye izikhuphe emanzini.
Akukho nasiphi na isilwanyana esinokuze sihlasele i-walrus. Okona kulungileyo, ibhere elimhlophe lizama ukucenga umhlambi weewalrus ukuba ubaleke. Emva koko ibetha iwalrus endala, ebuthathaka okanye isilwanyana esiselula. Iibhaktheriya kwi-fins okanye emehlweni nazo ziyingozi kwi-walrus. Ibamba eliphukileyo linokukhokelela ekunciphiseni ubunzima kunye nokufa kwangoko.
Abantu basekuhlaleni bebesoloko bezingela iiwalrus, kodwa azininzi kakhulu. Bayidla inyama, bayitshisa ngamanqatha. Kweminye imizimba yabo, basebenzisa amathambo e-walrus kwaye bagquma imilenze ngesikhumba se-walrus. Benza neempahla ngayo. Amabamba anophondo lwendlovu kwaye aphantse axabiseke njengalawo eendlovu. Benza izinto ezintle ngayo. Kodwa ngenene iiwalrus ezininzi zaxhelwa kuphela ngabazingeli abavela emazantsi ngemipu yabo.
Ziphila njani iiwalrus?
IiWalrus zihlala ngokwamaqela anokubalelwa ngaphezu kwekhulu lezilwanyana. Bachitha ixesha labo elininzi elwandle. Ngamanye amaxesha ziphumla nasemkhenkceni okanye kwiziqithi ezinamatye. Ehlabathini, bajikela amaphiko abo angasemva ngaphantsi kwemizimba yabo ukuze bajikeleze.
IiWalrus zitya kakhulu kwiimbaza. Basebenzisa amabamba abo ukugrumba amaqokobhe emgangathweni wolwandle. Banamakhulu aliqela amabhovu, abathi basebenzise ukuva nokuziva ixhoba labo kakuhle kakhulu.
IiWalrus zikholelwa ukuba zidibana emanzini. Ukukhulelwa kuthatha iinyanga ezilishumi elinanye, phantse unyaka. Amawele anqabile kakhulu. Ithole linobunzima obumalunga neekhilogram ezingama-50 xa lizalwa. Iyakwazi ukudada ngoko nangoko. Kangangesiqingatha sonyaka akaseli nto ngaphandle kobisi lukanina. Kuphela ke ithatha okunye ukutya. Kodwa usela ubisi iminyaka emibini. Kunyaka wesithathu, isahlala kumama. Kodwa ke unokuphinda athwale umntwana esiswini.