UMary Allen
Ingulule ingeyomndeni wamakati amancane. Izingulule manje zitholakala cishe e-Afrika kuphela, eningizimu yeSahara. Isilwane esisodwa iyingulule, izingulule eziningi noma izingulule.
Ingulule ikala cishe amasentimitha ayi-150 ukusuka ekhaleni ukuya phansi. Umsila futhi cishe uhhafu ubude. Uboya bayo buphuzi ngokwawo, kodwa kunamachashazi amaningi amnyama kuwo. Imilenze mincane kakhulu futhi yinde. Umzimba ufana ne-greyhound esheshayo. Ingulule ikati elisheshayo futhi ingumzingeli ophambili.
Ziphila kanjani izingulule?
Izingulule zihlala e-savannah, emathafeni, nasemigwaqweni ewugwadule: kunotshani obuphakeme lapho zingacasha khona, kodwa zimbalwa izihlahla nezihlahla ezingaphazamisa ukugijima kwengulule. Yingakho bengahlali ehlathini.
Izingulule ngokuvamile zidla ama-ungulates amancane, ikakhulukazi izinsephe. Amadube nezinkonkoni sezivele zinkulu kakhulu kuwo. Ingulule inyonyobela inyamazane cishe ngamamitha angu-50 kuya kwangu-100. Bese egijima elandela isilwane asihlasele. Ingafinyelela isivinini esingafika kumakhilomitha angama-93 ngehora, cishe njengejubane lemoto emgwaqeni wasemaphandleni. Kodwa ngokuvamile akahlali ngisho nomzuzu owodwa.
Ingulule yesilisa maningi amathuba okuthi ihlale futhi izingele yodwa noma nabalingane bayo. Kodwa futhi kungaba amaqembu amakhulu. Ezinsikazi zihlala zodwa ngaphandle uma zisencane. Abesilisa nabesifazane bahlangana ukuze balingane kuphela. Umama uthwala amawundlu esiswini isikhathi esingangezinyanga ezintathu. Imvamisa kuba yinye kuya kweyisihlanu. Umama ulungisa umgodi, umgodi omncane emhlabathini. Ihlale ifihlwe ngemuva kwezihlahla. Lapho izala amazinyane.
Isilwane esincane sinesisindo esingamagremu ayi-150 kuye kwangama-300, esinda kakhulu njengamaqhuzu amathathu kashokoledi. Amaphuphu ahlala emgodini cishe amasonto ayisishiyagalombili futhi aphuze ubisi lukanina. Kumelwe zihlale zicashile ngoba unina akakwazi ukuzivikela kumabhubesi, izingwe, noma izimpisi. Intsha eningi nayo idliwa yizilwane ezinjalo. Abasindile bavuthwa ngokocansi cishe eminyakeni emithathu ubudala. Ungakwazi-ke ukuzenza abasha. Izingulule zingaphila iminyaka engu-15.
Ingabe izingulule zisengozini?
Izingulule zazivame ukusuka e-Afrika kuya eningizimu ye-Asia. E-Asia, nokho, zikhona kuphela eziqiwini zikazwelonke enyakatho ye-Iran yanamuhla. Cishe kunezilwane eziyikhulu. Nakuba evikelwe kakhulu, asongelwa ngokushabalala.
Cishe zingu-7,500 izingulule ezisahlala e-Afrika. Abangaphezu kwengxenye yabo bahlala eningizimu, okungukuthi emazweni aseBotswana, eNamibia naseNingizimu Afrika. Iningi lihlala ezindaweni ezivikelekile. Lokhu kudala ubunzima kubafuyi bezinkomo ngoba izingulule ziyathanda ukudla izinkomo ezincane.
Ososayensi abaningi nezishoshovu zamalungelo ezilwane basiza izingulule ukuthi zizale futhi. Nokho, lokhu kunzima. Ngo-2015, isibonelo, ngaphezudlwana kuka-200 izingulule zazalwa. Nokho, iwundlu ngalinye lesithathu lalifa ngaphambi kokuba libe nengxenye yonyaka ubudala. Izingulule zase-Afrika zisengozini namuhla, ezinye izinhlobo ezincane zisengozini yokushabalala.