UMary Allen
Izimfene ziwuhlobo lwezinkawu ezinkulu. Ziyizilwane ezincelisayo futhi ziyizihlobo eziseduze kakhulu zabantu. Emvelweni, bahlala enkabeni ye-Afrika kuphela. Lapho, bahlala emahlathini anemvula kanye ne-savannah.
Kunezinhlobo ezimbili zezimfene: “Imfene evamile” ivame ukubizwa ngokuthi “imfene”. Olunye uhlobo yi-bonobo, eyaziwa nangokuthi "i-chimpanzee ye-pygmy". Nokho, icishe ilingane nemfene evamile kodwa ihlala emahlathini asezindaweni ezishisayo kuphela.
Izimfene zingaba imitha ubude ukusuka ekhanda kuye phansi. Lapho zimile, zilingana nomuntu omncane. Izinsikazi zifinyelela ku-25 kuya ku-50 kilogram, abesilisa bangaba ngu-35 kuya ku-70 kilogram. Izingalo zakho zinde kunemilenze yakho. Zinezindlebe eziyindilinga emakhanda azo kanye namathambo aminyene phezu kwamehlo azo.
Izimfene zisengozini enkulu. Isizathu esiyinhloko: abantu bathatha izindawo eziningi zokuhlala kude nabo ngokususa amahlathi nokutshala amasimu. Abacwaningi, abazingeli abangekho emthethweni kanye nezivakashi bathelela izimfene eziningi ngezifo. Lokhu kungalahlekisela izimfene ukuphila kwazo.
Ziphila kanjani izimfene?
Izimfene zidla kakhulu ezihlahleni, kodwa naphansi. Empeleni badla yonke into, kodwa ikakhulukazi izithelo namantongomane. Kodwa amaqabunga, izimbali, nembewu nakho kukhona ohlwini lwazo. Kukhona nezinambuzane nezilwane ezincelisayo ezincane njengamalulwane, kodwa nezinye izinkawu.
Izimfene zikwazi ukugibela eduze kwezihlahla. Phansi, bahamba ngezinyawo nangezandla. Nokho, azisekelwe esandleni sonke, kodwa kuphela ngomunwe wesibili nowesithathu. Kithina bantu, lokho kungaba umunwe wenkomba nomunwe ophakathi.
Izimfene ziphapheme emini futhi zilala ebusuku, njengabantu. Ubusuku ngabunye bakha isidleke esisha samaqabunga esihlahleni. Abakwazi ukubhukuda. Imfene evamile isebenzisa amathuluzi: izingcezu zokhuni njengezando noma izinti zokumba noma ukukhipha umuhlwa emigodini yazo.
Izimfene ziyizilwane zomphakathi. Bahlala ngamaqembu amakhulu noma bahlukaniswa ngamaqembu amancane. Endabeni yemfene evamile, owesilisa ngokuvamile uba umphathi, esimweni se-bonobos, ngokuvamile kuba ngowesifazane. Zonke izimfene zilungisa uboya bomunye ngokucosha izinambuzane nezinye izilwane ezincane kwenye.
Zizalana kanjani izimfene?
Izimfene zingakhwelana unyaka wonke. Ngokufanayo nabesifazane, abesifazane baya esikhathini njalo ngemva kwamasonto amahlanu kuya kwayisithupha. Ukukhulelwa kuthatha izinyanga eziyisikhombisa kuya kweziyisishiyagalombili. Kungaleso sikhathi lapho umama ethwala ingane yakhe esiswini. Ivamise ukuzala iwundlu elilodwa ngesikhathi. Ambalwa kakhulu amawele.
Ingane yemfene inesisindo esingaba yikhilogremu eyodwa kuya kwamabili. Bese iphuza ubisi emabeleni kanina iminyaka emine kuya kwemihlanu. Kodwa-ke ihlala kumama isikhathi eside.
Izimfene kufanele zibe neminyaka eyisikhombisa kuya kweyisishiyagalolunye ngaphambi kokuba zibe nabantwana bazo. Nokho eqenjini kumele balinde. Izimfene ezivamile zineminyaka engaba ngu-13 kuya kwengu-16 ubudala ngaphambi kokuba nazo zibe abazali. Endle, izimfene ziphila iminyaka engaba ngu-30 kuya kwengu-40, kanti e-zoo ngokuvamile cishe iminyaka engu-50.