UMary Allen
I-Dodo, ebizwa nangokuthi i-Dronte, iwuhlobo lwezinyoni ezingasekho. UDodos wayehlala esiqhingini saseMauritius, esisempumalanga ye-Afrika. Babehlobene namajuba. Ziyisibonelo sakuqala sezilwane ezaziwayo ezashabalala ngenxa yephutha labantu.
Amatilosi angama-Arab namaPutukezi ayesenesikhathi eside evakashela lesi siqhingi. Kodwa kwakungamaDashi kuphela ahlala lapho unomphela, kusukela ngo-1638. Esikwaziyo ngamaDodo namuhla kuvela ikakhulukazi kumaDashi.
Njengoba amadodo ayengakwazi ukundiza, kwakulula kakhulu ukuwabamba. Namuhla kuthiwa i-dodo yashabalala cishe ngo-1690. Isikhathi eside, uhlobo lwezinyoni lwalukhohliwe. Kodwa ngekhulu le-19, i-dodo yaphinde yaduma, ngokwengxenye ngenxa yokuthi yayivele encwadini yezingane.
Ayebukeka kanjani amadodo?
Namuhla akulula kangako ukuthola ukuthi amadodo ayebukeka kanjani. Kusele amathambo ambalwa kuphela noqhwaku olulodwa. Emidwebeni evela ekuqaleni, izilwane zivame ukubukeka ngendlela ehlukile. Abaculi abaningi bebengakaze balibone idodo kodwa belazi nje ngemibiko.
Akukho ukuvumelana ngokuthi amadodo ayesindwa kangakanani. Kwakuvame ukucatshangwa ukuthi zinzima kakhulu, cishe amakhilogremu angu-20. Lokhu kungenxa yemidwebo yezithunjwa ezazidle zasutha. Namuhla kucatshangwa ukuthi ama-dodo amaningi ngokwemvelo ayenobunzima obuyingxenye eyodwa kuphela. Cishe ayengahlangani kahle futhi engasheshi njengoba ayevame ukuchazwa.
Idodo lakhula cishe ngamafidi amathathu ubude. Izimpaphe ze-dodo zazinsundu ngokumpunga noma sasibhakabhaka-mpunga. Amaphiko ayemafishane, uqhwaku lude futhi lugobile. AmaDodo ayephila ngesithelo esiwile futhi mhlawumbe nangamakinati, imbewu, nezimpande.
Zaphela kanjani futhi nini ngempela lezi zinyoni?
Sekuyisikhathi eside kunenkolelo yokuthi amatilosi abamba inqwaba yama-dodo. Ngakho babeyoba nenyama yokuhamba olwandle. Nokho, lokhu akusho ukuthi isilwane sesiphelile. Ngokwesibonelo, kwakunenqaba, inqaba yamaDashi. Akukho mathambo e-dodo atholakala kudoti wenqaba.
Eqinisweni, amaDashi afika nezilwane eziningi, njengezinja, izinkawu, izingulube nezimbuzi. Kungenzeka ukuthi i-dodo yashabalala ngenxa yalezi zilwane. Lezi zilwane namagundane cishe adla amadodo amancane namaqanda. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abantu bagawula izihlahla. Ngenxa yalokho, ama-dodo alahlekelwa ingxenye yendawo yawo yokuhlala.
Amadodo okugcina abonwa ngo-1669, okungenani kukhona umbiko ngakho. Ngemuva kwalokho kube neminye imibiko yamadodo, yize ingethembekile. Kukholakala ukuthi u-dodo wokugcina wafa cishe ngo-1690.
Kungani idodo laduma?
I-Alice in Wonderland yashicilelwa ngo-1865. I-dodo ivela kafushane kuyo. Umlobi u-Lewis Carroll empeleni wayenoDodgeson njengesibongo sakhe. Wangingiza, ngakho wathatha igama elithi dodo njengendlela ethile yokubhekisela esibongo sakhe.
UDodos uphinde wavela kwezinye izincwadi futhi kamuva nasemafilimini. Ungawabona ngoqhwaku lwawo oluqinile. Mhlawumbe ukuthandwa kwabo kubangelwa ukuthi babebhekwa njengabantu abalungile futhi abahlakaniphile, okwakubenza bathandeke.
Namuhla ungabona i-dodo egqoke ijazi leRiphabhulikhi yaseMauritius. I-dodo iphinde ibe wuphawu lweJersey Zoo ngenxa yokuthakasela kwayo izilwane ezisengozini yokushabalala. Ngolimi lwesiDashi futhi nangesiRashiya, elithi “dodo” igama lomuntu oyisiphukuphuku.