UMary Allen
Amakati awumndeni wezilwane ezidla inyama futhi ngenxa yalokho angawezilwane ezincelisayo. Zitholakala kuwo wonke amazwekazi ngaphandle kwe-Oceania ne-Antarctica. Cishe badla inyama kuphela. Kunezinhlobo eziningi ezahlukene zazo ezibukeka zihluke kakhulu. Emvelweni, amakati asendle kuphela nama-lynx ahlala nathi.
Uma sikhuluma ngekati, sivame ukusho ikati elifuywayo. Eqinisweni, wonke amakati afana namakati ethu afuywayo. Nokho, ikati elifuywayo lafuywa ngokukhethekile futhi lithambile.
Kuyini okujwayelekile kumakati?
Wonke amakati abukeka futhi enza ngendlela efanayo. Umzimba wabo uthambile, ijazi lithambile linezinwele ezimfishane. Ikhanda lincane kakhulu uma liqhathaniswa nomzimba. Nokho, amehlo makhulu uma eqhathaniswa nekhanda. Abafundi benza umsele omncane ovuleka kakhulu ebumnyameni. Yingakho amakati ebona kahle ngisho nasekukhanyeni okuphansi. Amadevu ekhaleni nawo ayabasiza.
Amakati ezwa kahle kakhulu. Izindlebe zabo ziqondile futhi zicijile. Ziyakwazi ukuzungezisa izindlebe zazo ukuze zizwe ohlangothini oluthile. Amakati anomuzwa omuhle wokunambitha, ngakho anambitha kahle kakhulu ngolimi lwawo, kodwa awanuki kahle kangako ngamakhala awo.
Amakati anamazinyo aqine kakhulu. Ziyakwazi ikakhulukazi ukubamba nokubulala inyamazane yazo ngezinja zazo. Ziphinde zibambe inyamazane ngezinzipho zazo. Amakati anezinzwane ezinhlanu ezinezinzipho ezidladleni zawo zangaphambili nezine ezidladleni zangemuva.
Amakati anezinto ezingavamile mayelana nohlaka lwamathambo awo. Abanawo ama-collarbones. Lawa amathambo amabili asuka ehlombe aye phakathi acishe ahlangane phezulu esifubeni. Ngezinye izikhathi abantu baphula amathambo abo ekwindla. Lokhu angeke kwenzeke ngamakati. Amahlombe akho avumelana nezimo kakhulu ngaphandle kwe-collarbone. Ngakho-ke ungakwazi ukuhlala kalula ngisho nokugxuma okude.
Amakati amaningi angakwazi ukuxubha. Ungawuzwa njengomsindo ojulile. Amakati avame ukuxubha lapho ezizwa ekahle. Ngisho namakati amancane kakhulu ayakwenza lokhu. I-purring iqala emphinjeni. Kodwa-ke, ososayensi abakaqapheli ukuthi lokhu kusebenza kanjani.
Amakati amaningi ahlala yedwa. Amaduna ahlangana nensikazi kuphela ukuze ahlangane futhi akhiqize intsha. Amabhubesi kuphela aphila ngokuziqhenya. Amakati asekhaya nawo angagcinwa kahle ngamaqembu ezinsikazi.
Ahlukaniswa kanjani amakati?
Kunemindeni emithathu emincane yamakati: amakati anamazinyo e-saber angasekho, amakati amakhulu, namakati amancane. Amakati anamazinyo e-saber aphela ngesikhathi se-Stone Age.
Amakati amakhulu ahlanganisa ingwe, i-jaguar, ibhubesi, ingwe, nengwe yeqhwa. Kwesinye isikhathi ingwe enamafu nayo ifakiwe. Ifana nengwe futhi ihlala eningizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia. Uchwepheshe uqaphela amakati amakhulu hhayi nje ngobukhulu bemizimba yawo ngoba lokho akulona iqiniso ngokuphelele ngaso sonke isikhathi. Umehluko oyinhloko ithambo elingaphansi kolimi elibizwa ngokuthi "ithambo le-hyoid." Amakati amakhulu nawo ahlukene ngezakhi zawo zofuzo.
Amakati amancane ahlanganisa ingulule, i-cougar, i-lynx, namanye ambalwa. Lokhu kufaka phakathi "Amakati Angempela". Uwuhlobo lwakho. Zihlanganisa nekati lasendle, okuphuma kulo ikati lethu elifuywayo.
Iliphi ikati eliphethe liphi irekhodi?
Amarekhodi ahlala ephethwe abesilisa. Amahlosi akhula kakhulu. Zicishe zibe ngamasentimitha angu-200 ubude ukusuka ekhaleni kuya phansi futhi zinesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-240 sezizonke. Balandelwa eduze amabhubesi. Nokho, ukuqhathanisa kunzima. Kuya ngokuthi uqhathanisa ukuthi izilwane eziningi zinjani. Lokho kungaba isilinganiso. Ungakwazi futhi ukuqhathanisa isilwane esikhulu kunazo zonke zohlobo ngalunye owake wasithola nezinye. Khona-ke ukuqhathanisa kungase kuhluke kancane. Kufana nokuqhathanisa izingane zesikole ezivela emakilasini amabili.
Eshesha kakhulu ingulule. Ikwazi ukufika ku-100 km/h. Lokho kuyashesha kunokushayela emgwaqeni wezwe emazweni amaningi. Nokho, ingulule igcina leli jubane kuphela isikhathi esifushane kakhulu, ngaphambi nje kokuba ibambe inyamazane.
Akunakwenzeka ukusho ukuthi yiliphi ikati eliqine kakhulu. Amahlosi, amabhubesi, nama-cougar ahlala ezwenikazi elihlukile. Abahlangani nasemvelweni. Ibhubesi nengwe, ngokwesibonelo, zihlala emazweni afanayo. Kodwa abakaze bakuvumele ukuthi kulwe, kodwa basuke endleleni.