UMary Allen
Izindlovu izilwane ezincelisayo. Yiwona amakhulu kunawo wonke ahlala ezweni. Eyeduna ibizwa ngenkunzi, insikazi ibizwa ngokuthi inkomo noma inkomo yendlovu, kanti isilwane esincane sibizwa ngokuthi ithole.
Izinkomo namathole ahlala emihlambini. Bazulazula befuna utshani namahlamvu abazokudla namanzi okuphuza. Eziduna zihlala zodwa noma ngamaqembu amancane futhi ziya kwezinsikazi kuphela ukuze zibe namawundlu.
Zimbalwa futhi zimbalwa izindlovu emhlabeni. Abantu babaphuca umhlaba wabo, noma badubule izindlovu babone amazinyo abo. Babe sebewathengisa njengophondo lwendlovu oluyigugu.
Izindlovu izilwane ezincelisayo. Yiwona amakhulu kunawo wonke ahlala ezweni. Eyeduna ibizwa ngenkunzi, insikazi ibizwa ngokuthi inkomo noma inkomo yendlovu, kanti isilwane esincane sibizwa ngokuthi ithole.
Zibukeka kanjani izindlovu?
Inkunzi, iduna elikhulu, likhula liphindwe kabili ubude beduna elikhule ngokugcwele futhi linesisindo sezimoto ezincane eziyisikhombisa, namathani ayisithupha. Zikalwa ehlombe, izindlovu zingamamitha amane ukuphakama. Umzimba wabo ungaba amamitha amahlanu nesigamu kuya kwayisikhombisa nohhafu ubude.
Umboko wendlovu uyikhala elide elinamakhala. I-proboscis iyimisipha kuphela futhi ayinamathambo. Yingakho eselula kakhulu. Indlovu ayikwazi nje ukuphefumula nokuhogela ngomboko wayo. Angayisebenzisa nokubamba izinto futhi, isibonelo, afake utshani emlonyeni wakhe. Angayisebenzisa nokumunca amanzi bese ewacwilisa emlonyeni ukuze aphuze.
Akuzona zonke izindlovu ezinohlaka lwamathambo afana ncamashi. Umgogodla ungaba nama-vertebrae angama-326 kuya kwangu-351 ukusuka entanyeni kuya ekugcineni komsila. Inhliziyo ishaya izikhathi ezingaba ngu-30 kuphela ngomzuzu. Lokho cishe kuyingxenye yejubane lomuntu.
Izindlovu zinamadlebe amakhulu, imilenze ewugqinsi, nemiboko namazinyo amade kunanoma yisiphi esinye isilwane emhlabeni. Isikhumba sazo sicishe silingane nomunwe womuntu omdala ngakho izindlovu zibuye zibizwe ngokuthi “ama-pachyderms”. Noma kunjalo, isikhumba siyazwela kakhulu. Izimpondo zazingama-incisors kumadlozi okuqala ezindlovu. Balokhu bekhula.
Ziphila kanjani izindlovu?
Izindlovu zihlala ngokwemihlambi. Nokho, lokhu kubandakanya izinkomo nezilwane ezincane kuphela, hhayi izinkunzi ezindala. Umhlambi onjalo uholwa inkomo yendlovu enolwazi. Inkomo ivikela iqembu ngokubonisa ukuthi izohlasela uma kunesidingo: ivula izindlebe zayo futhi iphakamise ikhala layo.
Izinkunzi ezindala zivame ukuhlala zodwa noma ngamaqembu ahlukanayo futhi aphinde ahlangane futhi. Basondela emihlambini yezinkomo kuphela ukuze bahlangane.
Izindlovu azidli imifino kuphela. Zincamela ukudla utshani namaqabunga, kodwa namagatsha nezinye izitshalo. Badinga cishe amakhilogremu angu-200 nsuku zonke. Baphuza ngaphezu kwamalitha ayi-100 amanzi.
Izindlovu zilala kancane kunabantu. Badinga isikhathi sonke sokudla. Kufanele futhi bahambe ibanga elide ukuze benze lokhu. Nakuba behamba kancane, bayaphikelela kakhulu. Yingakho kunzima ukugcina izindlovu ezu ngoba ziminyene kakhulu.
Uma kushisa kakhulu nokunakekela isikhumba sazo, zithanda ukugeza noma ukufutha amanzi emhlane ngeziqu zazo. Uma kushisa, ziphephetha izindlebe zazo ukuze zizipholise.
Zizala kanjani izindlovu?
Izindlovu zingaba nezingane nganoma yisiphi isikhathi sonyaka. Nokho, inkomo kufanele ibe nokudla okwanele ukuze izimisele. Ngemva kokukhwelana nenkunzi, inkomo ikhulelwe cishe iminyaka emibili. Ezilwaneni, lokhu kusho “ekhulelwe” ngoba umama uthwele isilwane esisencane esiswini. Amawele awavamile.
Lapho izalwa, usana lwendlovu luba nesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-100, esilingana nesomuntu osindayo. Ingavuka ngokushesha. Iminyaka emine akadli futhi akaphuzi lutho ngaphandle kobisi lukanina. Bawuphuze ngomlomo wabo. Ngokungafani nezilwane eziningi ezincelisayo, indlovu yensikazi ithwala amabele ayo phakathi kwemilenze yangaphambili.
Kuthatha indlovu encane iminyaka engaba ngu-20 ukuvuthwa. Kusukela eminyakeni engaba ngu-40, inkomo yendlovu ayisakwazi ukuthola abantwana. Nokho, uphila eminye iminyaka engu-20. Lokhu akuvamile kakhulu ezilwaneni. Sekukonke, izindlovu ziphila cishe iminyaka engama-60.
Zihluke kanjani izindlovu?
Amaqembu amabili amakhulu ezindlovu asaphila nanamuhla: indlovu yase-Afrika nesihlobo sayo esiseduze, indlovu yasehlathini, ehlala e-Afrika. Indlovu yase-Asia ihlala e-Asia.
Indlovu yase-Afrika isinda kakhulu kunendlovu yase-Asia. Isikhumba sakhe sishwabene. Izinkunzi nezinkomo zinamazinyo. Izinkunzi eziningi ezindlovu zase-Asia zinamazinyo. Izinkomo azinawo noma azinamazinyo amancane kuphela. Izindlovu zase-Afrika nazo zinezindlebe ezinkulu.
Izindlovu zaseNdiya zingaqeqeshelwa ukuthwala imithwalo esindayo. Isikhathi esiningi benza umsebenzi owenziwa ugandaganda ehlathini lethu, isibonelo ukuhudula iziqu zezihlahla. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, izindlovu zase-Afrika zinzima kakhulu ukuzithambisa.
Bekunezinhlobo eziningi zezindlovu emhlabeni. Ngokwesibonelo, kwakukhona mammoths eYurophu kanye mastodon eMelika. Babenoboya futhi nomzimba wawubukeka uhlukile. Phakathi neNkathi Yeqhwa, kwakunezindlovu ze-pygmy eziqhingini zoLwandle LwaseMedithera. Zonke lezi azisekho namuhla.
Ingabe izindlovu zisengozini?
Izindlovu cishe azinazo izitha zemvelo. Kuyaqabukela lapho amabhubesi noma amahlosi ephumelela ukujaha futhi adle iwundlu. Naphezu kwalokhu, namuhla kunezindlovu ezimbalwa kakhulu kunakuqala.
Eminyakeni engu-30 edlule kwakusenezigidi eziningi zezindlovu ezihlala e-Afrika, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni ezihlala e-savannah. Namuhla kusekhona cishe ingxenye yesigidi. Abazingeli bavame ukubulala izindlovu ngenxa nje yamazinyo. Kuvinjelwe cishe yonke indawo. Abantu abaningi bathanda lolu phondo lwendlovu njengocezu lobucwebe ngoba lubushelelezi futhi kulula ukuluqopha.
E-Asia, futhi, kwakuvame ukuba nezindlovu eziningi. Iningizimu ye-Asia yazazi izindlovu, namuhla kunezindawo ezimbalwa kuphela eNdiya nakwamanye amazwe afana ne-Indonesia. Endle namuhla, kusekhona abangaba ngu-50,000. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunezindlovu zase-Asia ezithunjiwe, isibonelo ema-zoo.
Ngenxa yokuthi izindlovu zidinga isikhathi eside ukuze isilwane esincane sikhule, zingazala kancane kancane. Abantu baphinde babaphuce umhlaba, okwenza ukuphila kwezindlovu kube nzima nakakhulu.