UMary Allen
Ama-flamingo awumndeni wezinyoni. Kunezinhlobo eziyisithupha ezahlukene. Bahlala kuwo wonke amazwekazi ngaphandle kwase-Australia nase-Antarctica. I-flamingo enkulu kuphela ehlala eYurophu. Lolu hlobo lwaziwa ogwini lwaseSpain nasePortugal nakwezinye iziqhingi ezisoLwandle iMedithera.
Umzimba we-flamingo ufana nokagolantethe. Zombili zinemilenze emide nezintamo ezinde. Nokho, ama-flamingo anoqhwaku olufushane. Eyeduna inkulu kancane kunezinsikazi. Ama-flamingo ngokuvamile anombala opinki, ngezinye izikhathi anombala osawolintshi kancane. Lo mbala uvela kumakhemikhali olwelwe oluthile oludliwa ama-flamingo.
Ama-flamingo angababhukudi abanekhono. Ziphinde zindiza amabanga amade. Ama-flamingo amadala aphila cishe iminyaka engamashumi amathathu futhi avalelwe iminyaka engaba ngu-80.
Aphila kanjani ama-flamingo?
Ngemilenze yawo emide, ama-flamingo akwazi ukungena emanzini ajulile afune ukudla lapho. Zivame ukuma ngomlenze owodwa, okuxakayo ukuthi zidla amandla amancane kunokuma ngemilenze yomibili. Abuye alale ngomlenze owodwa.
Ama-flamingo angaba ephapheme noma alele emini noma ebusuku. Badla futhi uma bethanda. Bathanda ukuhlala ndawonye ngamaqembu amakhulu. Ama-flamingo amancane eMpumalanga Afrika ahlala emakoloni ezilwane ezifika esigidini.
Ama-flamingo anesefa emlonyeni wawo, afana nemikhomo ye-baleen. Bayisebenzisela ukukhipha i-plankton emanzini, okuyizidalwa ezincane kakhulu. Kodwa futhi zidla izinhlanzi, izinkalankala ezincane, izimbaza, neminenke, kodwa zidla nembewu yezitshalo zasemanzini. Lokhu kuhlanganisa nelayisi.
Azala kanjani ama-flamingo?
Ama-flamingo awadingi isizini ethile ukuze azalane. Iqoqo lihlala lizala ngesikhathi esisodwa, ngokuvamile ngemva kwemvula noma uma kukhona ukudla okwanele. Zakha isidleke sazo ngodaka, ezinqwabelanisa emgodini omncane. Insikazi ivamise ukubeka iqanda elilodwa ngesikhathi. Iqanda linzima ngokuphindwe kabili kuya kathathu kuneqanda lenkukhu.
Ama-flamingo ahlala izidleke andizela amakhilomitha angamashumi amane efuna ukudla. Amaphuphu achanyuselwa ngemva kwamasonto amane. Iba mpunga futhi iqale idliwe ngoketshezi olukhethekile bobabili abazali abalukhipha engxenyeni engenhla yezitho zokugaya ukudla.
Lolu ketshezi lubizwa ngokuthi ubisi lwezitshalo. Lithi akufane nobisi lwezilwane ezincelisayo ngoba lunamafutha amaningi kanye namaprotheni. Uma kungenjalo, empeleni akusengi ngoba ama-flamingo ayizinyoni hhayi izilwane ezincelisayo.
Iwundlu lifunda kuqala ukubhukuda nokuhamba. Cishe ezinyangeni ezintathu, ingathola ukudla kwayo. Bese ithanda ukuba nezinye izilwane ezisencane.
Amaqanda namaphuphu anezitha eziningi: ama-seagull, amagwababa, izinyoni ezidla inyama, nama- marabous, ayingxenye yomkhaya wonogolantethe. Okubi nakakhulu, nokho, ukukhukhula: kungabhubhisa inzalo yekholoni yonke. Kodwa amanzi amancane kakhulu nawo ayingozi: abazali basuke bengatholi kudla eduze futhi izilwane ezidla ezinye zifika ezidlekeni zivela emhlabathini.