UMary Allen
Indlulamithi izilwane ezincelisayo. Asikho esinye isilwane sasemhlabeni esikhulu ngobude ukusuka ekhanda kuye ezinyaweni. Zaziwa kakhulu ngezintamo zazo ezinde ngendlela engavamile. Indlulamithi inamathambo omgogodla womlomo wesibeletho ayisikhombisa entanyeni, njengezinye izilwane ezincelisayo eziningi. Nokho, umgogodla womlomo wesibeletho wendlulamithi mide ngendlela engavamile. Esinye isici esikhethekile sezindlulamithi izimpondo zazo ezimbili, ezimbozwe uboya. Ezinye izinhlobo zinamaqhubu phakathi kwamehlo.
E-Afrika, izindlulamithi zihlala ezindaweni ezingama-savanna, amathafa nasemahlahleni. Kunezinhlobo eziyisishiyagalolunye ezingabonakala ngoboya bazo. I-subspecies ngayinye ihlala endaweni ethile.
Lamadvuna aphindze abitwe ngekutsi tinkunzi, tikhula tibe ngemamitha lasitfupha ngebudze futsi tibe nesisindvo lesifika ku-1900 kilograms. Izindlulamithi zesifazane zibizwa ngokuthi izinkomo. Ziyakwazi ukukhula ngamamitha amane nesigamu ubude futhi zibe nesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-1180. Amahlombe azo aphakathi kwamamitha amabili nantathu nesigamu ukuphakama.
Ziphila kanjani izindlulamithi?
Indlulamithi yizilwane ezidla uhlaza. Nsuku zonke zidla ukudla okungamakhilogremu angu-30, zichitha amahora angaba ngu-20 ngosuku zidla futhi zifuna ukudla. Intamo ende yendlulamithi iyenza ibe ngcono kakhulu kunezinye izilwane ezidla uhlaza: izenza zidle ezindaweni ezihlahleni okungekho esinye isilwane esingafinyelela kuzo. Basebenzisa ulimi lwabo oluluhlaza ukuze bahlube amaqabunga. Ifinyelela ku-50 amasentimitha ubude.
Izindlulamithi zingahlala amasonto bengenamanzi ngoba zithola uketshezi olwanele emaqabunga azo. Uma ziphuza amanzi, kufanele zivule imilenze yazo yangaphambili ukuze zikwazi ukufinyelela emanzini ngamakhanda.
Izindlulamithi ezinsikazi zihlala ngamaqembu, kodwa azihlali ndawonye ngaso sonke isikhathi. Umhlambi onjalo wezindlulamithi ngezinye izikhathi uba nezilwane ezingaba ngu-32. Izinkunzi ezincane zezindlulamithi zakha amaqembu azo. Njengabantu abadala, bayizilwane ezihlala zodwa. balwe bodwa lapho behlangana. Bese bema eceleni bese beshayisana ngamakhanda ezintanyeni ezinde.
Zizalana kanjani izindlulamithi?
Omama bezindlulamithi cishe bahlale bethwala ingane eyodwa kuphela esiswini ngesikhathi. Ukukhulelwa kuthatha isikhathi eside kunabantu: inkonyane lendlulamithi lihlala esibelethweni sikanina izinyanga eziyi-15. Indlulamithi yesifazane inamawundlu ayo amile. Iwundlu alinankinga nokuwa phansi lisuka lapho liphezulu.
Lapho izalwa, isilwane esincane kakade sinesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-50. Ingasukuma ngemva kwehora futhi ingamamitha angu-1.80 ubude, ilingana nendoda endala. Ifika kanjena emabeleni kamama ukuze ikwazi ukuncela ubisi lapho. Ingagijima isikhashana. Lokhu kubaluleke kakhulu ukuze ikwazi ukulandela umama ibaleke izilwane ezidla ezinye.
Iwundlu lihlala nonina isikhathi esingangonyaka nengxenye. Isuke ivuthwe ngokocansi lapho ineminyaka emine futhi ikhule ngokugcwele lapho ineminyaka eyisithupha ubudala. Indlulamithi iphila iminyaka engaba ngu-25 endle. Ekuthunjweni, kungase futhi kube iminyaka engu-35.
Ingabe izindlulamithi zisengozini?
Izindlulamithi azivamile ukuhlaselwa izilwane ezizingelayo ngenxa yobukhulu bazo. Uma kunesidingo, akhahlela izitha zawo ngamanqina angaphambili. Lokhu kuba nzima kakhulu kumawundlu lapho ehlaselwa amabhubesi, izingwe, izimpisi nezinja zasendle. Nakuba unina ezivikela, ingxenye yesine kuya engxenyeni kuphela yezilwane ezincane ezikhulayo.
Isitha esikhulu sendlulamithi yindoda. Ngisho namaRoma namaGreki ayezingela izindlulamithi. Kanjalo nabendawo. Izintambo ezinde zezindlulamithi zazithandwa yizintambo zomnsalo nanjengezintambo zezinsimbi zomculo. Nokho, lokhu kuzingelwa akuzange kubangele ingozi enkulu. Ngokuvamile, izindlulamithi ziyingozi kakhulu kubantu uma bezizwa besongelwa.
Kodwa abantu baya ngokuya bemuka izindawo zokuhlala izindlulamithi. Namuhla azisekho enyakatho yeSahara. Futhi zonke ezinye izinhlobo zezindlulamithi zisengozini. ENtshonalanga Afrika, zisongelwa ngisho nokushabalala. Izindlulamithi eziningi zisatholakala eSerengeti National Park eTanzania ogwini olusempumalanga ye-Afrika. Ukukhumbula izindlulamithi, njalo mhla zingama-21 kuNhlangulana kuwuSuku Lomhlaba Lwendlulamithi.