UMary Allen
Izingulube zaseGuinea zingamagundane. Zibizwa ngokuthi “ingulube” ngoba zinswininiza njengezingulube. “Ulwandle” luvela eqinisweni lokuthi balethwa eYurophu besuka eNingizimu Melika, ngaphesheya kolwandle.
Izinhlobo eziphila ngokukhululeka zihlala emathafeni anotshani nasezindaweni ezingamatshe eziwugwadule kanye nezintaba eziphakeme ze-Andes. Lapho zingatholakala kufika kumamitha angu-4200 ngaphezu kolwandle. Zihlala ngamaqoqo ezilwane ezinhlanu kuya kweziyishumi ezihlahleni eziminyene noma emigodini. Bazimbela bona noma bazithathe kwezinye izilwane. Ukudla okuyinhloko kwamaguinea pig ezweni lakubo utshani, amakhambi, noma amaqabunga.
Kunemindeni emithathu ehlukene yamaguinea pigs: Onogwaja be-pampas abavela ezintabeni zaseNingizimu Melika bangamasentimitha angu-80 ubude ukusuka empumulweni kuya phansi futhi banesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-16. Omunye umndeni yi-capybara, eyaziwa nangokuthi izingulube zamanzi. Amagundane amakhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni. Bahlala ezindaweni ezinomswakama eNingizimu Melika.
Umndeni wesithathu "izingulube zangempela". Kubo, siyazi kangcono i-guinea pig. Ziyizilwane ezifuywayo ezidumile njengoba kulula kakhulu ukuzinakekela. Sezikhuliswe iminyaka engamakhulu ambalwa. Ngakho kabasaphili njengokhokho babo emvelweni.
Ziphila kanjani izingulube ezifuywayo?
Izingulube zasekhaya zingamasentimitha angama-20 ukuya kwangu-35 ubude futhi zinesisindo sekhilogremu eyodwa. Izindlebe zazo zincane futhi imilenze yazo mifishane. Azinawo umsila. Anama-incisors amade futhi aqinile aqhubeka ekhula. Uboya bezingulube ze-Guinea bungabukeka buhluke kakhulu. Kungaba bushelelezi, bushelelezi, bube bufushane, noma bube bude.
Izilwane ezincane ziphefumula ngokushesha okuphindwe kabili kunowabantu. Inhliziyo yakho ishaya izikhathi ezinhlanu ngomzuzwana, cishe ngokuphindwe kahlanu kunomuntu. Ziyakwazi ukubona kude ngaphandle kokuphendula amakhanda kodwa zimpofu ngokulinganisa amabanga. Amadevu abo abasiza ebumnyameni. Bayakwazi ukubona imibala, kodwa abazi ukuthi benzeni ngayo. Bezwa imisindo ephakeme kuneyabantu. Ikhala labo lihle kakhulu ekuhogeleni, okuwumqondo obaluleke kakhulu weguinea pig.
Izingulube zasekhaya zichitha usuku ngokuhlukile kithina bantu: Zivame ukuphaphama futhi zivame ukulala, kokubili isikhathi esifushane kakhulu. Nsuku zonke, badla izikhathi ezingaba ngu-70, ngakho ukudla okuncane ngokuphindaphindiwe. Ngakho-ke bahlala bedinga ukudla, okungenani amanzi, notshani.
Izingulube zaseGuinea ziyizilwane ezincane ezikwazi ukuxhumana, ngaphandle kwabesilisa phakathi kwabo, abazwani nhlobo. Izilwane ngazinye zizizwa zingakhululekile. Ngakho-ke kufanele ugcine abesifazane ababili noma ngaphezulu ndawonye. Balala basondelane balale. Nokho bathintana kuphela uma kubanda kakhulu. Yiqiniso, kuhlukile ngezilwane ezincane. Izingulube zaseGuinea azizwani nanoma yisiphi esinye isilwane ngaphandle konogwaja.
Izingulube zaseGuinea zidinga indawo yokuhamba. Esilwaneni ngasinye, kufanele kube nendawo eyimitha ngesinye. Ngakho ngisho nezilwane ezimbili akufanele zibekwe phezu komatilasi. Badinga notshani noma amasaha, izindlu zamapulangwe, imigudu yendwangu, nezinye izinto abangazidla futhi bazifihle kuzo.
Zizalana kanjani izingulube ezifuywayo?
Ngaphezu kwakho konke, izingulube ze-Guinea ezifuywayo zizala ngokushesha kakhulu! Emasontweni ambalwa ngemva kokuzalwa kwawo, angakwazi ukuzakhela inzalo. Umama uthwala izingane zakhe esiswini isikhathi esingaba amasonto ayisishiyagalolunye. Izingane ezimbili kuya kwezine zivame ukuzalwa. Bagqoka uboya, babone, bahambe, futhi ngokushesha baqale ukuncela noma yini abayitholayo. Isisindo sazo singamagremu ayi-100, esingangebha likashokoledi. Izilwane ezincane ziphuza ubisi lukanina ngoba amagwinya ayizilwane ezincelisayo.
Ngokushesha ngemva kokubeletha, iguinea pig engumama ingaphinde ihlangane futhi ikhulelwe. Izilwane ezincane kufanele zibe namasonto amane kuya kwayisihlanu ubudala futhi zibe nesisindo esingamagremu angu-250 ngaphambi kokuba zikhishwe kumama. Uma zinakekelwa kahle, zingaphila iminyaka eyisithupha kuya kweyisishiyagalombili, ezinye zibe zandala nakakhulu.