UMary Allen
Ama-orangutan ayizinhlobo zezimfene ezinkulu njengama-gorilla nezimfene. Ziyizilwane ezincelisayo futhi ziyizihlobo eziseduze kakhulu zabantu. Emvelweni, bahlala eziqhingini ezimbili ezinkulu kuphela e-Asia: iSumatra neBorneo. Kunezinhlobo ezintathu zama-orangutan: i-orangutan yase-Bornean, i-orangutan yaseSumatran, ne-Tapanuli orangutan. Igama elithi "orang" lisho "umuntu", kanti igama elithi "utan" lisho "ihlathi". Ndawonye, lokhu kuphumela kokuthile okufana nokuthi “Forest Man”.
Ama-orangutan afinyelela ubude obungamamitha amahlanu ukusuka ekhanda kuye phansi. Izinsikazi zifinyelela ku-30 kuya ku-50 kilogram, abesilisa bangaba ngu-50 kuya ku-90 kilogram. Izingalo zabo zinde kakhulu futhi zinde kakhulu kunemilenze yabo. Umzimba we-orangutan ukufanela kangcono ukukhuphuka ezihlahleni kunowama-gorilla nezimfene. Uboya bama-orangutan bubomvu ngokumnyama kuya kokubomvu ngokunsundu ngezinwele ezinde. Amaduna amadala ikakhulukazi athola amaqhuqhuva aminyene ezihlathini.
Ama-orangutan asengozini enkulu. Isizathu esiyinhloko: abantu bathatha izindawo eziningi zokuhlala kude nabo ngokususa ihlathi ngoba izinkuni zingathengiswa ngamanani aphezulu. Kodwa abantu bafuna ukutshala amasimu. Kugawulwa amahlathi amaningi asendulo, ikakhulukazi amafutha esundu. Abanye abantu bafuna ukudla inyama ye-orangutan noma ukugcina i-orangutan encane njengesilwane esifuywayo. Abacwaningi, abazingeli abangekho emthethweni, nezivakashi bathelela ama-orangutan anda ngezifo. Lokhu kungalahlekisela ama-orangutan ukuphila kwawo. Isitha sabo semvelo singaphezu kwawo wonke amahlosi aseSumatran.
Aphila kanjani ama-orangutan?
Ama-orangutan ahlala ebheka ukudla kwawo ezihlahleni. Ingxenye yokudla kwabo isithelo. Baphinde badle amantongomane, amaqabunga, izimbali nembewu. Ngenxa yokuthi zinamandla futhi zisinda, zikwazi ukugoba amagatsha phansi ngakuzo ngezingalo eziqinile futhi zidle kuwo. Ukudla kwazo kuhlanganisa nezinambuzane, amaqanda ezinyoni, nezilwane ezinomgogodla ezincane.
Ama-orangutan anekhono kakhulu ekukhuphukeni ezihlahleni. Cishe abakaze baye phansi. Kuyingozi kakhulu kubo lapho ngenxa yamahlosi. Uma kufanele ziye phansi, ngokuvamile kungenxa yokuthi izihlahla ziqhelelene kakhulu. Nokho, ama-orangutan awazisekeli ngeminwe emibili lapho ehamba njengama-gorilla nezimfene. Bazisekela ngezibhakela noma emaphethelweni angaphakathi ezandla zabo.
Ama-orangutan asuke ephapheme emini futhi alale ebusuku, njengabantu. Ubusuku ngabunye bakha isidleke esisha samaqabunga esihlahleni. Abavamile ukulala kabili ngokulandelana esidlekeni esisodwa.
Ama-orangutan ngokuvamile ahlala wodwa. Okuhlukile umama namawundlu akhe. Kuyenzeka futhi ukuthi abesifazane ababili bahambe ndawonye befuna ukudla. Lapho abesilisa ababili behlangana, bavame ukuxabana futhi kwesinye isikhathi baxabane.
Azala kanjani ama-orangutan?
Ukukhiqiza kabusha kungenzeka unyaka wonke. Kodwa kwenzeka kuphela uma izilwane zithola ukudla okwanele. Ukukhwelana kwenzeka ngezindlela ezimbili: Abesilisa abazulazulayo baphoqelela ukuya ocansini nowesifazane, lokho kubantu okungabizwa ngokuthi ukudlwengula. Nokho, kukhona futhi ukukhwelana ngokuzithandela lapho eyeduna izinze endaweni yayo. Kukhona cishe inani elifanayo lentsha kuzo zombili izinhlobo.
Ukukhulelwa kuthatha cishe izinyanga eziyisishiyagalombili. Ngaleso sikhathi umama ethwala ingane yakhe esiswini isikhathi eside. Ngokuvamile, izala imvu eyodwa kuphela ngesikhathi. Ambalwa kakhulu amawele.
Ingane ye-orangutan inesisindo esingaba yikhilogremu eyodwa kuya kwamabili. Ibe isiphuza ubisi emabeleni kanina cishe iminyaka emithathu kuya kwemine. Ekuqaleni, iwundlu linamathela esiswini sikanina, kamuva ligibele emhlane wakhe. Phakathi kweminyaka emibili kuya kwemihlanu, iwundlu liqala ukukhuphuka lizungeza. Kodwa isuka kude kakhulu kangangoba unina useyayibona. Ngalesi sikhathi iphinde ifunde ukwakha isidleke bese ingasalali nonina. Phakathi kweminyaka emihlanu nesishiyagalombili, iziqhelelanisa kakhulu nonina. Ngalesi sikhathi, umama angaphinde akhulelwe.
Ezisikazi kufanele zibe neminyaka eyisikhombisa ngaphambi kokuba ama-orangutan azizalele wona. Nokho, ngokuvamile kuthatha iminyaka eyi-12 ngaphambi kokuba ukukhulelwa kwenzeke. Abesilisa bavame ukuba neminyaka eyi-15 lapho beqala ukukhwelana. Akuthathi isikhathi eside kangako kwezinye izinkawu ezinkulu. Lesi futhi esinye sezizathu ezenza ama-orangutan abe sengozini kangaka. Ama-orangutan amaningi ezinsikazi anamawundlu amabili kuya kwamathathu kuphela ekuphileni kwawo.
Ama-orangutan aphila iminyaka engaba ngu-50 endle. Ezu, kungase futhi kube iminyaka engu-60. Ema-zoo, izilwane eziningi nazo ziba nzima kakhulu kunasendle.