UMary Allen
I-puffin ingeyomndeni wezinyoni ze-marine diving. Ubizwa nangokuthi uPuffin. Ihlala kuphela enyakatho nenkabazwe emazweni anjengeGreenland, i-Iceland, iScotland, iNorway, neCanada. Ngenxa yokuthi kunama-puffin amaningi e-Iceland, uyi-mascot yase-Iceland. EJalimane, ungayithola esiqhingini saseNorth Sea saseHeligoland.
Ama-puffin anemizimba eqinile, izintamo ezimfishane, namakhanda awugqinsi. Uqhwaku lunesimo esingunxantathu uma ubhekwa eceleni. Intamo, phezulu kwekhanda, emuva, nangaphezulu kwamaphiko kumnyama. Isifuba nesisu kumhlophe. Imilenze yayo inombala osawolintshi-bomvu. Izilwane ezindala zingamasentimitha angama-25 kuya kwangu-30 ubude futhi zingaba nesisindo esingamagremu angu-500. Lokho kucishe kube nzima njenge-pizza. Ngenxa yokubukeka kwayo, yaziwa nangokuthi "i-Clown of the Air" noma "i-Sea Parrot".
I-puffin iphila kanjani?
Ama-puffin ahlala emakoloni. Lokhu kusho ukuthi bahlala ngamaqembu amakhulu ahlanganisa izilwane ezifika ezigidini ezimbili. Ziyizinyoni ezifudukayo ezindizela eningizimu efudumele ebusika.
Ukufuna umlingani kuqala olwandle oluvulekile, lapho futhi bachitha ingxenye enkulu yokuphila kwabo. Ngemva kokuthola umngane womshado, indizela ogwini ukuze ifune umgodi wokuzalela emaweni. Uma ingekho imbobo yokuzalela yamahhala, zizimbela umgodi ogwini olunamadwala.
Lapho isidleke sesiphelile, insikazi izalela iqanda. Abazali bayalivikela ezingozini eziningi ngoba ama-puffin azalela iqanda elilodwa kuphela ngonyaka. Bashintshana ngokufukamela iqanda nokunakekela itshwele ndawonye. Amatshwele athola ikakhulukazi ama-sandael njengokudla. Ihlala esidlekeni izinsuku ezingama-40 ngaphambi kokuba ifunde ukundiza futhi ihambe.
I-puffin idlani futhi idliwa ubani?
Ama-puffin adla izinhlanzi ezincane, akuvamile ukuthi izinkalankala kanye ne-squid. Ukuze zizingele, zicwila phansi ngesivinini esingaba ngu-88 km/h, zitshuzele emanzini, bese zihlwitha inyamazane yazo. Lapho zitshuza, zinyakazisa amaphiko azo njengoba nje thina bantu sinyakazisa izingalo zethu lapho sibhukuda. Izilinganiso zibonise ukuthi ama-puffin angatshuza aze afike kumamitha angama-70 ukujula. Irekhodi le-puffin ngaphansi kwamanzi lingaphansi kwemizuzu emibili nje. I-puffin nayo iyashesha phezu kwamanzi. Ibhakuzisa amaphiko ayo izikhathi ezifika ku-400 ngomzuzu futhi ingahamba ngesivinini esifinyelela kumakhilomitha angama-90 ngehora.
Ama-puffin anezitha eziningi, kuhlanganise nezinyoni ezidla inyama njenge-goll-backed gull. Izimpungushe, amakati, nama-ermines nawo angaba yingozi kuwo. Abantu nabo baphakathi kwezitha ngoba kwezinye izindawo i-puffin iyazingelwa futhi idliwe. Uma zingadliwa, zingaphila iminyaka engama-25.
I-World Conservation Organization i-IUCN ibonisa ukuthi yiziphi izinhlobo zezilwane ezisengozini. Angase ashabalale ngoba ayancipha futhi ayancipha. Kusukela ngo-2015, ama-puffin nawo abhekwa njengengozi yokushabalala.