UMary Allen
Ingwe yeqhwa izulazula buthule futhi icishe ingabonakali phakathi kwezintaba ze-Himalaya: Ngoboya bayo obumpunga obumhlophe namabala amnyama, ifihleke kahle kakhulu.
Izici
Ibukeka kanjani ingwe yeqhwa?
Izingwe zeqhwa ziyizilwane ezidla inyama futhi zingamalungu omndeni wamakati futhi lapho zingamakati amakhulu. Uma uthi nhlá, zingadideka nezingwe zase-Afrika: zombili zinoboya obunamachashazi amnyama. Kodwa ukubheka okwesibili kuveza ukuthi izingwe zeqhwa zihlukile: uboya bazo bude futhi bukhanya ngokumpunga kuya komhlophe ngombala.
Izilwane zishintsha uboya bazo kabili ngonyaka. Uboya basehlobo abuminyene futhi bufushane kunoboya obuminyene basebusika. Izimpawu zoboya zilula eboyeni basebusika, ngakho izilwane ezizingelayo zizifihla kangcono endaweni emhlophe eneqhwa futhi azibonakali. Ezweni lakubo, ngakho-ke babizwa nangokuthi - ama-phantom wezintaba. Ngoboya bazo obuminyene, izingwe zeqhwa zibonakala zizinkulu kakhulu, kodwa zincane kunezihlobo zazo zase-Afrika.
Ukusuka ekhanda kuye phansi zikala amasentimitha angama-80 kuye kwangama-130, kanye nomsila ongamasentimitha angama-80 kuya kwayi-100 ubude. Ubude behlombe lakho cishe bungamasentimitha angama-60. Abesilisa banesisindo esiphakathi kwamakhilogremu angama-45 kuya ku-55, ama-specimens amakhulu kakhulu nawo angama-75 kilogram. Izinsikazi zinesisindo esingamakhilogremu angama-35 kuye kwangama-40 kuphela. Umsila omude unoboya kakhulu. Lapho zigxuma, izilwane zilisebenzisa njengephini lokuqondisa. Ikhanda lincane futhi ikhala lifushane.
Izidladla zinkulu kakhulu uma maqondana nomzimba futhi zimbozwe yiphedi lezinwele ematheni. Lawa ma-pads asebenza njengezicathulo zeqhwa: andisa indawo engaphezulu kwezidladla ukuze isisindo sisabalaliswe kangcono futhi izilwane zingacwili eqhweni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinyawo zezinyawo zivikelekile kahle emakhazeni.
Njengamabhubesi, amahlosi, ama-jaguar nezingwe, izingwe zeqhwa zingamakati amakhulu, kodwa ziyahlukahluka kwezinye izici. Ngokungafani nalezi, izingwe zeqhwa azikwazi ukubhonga. Zidla ngokuqoshama njengekati lasendlini. Abanye bona badla belele. Ikhala lengwe yeqhwa lifushane kakhulu futhi ugebhezi luphakeme kunolwezihlobo zayo ezinkulu.
Zihlala kuphi izingwe zeqhwa?
Izingwe zeqhwa zihlala ezintabeni eziphakeme zase-Asia Ephakathi. Indawo yabo yokusabalalisa idlulela eningizimu ukusuka e-Himalaya eNepal naseNdiya kuya ezintabeni zaseRussia i-Altai neSanjan enyakatho.
Ukusuka empumalanga kuye entshonalanga ikhaya labo lisukela ezintabeni zaseTibet kuya ePamir naseHindu Kush entshonalanga. Iningi lezwe labo liseTibet naseChina. Izingwe zeqhwa zihlala ezindaweni ezisezintabeni ezifika kumamitha angu-6000 ukuphakama. Indawo yabo ihlanganisa izindawo ezinamadwala aphakeme, amathafa asezintabeni, ama-scrubland namahlathi alula. Ehlobo, izilwane zihlala ezindaweni eziphakeme zamamitha angu-4000 kuya kwangu-6000, ebusika zifuduka ziye phansi ezindaweni ezingamamitha angu-2000 kuya kwangu-2500.
Yiziphi izinhlobo zezingwe zeqhwa ezikhona?
Umndeni wekati wakhiwe amakati amakhulu namancane. Ingwe yeqhwa, eyaziwa nangokuthi iris, iyingxenye yohlobo lwamakati amakhulu futhi ihlobene nengwe, ibhubesi, i-jaguar kanye nengwe.
Izingwe zeqhwa ziba neminyaka emingaki?
Ekuthunjweni, izingwe zeqhwa ziphila isilinganiso seminyaka eyi-14, futhi zineminyaka yobudala engama-21. Ukuthi zihlala isikhathi esingakanani endle akwaziwa.
Behave
Iphila kanjani ingwe yeqhwa?
Isikhathi eside, izingwe zeqhwa kwakucatshangwa ukuthi ziyizilwane zasebusuku. Namuhla siyazi ukuthi nazo ziyasebenza emini ikakhulukazi uma kuhwalala. Okuqinisekile ukuthi bancamela ukuzulazula bodwa bagweme ontanga. Njengoba kunezilwane ezimbalwa ezizingelayo endaweni yazo, ngezinye izikhathi zihlala ezindaweni ezinkulu kakhulu. Lezi zingakala phakathi kwamakhilomitha-skwele angama-40 no-1000.
Izinhlobonhlobo zabesilisa nabesifazane zingadlulela. Izingwe zeqhwa zimaka izindlela ezisetshenziswa kaningi ngobulongwe, ukuphuma kwephunga, nezimpawu zokuklwebheka. Ukuze ziphumule, izingwe zeqhwa zihlehlela emihumeni yamadwala evikelekile lapho zivinjelwa khona umoya nokubanda.
Izingwe zeqhwa zijwayelana ngokuphelele nokuphila emakhazeni amakhulu: uboya bazo bukhulu kakhulu futhi ngezinye izikhathi buqukethe izinwele ezingu-4000 ngesentimitha yesikwele. Ebusika ikhula ibe ngamasentimitha amahlanu ubude ngemuva futhi ifinyelele kumasentimitha ayishumi nambili ubude esiswini. Ikhala lengwe yeqhwa liyakhuliswa ukuze umoya obandayo ewuphefumulayo ufudumale kangcono. Lapho zilele, zibeka imisila yazo ewugqinsi emakhaleni, ziwavikele emakhazeni ashubisa umnkantsha.
Abangane nezitha zengwe yeqhwa
Izingwe zeqhwa azinazo izitha zemvelo, isitha sazo esikhulu abantu. Nakuba evikelekile, asazingelwa uboya bawo. Ngenxa yokuthi zike zihlasele izinkomo zamadlelo, zisuke zisukelwe ngabafuyi.
Izingwe zeqhwa zizalana kanjani?
Eziduna nezinsikazi zihlangana kuphela ngesikhathi sokukhwelana phakathi kukaMasingana noNdasa. Khona-ke zidonsela ukunakekela kubo ngokukhala kokukhwelana ngendlela yokukhala okude isikhathi eside. Ezinsikazi zizala amazinyane amabili kuya kwamathathu cishe njalo eminyakeni emibili ngemva kokumitha kwezinsuku ezingama-94 kuya kweziyi-103 phakathi kuka-April noJuni.
Izingane zizalelwa endaweni yokukhosela yomhume wedwala ophahlwe izinwele zikamama. Ezincane zinezinwele ezimnyama futhi ziyizimpumputhe lapho zizalwa. Isisindo sabo singamagremu angu-450 kuphela. Bavula amehlo abo esikhathini esingangesonto ngemva kokuzalwa. Umama uncelisa amaphuphu akhe izinyanga ezimbili, ngemva kwalokho inzalo izoshintshela ekudleni okuqinile futhi ilandele unina lapho ihamba khona.
Izingwe zeqhwa ezincane zihlala nonina izinyanga ezingu-18 kuya kwezingu-22, kuphela lapho zizimele ngokuphelele futhi zihamba ngendlela yazo. Bavuthwa ngokocansi lapho beneminyaka emibili kuya kwemithathu. Kodwa ngokuvamile zizala kuphela lapho okungenani sezineminyaka emine ubudala.
Ingwe yeqhwa izingela kanjani?
Izingwe zeqhwa azilandeli inyamazane yazo ezindaweni ezikude, kodwa kunalokho zinyonyobela izilwane noma ziziqamekele. Bese begxumela inyamazane ngokugxuma okungafika kumamitha ayi-16 - lokhu kubenza babe ompetha bomhlaba ekugxumeni okude phakathi kwezilwane ezincelisayo. Ngokuvamile zibulala izisulu zazo ngokulunywa emphinjeni noma entanyeni.
Izingwe zeqhwa zixhumana kanjani?
Ngokungafani namanye amakati amakhulu, izingwe zeqhwa azikwazi ukubhonga. Bavele bahlahle amehlo futhi bakhale njengamakati asekhaya.