UMary Allen
I-walrus iyisilwane esincelisayo esikhulu esihlala olwandle olubandayo lwe-arctic eYurophu, e-Asia naseNyakatho Melika. Iwuhlobo lwezilwane ezihlukene futhi ingeyezimvu zamanzi. Okukhethekile ngamazinyo ayo amakhulu angaphezulu, okuthiwa amazinyo, alenga phansi emlonyeni wayo.
I-walrus inomzimba oyisigqiki nekhanda eliyindilinga. Inezimpiko esikhundleni semilenze. Umlomo wayo ugcwele amadevu aqinile. Isikhumba sishwabene futhi simpunga-nsundu. Ugqinsi lwamafutha ngaphansi kwesikhumba, olubizwa ngokuthi i-blubber, lugcina i-walrus ifudumele. Ama-Walrus angakhula abe amamitha amathathu namasentimitha angama-70 ubude futhi abe nesisindo esingaphezu kwamakhilogremu ayi-1,200. Ama-walrus wesilisa anezikhwama zomoya ezisiza ukugcina amakhanda awo ngaphezu kwamanzi ngenkathi u-walrus elele.
I-walrus inebamba ohlangothini ngalunye lomlomo wayo. Amazinyo angaba yimitha ubude futhi abe nesisindo esingaphezudlwana kwamakhilogremu amahlanu. I-walrus isebenzisa amazinyo ayo ukulwa. Iphinde iwasebenzise ukusika izimbobo eqhweni bese izikhipha emanzini.
Cishe noma yisiphi isilwane esiyoke sihlasele i-walrus. Okungcono kakhulu, ibhere elimhlophe lizama ukuncenga umhlambi wama-walrus ukuba ubaleke. Khona-ke ugibela i-walrus endala, ebuthakathaka noma isilwane esincane. Amagciwane asemaphikweni noma emehlweni nawo ayingozi ku-walrus. Ibamba eliphukile lingase liholele ekuncipheni kwesisindo kanye nokufa kusenesikhathi.
Abantu bendawo bebelokhu bezingela ama-walrus, kodwa ababaningi kakhulu. Basebenzisa isilwane sonke: badla inyama futhi bashisa ngamanoni. Kweminye yemikhumbi yabo, basebenzisa amathambo e-walrus futhi bemboza izikhumba ngesikhumba se-walrus. Benza nezingubo ngayo. Amazinyo endlovu acishe abe yigugu njengalawo ezindlovu. Benza izinto ezinhle ngawo. Kodwa empeleni ama-walrus amaningi abulawa kuphela abazingeli abavela eningizimu ngezibhamu zabo.
Ama-walrus aphila kanjani?
Ama-Walrus ahlala ngamaqembu angaba nezilwane ezingaphezu kwekhulu. Isikhathi esiningi bachitha olwandle. Ngezinye izikhathi zibuye ziphumule eqhweni noma eziqhingini ezinamatshe. Ezweni, apheqela amaphiko awo angemuva phambili ngaphansi kwemizimba yawo ukuze azulazule.
Ama-walrus adla izimbaza ikakhulukazi. Basebenzisa amazinyo abo ukumba amagobolondo phansi olwandle. Zinentshebe engamakhulu ambalwa, ezizisebenzisayo ukuzwa nokuzwa inyamazane yazo kahle kakhulu.
Kukholelwa ukuthi ama-walrus ahlangana emanzini. Ukukhulelwa kuthatha izinyanga eziyishumi nanye, cishe unyaka. Amawele ayivelakancane kakhulu. Ithole linesisindo esingamakhilogremu angama-50 lapho lizalwa. Iyakwazi ukubhukuda ngokushesha. Ingxenye yonyaka akaphuzi lutho ngaphandle kobisi lukanina. Kube sekuthatha okunye ukudla. Kodwa uphuza ubisi iminyaka emibili. Ngonyaka wesithathu, isahlala nomama. Kodwa-ke angaphinde athwale ingane esiswini.