Ilulwane Elincane Kunawo Wonke Emhlabeni
● Ngo-1973, isazi sezinto eziphilayo esingumThai, uKitti Thonglongyana nethimba lakhe waqoqa amalulwane ezinhlobo ezazingakaziwa ngaleso sikhathi ezingaphezu kuka-50 emigedeni eseduze nempophoma iSai Yok eThailand. Wathumela amasampula awo ku-Dkt. J. E. Hill osebenza eBritish Museum of Natural History eLondon. Ngokudabukisayo, uKitti wafa ngaphambi kokuba azi ukuthi wayethole uhlobo olusha lwelulwane, uHill aluqamba ngokuthi i-Craseonycteris thonglongyai ehlonipha uKitti. Igama elijwayelekile laleli lulwane lithi Kitti’s hog-nosed (ilulwane likaKitti elinekhala lengulube). Lijwayele ukubizwa ngokuthi ilulwane likaKitti elinekhala lengulube.
Njengoba lingamasentimitha angaba mathathu ubude, namaphiko angaba ngamasentimitha angu-13 ubude, leli lulwane lincane kunawo wonke futhi liyisilwane esincelisayo esincane kunazo zonke. Empeleni, lincane kangangokuba ngezinye izikhathi libizwa ngokuthi i-bumblebee bat. Esinye isici elihluke ngaso ikhala elifana nelengulube (okuyigama elibizwa ngalo), ukungabi nasisila nokuba namadlebe amakhulu anamagwagwa avuvukele.
Lihlala Endaweni Encane
La malulwane atholakala eSai Yok National Park eThailand nasezindaweni eziseduze zaseMyanmar kuphela. Njengamanye, leli lulwane likaKitti lisebenzisa amaza omsindo lapho lizingela izinambuzane. Njengoba sinamaphiko amade kunomzimba waso, lesi silwane esincelisayo siyakwazi ukuvula amaphiko sindize ngaphandle kokuwabhakuzisa, okwenza sikwazi ukubamba izinambuzane ezisemaqabungeni ezihlahla. Uma silala, lesi silwane sikhetha izindawo ezifudumele eziphakeme emigedeni yegwadle enamagumbi amaningi—izindawo ezilondekile futhi ezizosigcina sifudumele, okuyinto ebaluleke kakhulu kulesi silwane esincane esincelisayo futhi esinegazi elifudumele. Yeka ukuthi uMdali unikeze lesi silwane esincane imizwelo engokwemvelo namakhono amangalisa kangakanani!—IsAmbulo 4:11.
Ngenxa yokuthi leli lulwane alivamile neze futhi litholakala endaweni encane kakhulu, uma izimo eliphila kuzo zingathuthuki lisengcupheni yokushabalala. Kuye kwenziwa imizamo yokulivikela kodwa ukucekelwa phansi kwamahlathi, ukugawulwa kwawo, ukwakhiwa kwemigwaqo nezokuvakasha lokhu kuyaqhubeka kuba usongo olukhulu kulesi silwane. Ukuthi lesi silwane esincane esincelisayo siyokwazi yini ukumelana nokungena komuntu kule ndawo yaso encane, lokho kusazobonakala.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 21]
ELIKHULU NELINCANE KUNAWO WONKE
Kunezinhlobo zamalulwane ezingaba ngu-1 000 futhi ayizilwane ezincelisayo okuyizo kuphela ezikwazi ukundiza. Amalulwane amakhulu kunawo wonke, abizwa ngokuthi (1) ama-flying fox, angase abe namaphiko angaba imitha nengxenye ubude futhi abe ikhilogremu elilodwa ubukhulu. Kanti ilulwane likaKitti elinekhala elifana nelengulube (2) likhula libe amasentimitha angaba ngu-13 futhi libe nesisindo esingamagremu amabili nje kuphela.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 21]
Photos: © Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International, www.batcon.org