Elona Lulwane Lincinane Ehlabathini
● Ngowe-1973, isazi ngebhayoloji saseThailand, uKitti Thonglongya neqela lakhe, baqokelela amalulwane angaphezu kwama-50 awayengazange abonwe ngaphambili, kwimiqolomba ekufutshane naseSai Yok, ingxangxasi eseThailand. Wathumela elinye lala malulwane kuGqr. J. E. Hill weBritish Museum of Natural History yaseLondon. Kulusizi ukuba uKitti wasweleka engekayazi ukuba ufumanise uhlobo olutsha lwamalulwane, awathi lo kaHill waluthiya ngokuba ziiCraseonycteris thonglongyai enika imbeko kuKitti. Ngokuqhelekileyo olu hlobo lwaziwa njengelulwane likaKitti elinempumlo yehagu (Kitti’s hog-nosed bat).
Eli lulwane lithiywe ngoKitti linobude obuziisentimitha ezintathu yaye linamaphiko amalunga neesentimitha ezili-13, lilelona lulwane lincinane kwawaziwayo yaye lisesona silwanyana sincinane kwezanyisayo. Eneneni, kangangendlela elincinane ngayo, lidla ngokubizwa ngokuba yibumblebee. Phakathi kwezinye izinto elibalasele ngazo kukuba nempumlo efana neyehagu, ukungabi namsila, namabhakubhaku eendlebe.
Ahlala Kwindawo Encinane
La malulwane anokufumaneka kuphela kwiSai Yok National Park eThailand nakwimimandla ekufutshane naseMyanmar. Kanye njengezinye iindidi, la malulwane athiywe ngoKitti axhomekeke kwisantya sokuhamba kwesandi xa ezingela izinambuzane. Ngenxa yokuba namaphiko amakhulu kunaso, esi silwanyana sikwazi kakuhle ukundanda, size sibambe izinambuzane ezihlala kumagqabi omthi. Esi silwanyana sithanda ukuhlala kwimiqolomba efudumeleyo yekalika eneemfante ezininzi—iindawo ezisikhuselayo nezisigcina sifudumele, nto leyo ebaluleke kakhulu kwizilwanyana ezanyisayo ezincinane. UMdali wazenza zanethuku nobuchule obumangalisayo ezi zilwanyana zincinane zithandekayo!—ISityhilelo 4:11.
Ngenxa yokunqaba ngendlela engaqhelekanga kweli lulwane nokuhlala kwalo kwindawo encinane, ubomi balo busesichengeni ukuba iimeko eliphila kuzo azitshintshi. Ayenziwa wona amatile-tile okusihlangula esi silwanyana, kodwa into esibeka esichengeni kukugawulwa kwamahlathi, imithi, ukwakhiwa kweendlela nezokhenketho. Akukaziwa enoba ezi zilwanyana zincinane ziya kukwazi kusini na ukumelana nokuhlaselwa kweendawo ezihlala kuzo ngabantu.
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 21]
AWONA MAKHULU NAWONA MANCINANE
Kukho malunga neendidi ezili-1 000 zamalulwane, yaye akuphela kwezilwanyana ezanyisayo ezikwaziyo ukubhabha. Awona malulwane makhulu, (1) anokuba namaphiko angaphezulu kuhle kwemitha enesiqingatha yaye anobunzima obumalunga nekhilogram. Kanti, ilulwane elithiywe ngoKitti (2) likhula libe ngaphezulu kuhle kwiisentimitha ezili-13 yaye linobunzima nje obuziigram ezimbini kuphela.
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 21]
Photos: © Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International, www.batcon.org