Izilwanyana Ezingaqhelekanga Zentlango YaseTasmania
EMINI, kule ntlango kuthi nzwanga yinzolo. Kodwa ebusuku, kutsho isankxwe sengxolo kumahlathi ayo. Ivela phi yonke le ngxolo? Yenziwa sisilwanyana esineengcwangu, esinesingxobo sokukhulisela amantshontsho nesinegama elingathandekiyo elithi—ITasmanian devil. Imbonakalo nengxolo yezi zilwanyana zomeleleyo izenza zoyikeke ngakumbi xa zisitya isilwanyana esifileyo. Noko ke, aziyongozi kangako.
Ezi zikrwabangu zisitshayela zisigqibe isidumbu ngokuqhwanyaza nje kweso. Zinemihlathi namazinyo omeleleyo anokunqwamza nantoni na—ufele, amathambo, njalo, njalo. Enyanisweni, kwisiqingatha nje seyure iTasmanian devil inokutya ukutya okumalunga nama-40 ekhulwini kubunzima bomzimba wayo—nqwa nokuthi umntu utye iikhilogram ezingama-25 zenyama ngaxeshanye!
Esinye isilwanyana esithandekayo ngakumbi yicommon wombat, sithande ukuba mbukumbuku yaye ude ufune ukusifunqula usiwole xa usijongile. Njengazo zonke izilwanyana ezinesingxobo sokugcina amatshontsho azo, imazi yewombat iba nesingxobo yaye ziyancancisa. Noko ke, ngokwahlukileyo kwezinye izingxobo, esewombat sijonge ngasemva, ekucacayo ukuba injongo kukuze singangeni kungcola xa esi silwanyana sigrumba. IIwombat zinamazinyo angayekiyo ukukhula—nto leyo iluncedo kuzo kuba zisebenzisa wona ukugrenya zisusa izinto ezingaphantsi komhlaba. Nakuba zibonakala zingenakukwazi ukwenza nantoni na, iiwombat zinobuchule bokuchola utyani ngemikhono yazo zibufake emlonyeni.
Esinye isilwanyana esingaqhelekanga yiplatypus. Esi silwanyana sothusayo sinomlomo neenyawo zedada, umzimba waso unoboya bentini nomsila wesilwanyana ekuthiwa yibeaver. Izala amaqanda njengenkuku, igrumba imingxuma okwewombat, ize yanyise amatshontsho ayo okwemazi yebhere. Siyaqondakala isizathu sokuba isazinzulu sokuqala ukuhlola esi silwanyana singakholelwa sidideke!
Kutheni sichukumiseka nje nathi kukubona izilwanyana ezinjalo? Kungenxa yokuba uMdali uyazifuna nazo. IBhayibhile isichazela ukuba waxelela isibini sokuqala ukuba ‘sibe nobukhosi kuzo zonke izidalwa eziphilayo ezinambuzelayo emhlabeni.’ (Genesis 1:28) Xa sibona ezi zilwanyana kwiindawo ezihlala kuzo, ngaba oko akusenzi sikunqwenele ngakumbi ukuphila ngokuvisisana neso sabelo sasinikwayo?
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 11]
EMTHUNZINI WEENGXILIMBELA
Xa kuthethwa ngezinto ezinkulu, zimbalwa izinto eziphilayo ezinokuba nkulu njengemithi yaseTasmania. Eyona mikhulu kuthiwa yimountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans), eba neentyatyambo nekhula ibe ziimitha ezimalunga nama-75. Owona mde kunayo yonke uziimitha ezingama-99.6 ukuphakama, nto leyo ethetha ukuba mfutshane kangangeemitha ezili-16 kowona mthi mde ehlabathini, iredwood efumaneka eKhalifoniya, eUnited States.
Omnye umthi okhulela kwintlango yalapha, yiHuon pine ekhula nje ibe malunga nesiqingatha semountain ash, kodwa wona uphila ixesha elide ngokuphindwe kathandathu kunayo. Ezinye izazinzulu ziqikelela ukuba iHuon pine inokuphila ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-3 000, into ethetha ukuba ngowona mthi uphila ixesha elide emhlabeni. Lo mthi ubizwa ngokuba “yinkosana” yemithi yaseTasmania kuba ugqalwa njengokhetheke gqitha ngabenzi befanitshala nabeenqanawa. Kulula ukusebenza ngeplanga lawo yaye uneoli yemvelo exabisekileyo ewenza uhlale ixesha elide ize igxothe nezinambuzane. Nakuba bezilele phantsi kangangamakhulu eminyaka, ezinye iziqobo zalo mthi ziye zafunyanwa zingekonakali zisalungele ukusetyenziswa.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]
ITasmanian devil
[Inkcazelo]
© J & C Sohns/age fotostock
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 11]
ICommon wombat
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 11]
IPlatypus
[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 11]
Wombat and platypus: Tourism Tasmania; giant tree: Tourism Tasmania and George Apostolidis