Lena ITapir

Ngomlobeli wePhaphama! eBrazil

NGOKUNOKWENZEKA awukaze uhlangane netapir, ngoba lesilwane esizothile sitholakala ezindaweni ezingazodwa kuphela eMelika ePhakathi neseNingizimu nasezingxenyeni eziseningizimu neAsia. Itapir icishe ilingane nembongolo, kodwa njengoba inemilenze emifushane, ibukeka ifana kakhulu nengulube. Esinye isazi sempilo yezilwane siye sachaza amazinyane ngokuthi afana “namakhabe aqoqelwe ndawonye anemilenze.”

Amatapir afinyelela ubude obuyimitha elingu-1,8 kuya emamitheni angu-2,4 nokuphakama okuyimitha elingu-0,8 kuya emitheni elingaphezulu kancane kuka-0,9, futhi anesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-230 kuya kumakhilogremu angu-290. Imizimba yawo ekhuluphele inentamo enkulu nomsila omfushane. Amehlo mancane futhi awaboni kahle. Ikhala lithé ukuphuma ukuze lakhe umboko omfushane onyakazayo osetshenziswa kahle lapho amatapir efunafuna ukudla. “Kuzo zonke izilwane ezinkulu zomhlaba,” kusho i-International Wildlife Encyclopedia, “ngokunokwenzeka yiwo angakwazi nakancane ukuzivikela.”

Ngokuvamile, lesilo esingazethembi sihlala ezingxenyeni eziminyene kakhulu zehlathi, ngaleyondlela sigweme izitha ezingase ziqhamuke, ezifana nengwe noma ihlozi. Lapho ingwe ihlasela itapir, kuthiwa itapir ibaleka ngokushesha ingene emithini eminyene yehlathi. Ngalokho ingwe ivinjwa yizimila zehlathi eziminyene. Ngenxa yesikhumba sayo esiwugqinsi, esiphola masinyane, ngokuvamile itapir ayilimali kakhulu.

Njalo amatapir ahlala eduzane nomfula noma ichibi, futhi isikhathi sawo esiningi asichitha ehlamba futhi exubhuza emanzini, kanye nangokuzibhixa odakeni. Lokhu kuwaphumuza ekushiseni futhi kuwavikela ezinambuzaneni ezicasulayo ezivamile ezindaweni ezishisayo. Naphezu kokuba nomzimba omkhulu, lapho kudingeka, angagijima kakhulu. Umzimba wawo oqinile onentamo emfushane ufanelana ngokuphelele nendawo yawo ezungezile, uwavumela ukuba angene kalula emithini eminyene.

Izinhlobo ezintathu zamatapir—ekaBaird, eyaseBrazil, neyasendle—zitholakala eMelika eseNingizimu kanye nePhakathi, kanti itapir yaseMalay yona ihlala eNingizimu-mpumalanga yeAsia. Imivubukulo yamathambo eyatholwa eYurophu, eChina, naseUnited States iqinisekisa ukuthi esikhathini esithile amatapir ayekhona emhlabeni wonke.

Ngokuvamile amatapir ayizilwane ezingenabo ubuhlobo. Ahlala ngawodwa noma ngamabili, futhi angaphezu kwamathathu awo awavamile ukubonakala endawonye ngaphandle kwasezindaweni zokubukisa ngezilwane. Ngisho nalapho awanakani kangako. Ayizilwane ezidla uhlaza, azondla ngezithombo ezimfushane kuphela ezimila ezweni noma ngezitshalo zasemanzini. Awuthanda ngokukhethekile usawoti futhi ahamba amabanga amade ukuze afinyelele endaweni azokhotha kuyo usawoti. Lezilwane ezihamba ebusuku ngokuyinhloko zingase ziphile iminyaka efinyelela kwengu-30.

Amatapir abonakala sengathi azala noma ngayiphi inkathi, futhi amazinyane azalwa ngawodwa cishe ngemva kwezinyanga ezingu-13 ekhulelwe. Amatapir asemancane anesikhumba esinsundu ngokubomvu esimabalabala futhi esinemishwe ephuzi nemhlophe eyehla ngobude, enika isembozo esihle kakhulu ethunzini lamahlathi asezindaweni ezishisayo. Ngokuvamile lombala uyanyamalala ngaphambi kokuba kuphele unyaka wokuqala; ngemva kwalokho itapir yaseMalay iba mnyama inomudwa omkhulu omhlophe ngasezinhlangothini zayo, kanti amatapir aseNingizimu Melika aba mpunga ngokumnyama noma abensundu.

Ukuphila Kwawo Kuyasongelwa

Amatapir aye azingelwa ngabantu ukuze bawadle, ngokuvamile ebusuku lapho lezilwane zihambahamba kakhulu khona. Ngezinye izikhathi kusakazwa usawoti ukuze kuhehwe lesilwane. Ngemva kokukhotha usawoti, itapir iya emfudlaneni oseduze. Ukuze ibe isisulu esitholakala kalula, abazingeli bayikhanyisa emehlweni, beyixhopha okwesikhashana.

Inyama, engenawo amafutha amaningi, ngokuvamile iyosiwa futhi kuthiwa imnandi. Isikhumba esiqinile, esilukhuni naso siyigugu; sisetshenziselwa ukwenza iziswebhu, izindophi, namatomu. Ngezinye izikhathi amaNdiya aseBrazil aye ayifuya itapir njengesilwane sasekhaya.

Ngenxa yokuthi umuntu uye wawazingela ukuze awadle noma enze ngawo umdlalo, futhi ikakhulukazi ngenxa yokuthi uye wagawula ikhaya lawo eliyihlathi, amatapir awasavamile ezindaweni eziningi lapho ake agcwala khona. Ngakho-ke, manje amatapir asendle, akaBaird, nawaseMalay asesohlwini lwezilwane ezisengozini yokuphela.

Nakuba ithuba lomuntu lokuhlangana netapir endle liye lancishiswa kakhulu, kungani ungenzi umzamo wokuyibona lapho uphinda uvakashela endaweni ebukisa ngezilwane?