I-Lammergeier Enamandla

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRITHANI

I-LAMMERGEIER iyinyoni enhle, engamasentimitha angaphezu kwangu-120 ukusuka oqhwakwini kuya esisileni. Ingabonakala indiza kalula ngamaphiko ayo anobubanzi obungamamitha amathathu phezu kwezintaba zokhahlamba eYurophu nase-Afrika, futhi ngezinye izikhathi, ekuphakameni okungafinyelela kumakhilomitha angu-8 ezintabeni zaseHimalaya. Lenyoni enkulukazi, enesifuba nentamo okusawolintshi nenhloko enombala omnyama nomhlophe, inezinsiba ezinde ezilenga ngaphansi koqhwaku. Lezi zinsiba zibangela ukuba ibizwe ngelinye igama, inqe elinentshebe. Njengoba ihlala ezindaweni ezisemajukujukwini futhi eziwugwadule, idlani ukuze iphile?

Ezinye izincwadi zokwaziswa ziqinisekisa ukuthi i-lammergeier idla izilwane eziphilayo—ama-chamois, amawundlu, amazinyane ezimbuzi, onogwaja, nezilwanyana ezinemilenze emine—kodwa eminye imithombo iyaphika. “Abukho ubufakazi obuqinisekile bokuthi lenyoni yake yahlasela isilwane esiphilayo,” kusho i-World Atlas of Birds, nakuba kwaziwa ukuthi idla uboya obuhlanzwe ezinye izinyoni, obungasenanyama. Khona-ke idlani?

I-lammergeier ithatha amathambo ezilwane ezibulawe ezinye noma eziye zafa ngezinye izindlela indize nawo iye phezulu bese iwaphahlaza emadwaleni. Bekucatshangwa ukuthi iphahlaza amathambo ngalendlela ngokuyinhloko ukuze ithole umnkantsha. Manje, i-Economist ibika ukuthi ngemva kokuhlola ngokuningiliziwe lezi zinyoni eziphilayo nezifile, abacwaningi baseGlasgow University eScotland baye bakwazi ukunikeza incazelo ehlukile.

I-lammergeier igwinya izingcezu zamathambo ezinobukhulu obungaba amasentimitha angu-25 nobubanzi obungamasentimitha amane. Nokho, abacwaningi bamangala lapho bethola ukuthi lenyoni ayinaso isimiso esikhethekile sokugaya ukudla, njengengila, ukuze ibhekane nokudla kwayo okungagayeki. Okuwukuphela kwesici esingajwayelekile umphimbo onwebeka ngokweqile owenza ukuba izingcezu zamathambo zigwinyeke. Nokho, isisu se-lammergeier siveza okwengeziwe.

Ososayensi bamangala lapho bethola esiswini sayo izingqamuzana eziningi ezikhiqiza i-asidi enamandla ngokungavamile—enamandla kune-asidi yebhethri—encibilikisa i-calcium yethambo, ngaleyo ndlela ikhiphe amaprotheni namafutha omnkantsha. Lokhu kudla kunikeza amandla engeziwe kunenyama enesisindo esifanayo. Okumangalisa nakakhulu iqiniso lokuthi ama-enzyme agaya ukudla ayatholakala endaweni ene-asidi kangaka. Ngakho seyixazululekile imfihlakalo yokuthi lesi sidalwa esinamandla siphila kanjani ngokudla okuyingcosana okunamathambo angamaphesenti angu-90—esinye isimangaliso sendalo.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 25]

© Nigel Dennis, Photo Researchers