Qaphela! Nginobuthi
Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! e-Australia
ABANTU abathuthela e-Australia nezivakashi ngokuvamile batshelwa ukuthi izinyoka nezicabucabu ezinobuthi cishe zikuyo yonke indawo kulelizwe elikhulukazi. Nokho, ezinhlotsheni zezicabucabu ezaziwayo, cishe zingu-1700 kuphela ezitholakala lapha. Zimbalwa kakhulu ezingaba nalo ngempela uphawu oluthi “Ingozi! Nginobuthi,” kodwa iningi lazo alilimazi.
Uma kuziwa ezinyokeni, kulinganiselwa ukuthi izinhlobo ezingu-2500 zihlala nathi kuleplanethi ewuMhlaba. Ezingaba ngu-140 zalezi zitholakala e-Australia, futhi zilinganiselwa ku-20 kuphela ezinesihlungu. Ingabe kungenzeka ngempela ukuba uhlangane nesinye salezi zidalwa ezinobuthi?
Emadolobheni?
Ngokuvamile iningi lezinyoka nezicabucabu ezinobuthi lihlala emaphandleni, noma ehlathini. Nokho, abantu abahlala emadolobheni angasogwini kudingeka baqaphe ngendlela efanele, ikakhulukazi lapho kuziwa ezicabucabwini. Ngokwesibonelo, njengoba igama laso libonisa, isicabucabu i-Sydney funnel-web sihlala edolobheni elikhulu kunawo wonke lase-Australia, i-Sydney, nasezindaweni ezizungezile. Ngamazinyo aso amnyama aphumele ngaphandle, singashiya umfanekiso ogqamile emaphusheni anoma ubani.
I-funnel-web yeduna ibonakala ngophonjwana olusobala emlenzeni wayo wesibili, futhi iyingozi—isihlungu sayo sinobuthi obunamandla ngokuphindwe kahlanu kunesensikazi. Igama lesiLatini elingokomthetho elinikwe lesi sicabucabu lithi Atrax robustus. Ngo-1980 incwadi ethi The Funnelweb yathi: “Phakathi neminyaka yamuva engamashumi ayisikhombisa bangaba yishumi nesishiyagalolunye abantu okwaziwa ukuthi baye babulawa ukulunywa izicabucabu ama-Funnelweb.” Ngo-1980 kwenziwa umuthi wokuqala ophumelelayo olwa nesihlungu se-funnel-web lapho ikulumile.
Esinye isicabucabu okufanele siqashelwe i-redback, esethiwe kanjalo ngenxa yomusho waso obomvu ngokusawolintshi onqamula esiswini saso esimnyama ngokusasilika. Ngezinye izikhathi lomusho uba bomvana noma uthi awube mpunga. I-redback yensikazi yiyona eyingozi. Umuthi olwa nesihlungu sayo esibulalayo lapho ikulumile watholakala ngo-1956. I-redback itholakala kulo lonke elase-Australia futhi ihlobene nesicabucabu i-black widow esaziwa kakhulu.
Qaphela! Izinyoka!
Izinyoka ziye zatholakala otshanini noma ezindaweni ezinezihlahla zasemakhaya asemaphethelweni edolobha, ikakhulukazi ebusuku. Zimbalwa eziyingozi—njenge-tiger snake, i-death adder, ne-taipan. I-tiger snake ingaba imitha nengxenye ubude. Ingaphawulwa ngemisho emnyama evundlile emhlane wayo. Lapho ithukuthele ingase yenze umsindo wokufutha okukhulu okusakukhwehlela.
I-death adder iyahlukahluka ngemibala, kodwa inombala omhlophe othi awube phuzi ekugcineni komsila wayo, ewunyakazisayo ukuze ihehe isisulu. Ivame ukutholakala ezindaweni ezinesihlabathi, lapho ilala khona ibe njengesicathulo sehhashi. I-death adder ingaba amasentimitha angu-60 ubude, futhi iqatha.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, i-taipan, ingase ikhule ifinyelele emamitheni amathathu ubude! Insundu, inekhala elinombala okhanyayo. Inezindlala ezinkulu zesihlungu, futhi ezinye izinhlobo zayo zinamazinyo amade acishe abe ngaphezu kwesentimitha. Elinye ihhashi lafa kungakapheli nemizuzu emihlanu lilunywe i-taipan!
Kuthiwani Uma Ngingase Ngilunywe?
Umuthi olwa nesihlungu lapho ulunywe isicabucabu noma inyoka uyatholakala, futhi izikhungo zokwaziswa ngokuphathelene nobuthi zihlala zilungele ukusiza ngaso sonke isikhathi kulo lonke elase-Australia. Izindlela zokwelapha lapho ulunywe inyoka ziye zathuthuka. Umqondo wokuthi kufanele kusikwe inxeba ngokushesha bese kumuncwa ubuthi abaningi bawubheka njengongewona oyisidala nje kuphela kodwa olimazayo. Manje iseluleko seziphathimandla zezokwelapha siwukuthi gcina isiguli singanyakazi futhi sizolile futhi ubophe ngebhandishi noma ngomchilo endaweni ephakathi kwenxeba nenhliziyo. Khona-ke, kufanele ukuba inxeba liboshwe liqiniswe ngendwangu bese isitho esilimele sisekelwa ngokhuni ukuze singanyakazi. Ngemva kwalokho isiguli kufanele sibonane nodokotela noma siyiswe esibhedlela ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka.
Izicabucabu i-funnel-web ne-redback azivamile ukutholakala ezindlini. I-redback icasha emakhoneni amagalaji noma emashede noma kunoma iyiphi indawo ethule nengaphazanyiswa, njengasemotweni endala, inqwaba yemfucumfucu, noma indlu yangasese engaphandle. Kufanele kuqashelwe ukuthi azingeniswa ngephutha endlini.
Ingakanani Ingozi?
Abantu abaningi base-Australia abakaze bayibone i-redback noma i-death adder futhi akekho umuntu abamaziyo oke walunywa yizo. Iqiniso liwukuthi, ingozi yokuba ulunywe isicabucabu noma inyoka enobuthi cishe ayikho uma uqapha ngendlela efanele. Izilwane eziningi ezinobuthi zizama ukuba kude nalapho uhamba khona futhi zingahlasela kuphela lapho zicasulwa noma zivinjezelwa ekhoneni.
Noma kunjalo, kuyinkambo yokuhlakanipha ukuqapha. Usosayensi wase-Australia owuchwepheshe wezilwane ezinesihlungu ujabulela “ukusebenza engadini efake amagilavu, ukudoba efake amabhuzi nokuhamba ngokucophelela.” Kungani efaka amabhuzi? Phela, cishe kungenxa yezinhlobonhlobo zama-octopus, ne-jellyfish, kanye ne-stonefish ezinobuthi.
Mhlawumbe kungcono ukuba sinitshele ngazo ngesinye isikhathi.
[Isithombe ekhasini 24]
Isicabucabu sensikazi i-“redback”
[Umthombo]
Top: By courtesy of Australian International Public Relations
[Isithombe ekhasini 24]
I-“death adder” yaseNyakatho
[Umthombo]
By courtesy of Ross Bennett, Canberra, Australia
[Isithombe ekhasini 25]
Isicabucabu i-“funnel-web”
[Umthombo]
By courtesy of Australian International Public Relations
[Isithombe ekhasini 25]
I-“taipan”
[Umthombo]
By Courtesy of J. C. Wombey, Canberra, Australia