Crocodiles
Ingwenya

© Roger de la Harpe

Ukwakheka nokuvela kwayo

Imihlobo eembalwa yeengwenya itholakala koke lapho kunomhlobo we-Nalie Crocodile. Ijayeleke ngokuthi imhlobo wengwenya ekulu, ngesilinganiso sobude esingaba mamitha amahlanu (5m), kodwana kukhe kwabikwa nalezo ezibalelwa kasithandathu (6m), nokho akukavami khulu lokho. Kunemibiko engakholwakaliko yokobana kukhe kwaba nalezo ezimamitha alikhomba, kodwana kunzima ukuqinisekisa lokho. Kunobufakazi obuthi umhlobo wengwenya i-Nile Crocodile eenarheni ezipholileko iphelela emamitheni amane (4m) nasele iyidala.
Kunemihlobo emibili eyaziwako yeengwenya ebizwa nge-Dwarf Nile crocodile ephila eqophelelweni eliphezulu lokutlhayela komhlobo wazo, enarheni ye-Mali kanye ne-Saharan Dessert! Ngebanga lobujamo bezulu obungasi buhle ngokwaneleko, ezidala ziba nesilinganiso samamitha amabili kanye namathathu. Amadzinyanazo anombala omnyama okutshehla kombala ozotho kanye namabala anzima avundle emsileni kanye nomzimba. Nokkho kezidala amabala la ayafiphala.

Ukudla

Nanyana amadzinyanazo akghona ukudla iinlwanyana ezincani ezinganamgogodlha zemanzini nje, avele atjhugulukele kezikulu ezifana neemfesi, kanye nalezo ezirhurhubako. Ezidala zona, zikghona ukudla imihlobo emikhulu yeenlwani zemanzini, kanye neempunzi, iinyathi, iimvubu ezincani kanye nabokatsu abakhulu. Nokho zidla khulu iimfesi kanye neenlwani ezinganamgogodlha, nanyana kunjalo zinesithunzi sokwaziwa ngokudla abantu, kubonakala kwanga sele zibulele abantu abanengi ukudlula eminiye imihlobo yeengwenya zekhabo.
Nakufakwa hlangana iimvubu, amabhubezi, kutholakala bonyana iingwenya zithatha ubujamo bokuthoma ekubulaweni kwabantu nokunyamalala kwabo emilanjeni qobe mnyaka, nokho kunzima ukuqiqisekisa iimbalobalo ezinqophuileko zalokho. Umhlobo lo wengwenya kesinye isikhathi udla iinsalela zeenlwani nofana ingcuba, kanye nokuhlanganyela nezinye iinlwani, nokho kuvamise ukubonakala kwanga ziyabekezelana ngaleso isikhathi zingatshwenyani. Kukhekwatholakala iinlwani eziimbalwa ezibuleweko, ziparagwe hlangana namagatja wemithi, ngaphasi kwamatje, lokho kuze kwarholela emibikweni yokuthi iingwenya zibulunga ukudla ezingakufuniko ukufikela ngesikhathi esizako. Kunabanye abathi kutlhogeka bonyana inlwani zibole ukwenzela bona iingwenya zikwazi ukuhlephula inyamazo lula, kodwana akusilo iqiniso lelo. Inyama yesilwanai ivamise ukuthamba msinyana nangabe ibangemanzi ngemva kokufa kwayo, kanengi iingwenya azizwani nokudla inyama ebolako nofana ebolileko. Nazidlako zivamise ukubamba ingcuba ngemihlathazo eqinileko bese ziphekghula imizimba. Ukubambisana nezinye iinlwani nofana ukudoselana kwenza iingwenya bonyana zikghone ukuhlephula lula inyama beziyiginye. Kukhe kwabikwa ukudla ngokubambisa nangokusizana, okufana nesenzo seenlwani ezinengi zokuvimbela amanzi endwani eyodwa ukwenzela ukubamba lula iimfesi.
Kuvamise ukubonakala ukudla ngokuya ngobukhulu okwenzeka khulu, lapho kuthoma kudle ezibusako bese ezinye zize muva. Zivamise ukuya emangweni ongaba libanga elimakhulu ukusuka emanzini ukwenzela bona ziyokubamba iinlwani. Ezidala zikhe zabonakala zibamba iimfesi ngokusebenzisa imizimbazo kanye nomsila ukwenzela ukuragelela iimfesi emabodeni aseqadi kwamanzi. Begodu lapho zivamise ukuzibamba ngamahlangothi wemihlathi.

Ukuhlangana neduna nokumithisana

Umhlobo lo wemba imigodi yesidleke engatjhinga ngamasumi amahlanu wamasenthimitha esandeni nofana ehlabathini eseduze namanzi. Lokhu kuvamise ukuba seduze khulu nalapho zilala khona. Isikhathi sokuhlala esidlekeni sihluka ngokuya ngeendawo lapho imihlobo ihlala khona, nokho kwenzeka khulu ngesikhathi sonyaka esingana zulu etlhagwini, kodwana ekuthomeni kwesikhathi sonyaka esinezulu kwenzeka esewula, kuvame bonyana kuthome ngenyanga kaSinyikhaba ukuyokufika ngoNobayeni. Ezisikazi ziba sesigabeni sokulungela ukuhlanga neduna nasele zizide ngamamitha amabili nesithandathu (2.6m), kuthi eziduna zona zilungele nasele zizide ngamamitha amathathu nanye (3.1m). Ezisikazi zibekela amaqanda amasumi amane ukuya kamasumi asithandathi ngemigodini esidleke, nanyana isibalwesi sivamise ukuhluka ngokuya ngemihlobazo ehlukileko. Esikazi ihlala iseduze nesidleke sayo ngaso soke isikhathi. Ukufukamela amaqanda kuhluka ukusuka emalangeni amasumi abunane ukuya kamasumi alithoba (nofana ukusuka kamasumi alikhomba ukuya kalikhulu), ngemva kwalapho esikazi ivula isidleke bese ithuthela amadzinyana emanzini.
Zombili eduna nesikazi zikhe zabikwa bonyana ziyasebenzisana ekuqoqoseleni amaqanda, ngokuthi ziwaphandle ngesineke ngokusebenzisa ilimu kanye neensini zangehla. Eqoqoseleko ihlala eduze namadzinyana iminyaka beyibe mbili, kanengi zakha umhlambi wezincani nalezo ezisikazi. Eengwenyeni kunomukghwa wokobana amadzinyana esele amadala ahlalela kude nalezo ezidala zesifunda.
Nangaphandle kokobana esikazi iyelela beyitjheje khulu isidleke ngesikhathi sokufukamela, iindleke zazo ezinengi zivamise ukoniwa ziinlwani ezinengi, ukusuka episini, aboqamu kanye nabantu. Isenzwesi sivame ukwenzeka khulu lokha esikazi nayiphume esidlekeni ngokukateleleka bonyana ibethwe momuya nokwehlisa umtjhiso emzimbenayo ngokungena ngemanzini.

Ukuziphatha kwazo

Ukuphilisana emhlobeni lo weengwenya kuvamise ukuthathelwa phasi nanyana kunezinto ezinengi ezingazwisisakaliko nje. Kukhe kwatjhejwa bonyana isikhundla sesakhiweni sokubambisana kuvamise ukubanomthelela ekudleni ngepumelelo, ngokuthi lezo ezinganamandla angako wokulawula zidle muva, begodu zihlangana khulu nalezo ezibusako nezilawulako.

Lapho zotholakala khona

Zitholakala eSewula Afrika, Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Igama lesi-Latin

Crocodylus niloticus. Iphiwe ukwabeka nokusabalala okubanzi, kukhe kwabonakala nofana kwatjhejwa imihlobazo embalwa, kanye nesibalo sazo esiphezulu. Nokho iimhlobo le kunzima ukuyihlukanisa emitloweni, kodwana azikatjhejwa kuhle ngokomthetho. Elandelako mihlobo kanye namabizwazo ngokuya ngesi-Latin: C. n. africanus (East African Nile Crocodile), C. n. chamses (West African Nile crocodile), C. n. corviei (South African Nile crocodile), C. n. madagascariensis (Malagasy Nile crocodile, Malagasy alligator, Croco Mada), C. n. niloticus (Ethiopian Nile crocodile), C. n. pauciscutatus (Kenyan Nile crocodile, Kenya alligator, Kenya caiman), C. n. suchus (Central African Nile crocodile).