Thick-Tailed Bushbaby
UMaphelaphelana

© Roger De la Harpe

Ikghabu yomsila Odege ongubhutjhula – Ukwakheka kwayo

Ikghabu enomsila kabhutjhula le, imhlobo ongomkhulu tle kile yama-galago. Ubude bomzimbayo nehloko buba hlangana kwamamilimitha ama-297 ukuya kuma-371 mm, bese ubude bomsila bona bube mamilimitha asukela kuma-417 ukuya kuma-473 mm. Ubude bomzimba beziduna nezisikazi buyahluka, eziduna ziba zikulu kunalezo ezisikazi. Imibala yesikhumba iba yihlanganisela yombala osiliva okuzotho ukuya kilowo otshetlha bese kuthi amahlangothi wangaphasi wona abe nombala okhanyako. Isikhumba sayo sidege, sinovolo obunengi obude, obuphephezelako begodu esikhathini esinengi obuhlathululwa njengalobo obungarhanyazeliko. Esikhathini esinengi buyatshopheka bese abutshopheki eendlebeni zayo buzenze zibe sengathi zirarene. Amehlo alitlobo aqale phambili begodu makhulu. Imihlobo eminengi yama-galago, inamadiski asipara wesikhumba esiqinileko ekugcineni kwemino namazwanayo ayisiza ukudzimelela ngemikhono. Imino mide bese amazwani wona asipara abe namazipho aparaleleko.

Ukudla Ezikudlako

Iinkghabu ezinomsila odege ongubhutjhula esikhathini esinengi zidla iinthelo namakari, zaziwa khulu nangokudla iinunwana. Erhubhululweni elenziwa eSewula Afrika, pheze amaphesende ama-62% wokudla ezikudlako bekuziinkghomu, kufakwe hlangana iinthelo neenunwana. Iinkghabezi ziyahluka ngeendawo zokuhlala. ESewula Afrika e-Gauteng, iinunwana bezibalelwa kumaphesende ama-5% wokudla ezikudlako, lokha eKenya iinunwana zingaba maphesende ama-50 ukuya kuma-70 wokudla ezikudlako. Sinye isilwana esingaba ngesidliwako kwezinye iinkhathi zomnyaka, mumuhlwa obizwa ngokuthiwa yi-Macrotermes falcigar kwaphela. Lokha imihlwa le nayisebujameni bokuphapha, lomhlobo weenkghabu ubonakele uzidla phasi ngaphandle kokusebenzisa izandla zazo. Ngokuvamileko ukudla kwazo kufaka hlangana iinunwana, iinthelo, amakari, amathuthumbo, iimbhadwa, amaqanda neenyoni.

Ukukhulisa

Isikhathi sokuba nomndeni kweenkghabu zemisila kabhutjhula lo siya ngokuhlukahlukana silawulwe yindawo ehlala kiyo. E-Gauteng kuba ngenyanga kaSinyikhaba bese e-Zambia kube ngenyanga kaRhoboyi ukuya kwekaKhukhulamungu. Isikhathi sokuzithwala khulu kuba ngenyanga kaRhoboyi eZanzibar ne-Pemba. Umzombe wokulungela ukuzithwala kilezo ezisikazi uthatha pheze amalanga ama-44. Ukumitha kuthatha amalanga ama-133. Abantwana abazalwako esikhathini esinengi baba ba-2 kodwana bangaba ba-3. Ezisikazi zilungela ukuya emsemeni lokha nazineminyaka emi-2 ubudala. Ngemva kokuzala, ezisikazi zingatjhiya abantwana bazo emthini lokha nazisayokuzuma ukudla. Zikhiqiza ibisi elinamandla tle khulukhulu lokha nalimadaniswa nalelo elimunywa ziimfenyana ezincani. Lokhu kungabangelwa yindlela eziphila ngayo ngombana lomhlobo walezi ezincani zona zibhebhula abantwana bazo lokha nazimunyisako bese lomhlobo we-galago wona awukwenzi lokho. Lomhlobo uzala kanye ngomnyaka, lokha amahlathi nakaminyene khulu. Nalokha ekuvalelweni kwakhe kwabikwa bona lomhlobo weenkghabu zinomzombe oragela phambili wokulungela ukuzala, ngikho nje zikghona ukuzala umnyaka woke begodu awunasikhathi sokuthi zizala nini, zizala kwesinye nesinye isikhathi. Iinrurhu zenziwe ngamatjhwaba wemithi. Kuzalwa umntwana munye ngesikhathi esisodwa kodwana azikavami ukuzala amawele. Abantwana bazo balahliswa ukumunya nanyana balunyulwa ebeleni nakusikhathi lokha izulu nalinganiko. Amasana ayalisa angasakhambi nabonina hlangana neemveke ezine ukuya kwezihlanu zokuphila kwawo. Eziduna nezisikazi zilungela ukuya emsemeni lokha nazineenyanga ezima-20 ubudala.

Ukuziphatha

Lo mhlobo weenkghabu othanda ukuhlala nezinye tle. Lomhlobo ngokungafaniko nalo obizwa ngokuthiwa magalagines ukhamba ngazine emahlathini. Lokha umhlobo lo naweqako, ufika udzimelele phasi ngemikhono engemva ntanzi. Nakufanele bona ukhambe phasi eendaweni ezivulekileko hlangana nemithunzi, lemihlobo iyapharuma. Iba majadu isikhathi esingangama-iri alithoba nesiquntu ehlobo bese ebusika ibe maJadu isikhathi esingangama-iri alitjhumi nambili. Lo mhlobo othanda ukukhamba ebusuku, eziduna nezisikazi zazo ziyahlukana ukusukela lokha naziqeda ukuzalwa. Eziduna ziyakhamba zizitjhingele kude begodu uthole bona zisesezincani khulu kunalezo ezisikazi, ngikho nje ubulunga beziduna butjhuguluka khulu kunalobo bezisikazi.
Eziduna zingasabalala zitjhinge kude khulu kunalezo ezisikazi ukuze zehlise imiraro yokobana zophele ngaphakathi. Eziduna nezisikazi zinokukhetha izinto ezingafaniko nalezo ezinye ezilingana nazo ngokweminyaka, kodwana ziyakukhetha okufanako nalezo ezincani nanyana ezidala. Eziduna zinezinto ezizikhethako ngendawo yokuhlala engaKhambisaniko nenye nanyana ezinye ezimbalwa ezisikazi. Lomhlobo unekambiso yokumitha ehlangahlangeneko. Iinkghabu ezinomsila ongubhutjhula zitjengisa zinethungelelwano lendawo yokuhlala ngaphandle kwesakhiwo sesiqhema esizumako. Ezisikazi zikhamba phambili kilomhlobo. Eziduna ezidala zitholwe zilandelela khulu ezisikazi ezidala nazithunjiweko kunokobana ezisikazi zilandelele eziduna. Ezisikazi lokha nzithunjiweko bekutholakala bona ziba nomukghwa wokulwa neziduna.
Ukudlala kwazo endaweni zitholakele zithanda ukukhamba, zigijimisane, zidosane ngemisila, zibhudabhudane, zenze sengathi ziyalumana, begodu zidosane. Emasaneni, indlela nomukghwa wokudlala lo utholakala wenzeka elangeni lokuthoma lokha naziqeda ukuzalwa. Amasana wona adlala khulu lokha nakathoma ukukhululeka kibonina enyangeni yesine ukuya kweyesihlanu yokuphila kwazo. Zilala eenrurhwini ezimamitha ama-5 ukuya kwali-12 phasi. Lomhlobo weenkghabu ezinomsila kabhutjhula zilala zoke emini, kodwana zihlukane ebusuku lokha nasele ziyokuzuma. Kutholakele bona zikhamba beziyokufika kukhilomitha eyodwa ubusuku boke. Zihlala ngeenqhenyana ezincani zangazi-2 ukuya kwezisi-6. Ukubumbeka kwesiqhemesi kuyahluka. Kungaba yikghabu edala nomntwana, ezisikazi ezimbili nomntwana, nanyana yinye esikazi edala nomntwana. Eziduna ezidala zithanda ukuhlala begodu zifuna izindlu ezingafaki eminye imihlobo yezisikazi.
Lomhlobo weenkghabu zomsila kabhutjhula zithatha izandla zazo zizenze amakopi, bese zijobele kizo. Ngemva kwalokho zithathe umjobo lowo ziwurhatjhe eenthendeni zeenyawo zazo. Lokha nazikhambako zitjhiya umjobo omncani phasi. Eziduna zijoba kanengi khulu kunalezo ezisikazi, begodu lokha ezisikazi nazisesikhathini sokulungela ukuzithwala, eduna izakujobela bunqopha ngaphakathi kwaleyo esikazi, kodwana zoke njalo nezincani ziyakwenza lokho. Ikghabu yomsila kabhutjhula le izakujobela kileyo ndawo etja nayiyokuzuma ukudla, iqale into eyirarako, lokha nasele ithoma ukusilingeka nokungaphatheki kuhle. Umukghwa lo wenzeka kanengi kilezo ezizikhambela zizodwa.

Lapha Zitholakala Khona

Lomhlobo weenkghabu ezinomsila kabhutjhula zitholakala eenarheni ze-Somalia, eKenya, eTanzania, begodu nesihlengeleni se-Zanzibar. Lomhlobo weekghabu uhlala eendaweni eziziintaba nemahlathini angelwandle. Lomhlobo uyatholakala godu emahlathini amagega nomlambo. Lomhlobo wegalago enomsila odege, nanyana ikghabu, iyatholakala e-East Africa ukusukela esewula ye-Sudan ukutjhinga epumalanga yeSewula Afrika nokutjhinga esewula ye-Angola.Ngaphambi komnyaka we-1974 kwabonwa imihlobo esithandathu kwaphela, kodwana emnyakeni we-1995 irhubhululo liveze bona kuhlekuhle mihlobo eli-17 ebonwe e-Afrika. Njengombana inengi lamahlathi we-Afrika sekayahlolwa ngokwesayensi begodu njengombana ithekhnoloji yangokwesayensi yenziwa ngcono, kungenzeka kutholakale godu eminye imihlobo eminengi.