Ku Voniwa ka Xikunguva

©Nigel Dennis
Xikunguva xinga tisa kulahlekeriwa lokukulu swinene eka swifuwo xikan’we na swibyariwa, mihandzu na mapurasi ya madiriva. Tinhlayo leti tlakukaka swivanga kuva na swivilelo swikulu eka swikokovi, swinyenyani leswintsongo na tinxaka tin’wana.
Kambe aswi bihangi ngopfu. Kuya hiva Endangered Wildlife Trust, xikunguva xina xiave xikulu lexingana nkoka xa ecology tani hiti scavengers, laha ya dyaka mintsumbu ya swihari laha swipfunetaka ku sivela kuhangalaka ka mavabyi. Xitlhela xi pfuneta kulawula nhlayo ya makondlo na timbeva naswona swisaka swa tona switirhisiwa hiti cuckoos tofana na Greater Kestrels na Lanner Falcons.

Magama na Xikhozani

Xikunguva (Corvus albus) na xikhozani (Corvus albicollis) hiswona swivangaka mpfilu-mpfilu swinene emapurasini. Xikunguva lexikulu ixa muhlovo wantima miri hinkwawo, ehandle ka vala robasa laha nkolweni na laha henhla laha vala leri ri enhlaka kuya e xifuveni na laha hansi, nalaha e tlhelo ka miri.
Xikunguva lexikulu xikwalomu ka 45 cm hiku leha, laha ku leha ka wona ku hambanaka kuya hi switeji na vukhale bya xinyenyani lexi. Ya kumeka hinkwako e Dzongeni wa Afrika, kambe ya tshama ngopfu ekusuhi na mapurasi, savanna, emadorobeni, laha ku lahliwaka malakatsa, emakumu ka patu nale kusuhi na swiporo.

Xikunguva lexi baseke laha nkolweni rina muhlowo wohatima wa ntima riva na muhlovo wobasa la nhanwini. Xina nomo lowukulu wo leha wa ntima lowungana muhlovo wobasa emakumu ka wona. Lexikulu xikwalomu ka 50 kuya eka 54 cm hiku leha, laha timpapa tinga kwalomu ka 48 kuya eka 43 cm. Xikumeka hinkwako laha tikweni ra Afrika Dzonga, ngopfu ngopfu e tintshaveni, minkova nalaha kunga tlhuma, kasi ku lava swakudya swi endliwa laha kunga pfuleka laha tikweni.
Tinxaka hi timbirhi ti endla masangu vutomi hinkwabyo. Swisaka swa wona swikulu swinene laha swivaka swi endliwe hi swirhabyani na timintsu, laha endzeni kaswona ku ndlaleriwaka hi ndhope kumbe vulongo hambi kuri byasi. Nkarhi wa masangu wahambana kuya hi xiyimo xa maxelo, kambe switala kuva hi July kuya fikela November eka leri ra nkolo wobasa kutani July kuya eka January eka xikhozani. Xa xisati xitshikela kwalomu ka 4 kuya eka 5 wa matandza hinkarhi.

Mandlelo yo Dlaya no Phamela

Swikhozani na magama swinga vanga nhlaselo wo hlamarisa swinene. Milomo yaswona ayi tontswangi ngopfu kuringanela ku boxa nyama, se ya rhandza ku jovota matihlo ya swinyimpfana kumbe tinyimpfu ta xisati leti taha kutswalaka, laha tisalaka tingaha voni. Leswi swivanga ku lahlekeriwa swinene eka swifuwo, ngopfu ngopfu himinkarhi ya dyandza.
Ntsumbu lowu wungana matihlo lawa ya pfulekeke, nomo, xirho xo humesa vulongo, switala kuva swikombiso swaleswaku ndyangu wa magama awuri karhi wutiphina hi xihari xexo.

Vulawuri

©Roger de la Harpe
Switika ngopfu ku lawula magama. Aya weli eka tinxaka leti sirheleriweke, leswivulaka leswaku yanga hlotiwa e purasini, kungari e patwini kumbe eka ndzhawu leyi welaka ehansi ka masipala. Van’wamapurasi vanwana vatirhisa swochaya na swivumbeko kuva va chavisa magama, xikombiso kunga tirhisiwa ti reflectors ku chavisa tinyenyani eka swifuwo leswinga hlaseriwaka kumbe swibyariwa, laha van’wana vavekelaka ti net ehenhla ka swibyariwa swa vona kuswisirhelela eka nhlaselo wa tinyenyena. Ku tirhisiwa ka phoyizeni aswile nawini, hikuva switala ku herisa na swihari leswi aswinga languteriwangi kukatsa na leswi kalaka xikan’we nati scavenger.

Vulawuri byo angarhela, byi sungula hiku hunguta ku kumeka ka swakudya. Leswi swivula leswaku aku fanelanga kuva na thyaka leri lahliwaka kumbe rihatla risusiwa, ngopfu ngopfu laha kungana mikhukhu, laha ku lahliwaka malakatsa nale ka ti abattoirs. Kufanele kuva na swibye swo chela thyaka, swo phamela kona tinyenyani swifanele ku nghenisiwa endzeni. Leswi swivula ku teka vulawuri bya kahle bya mdorho tani hileswi tinyenyani leti ti tekiwaka tani hi swihangalasi nkulu swa midorho eka tindzhawu ta Nama Karoo.
Xavumbirhi, swikatsa nsirhelelo wo antswa eka swifuwo leswi hlaseriwaka. Tinyimpfu letinga biha emirini tifanele ku yisiwa eka tinkamba letintsongo, laha swi olovaka kuva murisi a risa tinyimpfu leti, kuringana mavhiki nyana loko tingase tswala naswona tifanele ku tshama kona kuringana mavhiki endzhaku ko tswala, kuya fikela loko swinyimpfana swingahari e khombyeni rohlaseriwa.
Xisaka na matandza swinga hahluriwa, kambe leswi swita endla leswaku ku tshikeriwa matandza yotala swinene. Leswi swi endla leswaku switwala swirikahle kuva ku susiwa ti embryos kutani ku tlheriseriwa matandza e xisakeni.
Kukuma vuxokoxoko tihlanganise na Predation Management Forum Secretariat.

Translated by Ike Ngobeni