Hippo

© Shem Compion

Igama

I-Hippopotamus [Hippopotamus amphibius]

Kubonakala

I-Hippo yindawo enesidumbu esisemanzini esisisigxina esinama-2,5 toni. Iyakwazi ukuhamba ngaphantsi kwamanzi kumbhede womlambo, kwaye inokuhlala idibene imizuzu emihlanu.

Ukutya

I-Hippo ilele okanye ngasecaleni kwamanzi emini nasebusuku bobusuku obusondelene namanzi.

Ukuzala

Ienkomo zizala umntwana osemncinane kumanzi aphantsi, emva kwexesha lokunyuka kweentsuku ezingama-240. Ithole lihlala lifihliwe kwiingcongolo zeentsuku ezimbalwa ngumama, emva koko yena nomntwana wakhe bajoyina umhlambi. Abafazi bafikelela ekuvuthweni ngokwesini ngexesha leeminyaka ezisixhenxe ukuya kwimibhozo. Ibhinqa linokuvelisa ukuya kwincinci elishumi ngexesha lokuphila kwayo malunga neminyaka engama-35 kwintlango.
Inkolelo yokuba umama uthwala ithole. Yintoni eyenzekayo kukuba kwiimeko ezibandayo intsha iya kuphumla inxalenye yangaphambili yomzimba wayo kumntu omdala ukuhlamba ilanga; Ngenxa yokuncinci komzimba wabo omncinane ulahlekelwa ukushisa komzimba ngokukhawuleza kunabantu abadala.

Indlela yokuziphatha

Amathole azalwe emanzini kwaye angakwazi ukubhukuda ngaphambi kokuhamba. I-Hippo i-swimmer eqinile kwaye ikhawuleza, kwaye iya kuhlaselwa xa ixhatshazwe okanye iphazamisekile. Inyaniso yokuba ixanduva lobuninzi bokufa kwabantu kunye nokulimala kwintlango, lenza ukuba isilwanyana esiyingozi kakhulu e-Afrika. AmaHippo adibeneyo, ngokuqhelekileyo atholakala ezikolweni (ii-pods) ezihlanu ukuya kuma-20.

Afunyanwa khona

Eyasasazeka kulo lonke elaseMzantsi Afrika, iHippo ngoku ifunyenwe kuphela KwaZulu-Natali naseMpumalanga, eLimpopo kwaye iphinde iphinde iphinde ifakwe kwiMpuma neNtshona Koloni.

Amanqaku okuMmandla

I-Hippo ingaba yingozi kubantu ukuba imithetho yezilwanyana ayinamathele kuyo. Baye baziwa ukuba balume izikebhe zokhuni kwisiqingatha kunye neenqanawa ezincinane. Kukho ukunyuka okucacileyo kwi-Hippo ekuhlaselweni kwabantu kodwa oku kubangelwa ngabantu ukuba bazikhukhumeze kwaye bahloniphi ngelixa entlango.