uKuchongwa kwe Ngcuka yase Kapa

©Shem Compion
Endala ibubude obu ngama 86 ukuya ku 97 cm nobunzima obungu 2,5 ukuya ku 4 kg, ingcuka yase kapa (Vulpus chama) ikwaziwa ngokuba yingcuka esilivele okanye isilver fox ngelase mzini yenye yezilwanyana ezazikhe zancinci kuhlobo lwezilwanyana ezizitho zine kweli lo Mzantsi Afrika. luhlobo lwesilwanyana olukhuselekileyo kwaye ngokwe The Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Lesotho kunye ne Swaziland ngakumbi zihlala kwicala elinamadlelo, ingca ekhulayo nemithi embalwa, ingakumbi kwimi mandla eyomileyo yase Karoo, iKalahari kunye namaphambili wehlathi iNamib.
Kushicilelwe eKimberly Thorn Bushveld, Eastern Mixed Kama Karoo kunye ne Dry Sandy Highveld Grassland, kananjalo ne fynbos biome yase Ntshona Koloni, enokufuma okungamandla kunye nezityalo ezomeleleyo. Kodwa ke azifumaneki ncam kwindawo ezino dyakalashe omnyama ngemva (Canis mesomelas).
Ziye zizale ke ubomi bazo bonke, amadoda nabafazi bazohlule ngambini ngentwasa hlobo, ze amantshontsho azalwe kwiintsuku ezingama 52 emveni koko, ekuqaleni kwehlobo, ngo September kunye no November. Kodwa ziyaziwa nangokuzala emveni kwexesha de nangenyanga ka December. Logama zizala kanye ngonyaka zikhona iziganeko apho ziye zivelise amantshontsho kabini ngonyaka.
Inzala ibangamantshontsho amathathu ukuya kwisine, apho amadoda aye akhathalele omama kwiveki zokuqala ezimbini emveni kokuzala. Amantshontsho aqalisa ukutya kwinyanga ezine kwaye akwazi ukuzimela xa enenyanga ezintlanu. Ziqala ukulungela ukwabelana ngesondo kwinyanga ezilithoba ubudala.

uKubulala Nendlela Yokutya

©Shem Compion
Zithanda ubusuku, kodwa zitatsalaza kakhulu kwiyure zasemini ezipholileyo. Ngokwe Predation Management Manual, zifumaneka zodwa okanye ngambini, kodwa ziyazizingelela. Azinamona ngendawo yazo, nendawo zokuzingela ezingumgama osukela kwisithathu ukuya kumashumi amathathu we square kilometres.
Akuvamanga okokuba iCape Fox okanye ingcuka yase kapa yenze ilahleko kwimfuyo, kuba zithanda ukusukela izilwanyana ezincinci ezifana nezinambuzane, iintaka, izirhubuluzi, iimpuku kunye ne nyama yezilwanya esele zibola. Xa zithe zahlasela imfuyo, uba ngamathole egusha asandula kuzalwa aneminyaka emine ukuzalwa. Kwimeko ezinje, zibulala Kanye ngexesha kwaye zixhumela umqala okanye intloko yexhoba. Kushiyekela imiva yamazinyo emincinci entanyeni, kwigxalaba, okanye umva wesilwanyana esifileyo, kodwa akusali nzipho kwaye umzimba ofileyo wesilwanyana aziwususi kulondawo zibulalalele kuyo.
Xa zisitya, zenza umngxuma ecaleni emzimbeni wesilwanyana kodwa zitye intliziyo, isisu samabele, (abomasum), imilenze ethambileyo ngemva okanye ingqokelela yezi zikhankanyiweyo. Maxa wambi zitya iimbambo ekuqaleni, kodwa hayi amathambo. Kumaxesha anqabileyo, xa iqela leengcuka zisitya umzimba wesilwanyana, zitya neentsula. Iingcuka ziye zibuyele ziyokubulala kwakhona.
Imikrwelo ayilingani kwaye ifana neye nzipho, oku kwemikwelo yenja.

uLawulo

©Nigel Dennis
Iingcuka yase Kapa ayenzi monakalo mkhulu kwimfuyo. Sebenzisa ucingo olukhuselekileyo ko dayakalashe (icingo imesh elibubude obungama 1,2 m ukujonga phezulu nemigqobho engama 74 mm) okanye ucingo lombane, ubuhlanti bokufaka izilwanyana ebusuku, ingxolo, ukukhanya, nokugxotha ivumba, abelusi kunye nezilwanyana ezikwaziyo ukugada ezinye zonke zinganceda ukuzama ukulawula kungabikho lahleko. Ukusebenzisa indlwana zengqawa ezibambisayo zifumaneka ziluncedo olukhulu ukunceda kwingcuka zase kapa okanye Cape Fox ngolwimi lwasemzini.

Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie