Ukukhomba i-Caracal

©Karl Svendsen
I-Caracal (i-Felis caracal caracal) ithola igama layo kusukela egameni lesiTurkey elithi "karakula", okusho indlebe emnyama. Njengoba igama lisho ukuthi, ngemuva kwezindlebe zekati zasendle kukhona abamnyama, okugxotshiwe ngemicu emide emnyama ekhonjiwe kakhulu, eqondile.
I-caracal inengubo emifushane, kusukela ku-sandy elula kuya enobomvu obomvu ngokujulile, kuye ngokuthi indawo yendawo. Ama-caracals anezimpawu ezicashile ezimnyama nezimhlophe ebusweni babo namabhande amhlophe anamabala abomvu. Abantu baseMelanistic (ngokuphelele abamnyama) nabo baye babonwa.
Izidakamizwa zesilisa zikhulu futhi zinzima kunazo zonke izidumbu zabesifazane, ngobude obuphakathi kwala makakati obuphakathi kuka-75 cm kuya ku-120 cm kanti isisindo sisuka ku-8 kg ukuya ku-18 kg. I-hindquarters yabo iphakeme kakhulu kunamahlombe abo, ivumela ukuba bagxume ngamamitha amathathu phezulu. Unemilayana emifushane ephakathi kuka-15 cm kuya ku-35 cm ubude.
Ukuphenya okuphambili kuncane kunomdwebo ongemuva futhi akubandakanyi noma yiziphi izimpawu ze-nail.
Ziyizilwane zodwa, ngaphandle kwenkathi yokuvuna lapho abesilisa bangabonwa ngabesifazane noma abesifazane abanezingane zabo. Isikhathi sokubeletha sinezinsuku ezingaba ngu-80 ubude, kanti abesifazane baveza isilinganiso samakhiwane amabili ngamalitha. Kuthatha izinsuku ezingu-10 ukuze ama-kittens avule amehlo abo ngokuphelele. Banconywa emavikini ayishumi bese behlala nonina kuze kube unyaka.
Kukhona amarekhodi e-caracal aphile iminyaka engu-19 ekuthunjweni, ngakho angakhula kakhulu. Azizona izinhlobo ezivikelwe eNingizimu Afrika. Ngokwe-website ye-Tenikwa, isisho esidala esithi "Ukubeka ikati phakathi kwamajuba" livela emthonjeni omdala waseMpumalanga Ephakathi, lapho i-caracal ibekwa enkundleni yezinkumbi enezimvu zamajuba nabantu bese bethengiswa ngenani lamajuba i-caracal uzobanjwa ngokukhipha.

Ukubulala Nendlela Yokudla

©Nigel Dennis
Ama-Caracals ngokuyinhloko izidalwa zasebusuku, kodwa angase asebenze phakathi nosuku uma kungaphazamiseki. Izindlu zabo zasendlini zingaba yizintambo ezingaba ngu-400 ukuya ku-10 000 ha ngokuya kokutholakala kokudla, kanti ububanzi bendoda buvame ukugqokwa ngamabesifazane amabili noma ngaphezulu.
Zidla izilwane ezihlukahlukene ezincelisayo, ngezinye izikhathi ngisho nazo ezikhulu kunazo. Ukuqothulwa kugxiliwe kuze kufike ebangeni elivaliwe bese likhishwa, libanjwe ngaphansi kwe-throat futhi lishaya. Izisulu zingase zibheke amanxeba ngamagundane amabili okuphuza ngaphesheya komphimbo noma emphefumulweni futhi kungase kube khona amacwecwe, kungaba ngehlombe, isisu noma isisindo sezilwane.
Ngaphezu kwesinye isilwane singabulawa ngesikhathi sokuzingela, kodwa kuphela esisodwa sizosondliwa. Isikhumba sizokhishwa ngasemnyango wokungena, kungabi nalutho oluvulekile olusele njengoba kunjalo nge-jackal. Ukudla ngokujwayelekile kuqala ngemuva nangaphakathi kwenzalo yangemuva, kepha i-brisket ne-shoulder ingathathwa. Ubulukhuni nezinwele zingasuswa ngaphambi kokudla.
Abaphula noma bahlamba amathambo amakhulu, noma badla isisu sesilwane. Imfuyo ingase ibe yingxenye yemifino noma inhlabathi futhi kube khona imibiko ye-caracal egcina ukubulala kwabo ezihlahleni, njengalezi zingwe.

Ukuphathwa

©Nigel Dennis
Ngokombiko we-Predation Management Manual, i-caracal ingahlakulela ukunambitheka kwemfuyo, ikakhulukazi izimvu nezimbuzi, kodwa lokhu kungavinjelwa ngocingo noma ukukhwa kwezilwane. Amatshe kufanele agcwaliswe ngaphansi kwezingcingo ukuvimbela izilwane ukuba zigibele ngaphansi kwawo futhi ukufakwa kwezintambo zikagesi kuzoqinisa lesi silinganiso. Izisindo zomsindo, ukukhanya nokuphunga, abelusi, amakoloni kanye nezilwane zokulinda, njengembongolo noma izinja ze-Anatolian, nazo zingasiza.
Ukuxazulula izinkinga zangaphambi kwesikhathi, izicupho zingasethwa ekubulaweni - ikakhulukazi okungazange kuphazamiseke - noma emigwaqweni esetshenziswa yi-caracal. Ngaphandle kwalokho, i-caracal ingasetshenziswa ebusuku noma ngezinja, kodwa izinja akufanele zivunyelwe ukuthi zithintane no-caracal.

Translated by Nsika Khoza