I-PUMA BONGINKOSI ZONDI

KUSUKELA kwelanamuhla ingosi yemvelo nabantu isizowelela kwamanye amazwe ukuze ichathazele abafundi ngezimangaliso zemvelo yakwezinye izindawo emhlabeni. Ngaleso sizathu, lapha sizosebenzisa amagama angekho esiZulwini ngakho belu ukuthi lezo zilwane okukh

LESI silwane esiyivelekancane, sitholakala ezintabeni eziseningizimu yeCanada kuze kushaye enhlonhlweni yeSouth America. Sibuye sibizwe ngeCougar noma ngeMountain Lion. Ziyisi-7 izinhlobo zalesi silwane ezaziwa ngososayensi, ezifanayo kokuningi kwazo bese kuba umehluko omncane wombala noma ubukhulu.

I-Puma lena kayinawo amabalabala kodwa inombala owodwa ngangoba ize ichazwe ngelithi yiFelis concolor, okuhunyushwa ngokuthi “yikati elinombala owodwa”. Yisilwane esibekezelayo, esikwazi ukuphila ezindaweni ezingafani njengasemahlathini aminyene, emathafeni anotshani obude ngisho nasezindaweni ezisalugwadule.

Ukusabalala kwabantu ngokwakha nangokucaba amahlathi ukuze kulinywe, kwenza zinciphe izindawo okuhlala kuzona i-puma okwenza ize iphephele ezintabeni lapho kuqhelelene khona nabantu.

UKUBUKEKA KWE-PUMA

Ngenxa yokuthi iningi lalezi zilwane litholakala ezintabeni, isikhumba se-puma sinoboya obuyimvukumvuku.

Umbala unsundu ngokuphuzi kuye kompunga ngokubomvu, lapho ompunga ukulezo ezihlala ezindaweni ezibandayo kanti lona oyela kobomvu ukulezi ezihlala ezindaweni ezifudumele. Lesi silwane siphila ngokuzingela futhi sinamandla ayisimangaliso. Sisho ngemilenze ethe xaxa ngobude nangamandla kunemikhono, okuse- nza sikwazi ukugx- uma

kakhulu. Sisho ngobabangibone bezidladla uma kuqhathanwiswa nobungako bomzimba wonke waso. Sisho ngamehlo amakhulu amile aqhelelana - okusho umbombo obanzi osisiza ukuba sikwazi ukubona kahle okuphambi kwayo. Amadlebe lawa acijile. I-puma inodlebe olwenza ikwazi ukuzwa inyamazane lapho ingakhona, ngisho ingakwazi ukubona lapho kumnyama khona.

IMIKHUBA YEMPILO YE-PUMA

I-puma lena iyinkom’ edla yodwa, ngaphandle kwamawundlu wona ahlala nonina. Ihamba indawo ebanzi kakhulu uma ihlwaya okudliwayo, engaba ngama-207 square km ehlobo kanti ebusika ingaba yingxenye yama-207 square km ngenxa yokukhithika kweqhwa.

Kuyenzeka indawo ibe nzima ngangoba i-puma yehlela ezigodini ukuze iphephe emakhazeni. Ngaphandle kokuphila ezindaweni ezahlukene, i-puma iyakwazi ukuzingela ebusuku nasemini. Kuthiwa ikwazi ukwenza imisindo enhlobonhlobo, ikakhulukazi uma ixwayisa amanye ukuba aqhele endaweni yayo noma ngesikhathi sokukhwela uma ifuna isithandwa.

UKUZALA NOKUKHULA KWE-PUMA afinyelele kwayisi-6, emuva kokumitha izinyanga ezintathu nje kuphela - ngokuvamile okuba phakathi kukaNhlolanja (February) noMandulo (September).

Emuva kokukhwelana ziyehlukana, iduna liziqhubekele nokukhwela ezinye izinsikazi kuze kudlule leso sikhathi sokukhwela. Njengoba kuvamile kuzona zonke izilwane eziwumndeni wekati, amawundlu e-puma azalwa engaboni. Amehlo awo aluhlaza sasibhakabhaka aze avuleke emuva kwamasonto amabili.

Amawundlu ayehluka kubazali aba nombala owodwa ngoba wona azalwa enamabala awasizayo ekubeni angasheshi ukubonakala ezitheni. Ukudla okuqinile aze akwazi ukukudla uma esenezinyanga ezimbili noma ezintathu ubudala kodwa aqhubeke nokuhlala nonina kuze kuphele unyaka. Ngokuvamile i-puma ehlala endle iyayihlanganisa iminyaka eli-12 iphila kanti efuyiwe iyayiqeda iminyaka engama- 25.

UKUDLA KWE-PUMA

I-puma yisilwane esikhulu esinamandla esiphila ngokudla inyama futhi sizingela sidle ezinye izilwane kuphela. Izilwane eziwukudla okuvamile kwepuma kuba ngamagundane, yizinyoni, yizinhlanzi nonogwaja abayinsada eziqongweni zezintaba nasemahlathini asezigodini.

Ubukhulu be-puma busho ukuthi iyakwazi futhi ukuzingela izinyamazane ezinkulu phakathi kwazo okungaba yizimvu, yizimbuzi nenye imfuyo. Ufeleba lona kuthiwa uvele asigxumele isilwane asibambe ngqi. I-puma kayigcini ngokuba nkulu kepha iyashesha futhi, umzimba wayo onezicubu eziqatha wenza ibe nejubane ukudlula izilwane eziningi ezizingelayo.

IZILWANE EZIZINGELA IPUMA

Nakuba i-puma kuyiyona ezicanaselayo endle futhi okungekho silwane esiyikhathazayo, nokho uma ibuthaka ngenxa yokulimala noma yisifo esithile, nayo iyazingelwa ngezinye izilwane ezinkulu njengamabhele nezimpisi, kokunye namanye ama-puma. Ingozi enkulu ebhekene ne-puma ngumuntu ongagcini nje ngokuyizingela ukuze athole isikhumba sayo esihle, kodwa iyalahlekelwa yizindawo zokuhlala ngenxa yokwanda kwezakhiwo zokuhlala abantu nokucaba amahla

thi ukuze kulinywe. Kwezinye izindawo i-puma izingelwa ngabalimi abakhala ngokuthi idla imfuyo yabo.

OBUNGAKWAZI NGE-PUMA

1. Okuhlukile ngayo wukuthi kayikwazi ukubhodla njengezinye izilwane ezifana nekati.

2. Imilenze yayo emide kunemikhono inamandla futhi isiza lesi silwane sikwazi ukugxuma ibanga elingaba yisi-6m.

3. Uhlobo lwe-puma oluyivelakancane, okuyilona oluncane kuthiwa yi-panther.

4. I- panther ithathwa ngokuthi isengozini yokushabalala futhi yiyona enokubomvu emhlane nokumnyama maphakathi nawo.

UBUDLELWANO BAYO NABANTU

I-puma iyesabeka impela kantike nakuba ukuhlasela kwayo abantu kungavamile kodwa kuke kwenzeke. Ezehlakalweni ezili100 eziqoshiwe zokuhlaselwa kwabantu yi-puma, iningi lazo zezenzeke phansi kwesimo sokuvimbeleka noma sokuzizwa isengozini ngandlela thile. Ezimeni ezingavamile zokusweleka kokudliwayo kuyenzeka i-puma imhlasele umuntu kodwa ngokuvamile kayimthathi njengokudla kwayo. Isibalo salesi silwane eNorth America naseSouth America sinciphile ekhulwininyaka elidlule ngenxa yokuncipha kwendawo yokuhlala nokudutshulwa ngabalimi abavikela imfuyo yabo.