– ZVIWANIKWA ZVEZIMBABWE –
TWIZA/FURIRAMUDENGA Ndebele: Intundla/Idlulamithi English: Giraffe
ICHIZIVIKANWA nemutsipa wakareba, twiza kana kuti furiramudenga ndiyo mhuka yakareba kudarika dzimwe dzose panyika. Ine makumbo nemutsipa zvakareba zvikuru.
Zvisinei, mutumbi wemhuka iyi hauna kunyanya kureba. Ine ganda rine makwapa makwapa ane ruvara rwakada kutsvukirira, pamwe pacho rwuchisvibirira.
Sezvakangoita mukati meruoko rwemunhu, hakuna mafuriramudenga maviri kana kudarika ane ruvara rwakagadzirwa zvakafanana – panotoita kamutsauko bedzi.
Asi mabhuru etwiza anoita ganda rakasvibira kudarika rehadzi. Ganda remhuka iri rakagadzirwa kuitira kuti rinotoredzerana nepainenge ichigara.
Kana yakura, twiza inoreba 4.6 kusvika 5.7 m, bhuru richidarika hadzi. Apa bhuru rinenge rorema chipo che1 400kgs, hadzi ichirema 950kgs.
Maziso makuru etwiza anoita kuti mhuka iyi ikwanise kuona zvakanyanya uye ine chipo chekunzwa nekubata hwema (mweya). Dzose – rume nehadzi – dzine nyanga mbiri dziri nechepadenga pemusoro.
Twiza rume dzinoshandisa mitsipa yadzo yakareba sechombo chekurwa uko kunodaidza pachiRungu kuti “necking”.
Mhuka iyi inokwanisa kuvhara mhuno dzayo kuti dzisapinde mavhu kana tumbuyu netupukanana ichisevenzesa mhasuru dzakasimba idzo dzakakomberedza mhuno. Rurimi rwacho rwunokwanisa kutambanuka kusvika 45 cm. Ndirwo rwunosevenzeswa kusvikira mafuro akaita semashizha emiti.
Muromo wepadenga unobatsirazve pakufura uye une mvere dzinodzivirira kuti isabaiwe neminzwa.
Twiza inodya miti bedzi (herbivores) – inonyanyoda miti ine minzwa semupangara nemubayamhondoro.
Iyi imhuka inogara yakazvinyararira, asi twiza inonzi inoburitsa ruzha rwakasiyana – rume dzinoita “kakukosora” pakudzvova kuchiti hadzi inodaidzwa mwana wayo (mhuru) nekukuma.
Zamu remhuka iyi rinoita mazuva ari pakati pe400 kusvika 460 apo panobarwa mhuru imwe chete inorema 100kgs. Zvisinei, manyambiri kana kuti mapatya anogona kubarwa sezvakamboitika kuKyle National Park, kuMasvingo.
Mhuri dzetwiza dzinowanzobatwa nezvikara zvakaita seshumba nemapere izvo zvinoita kuti vanaamai vadzo vadzichengetedze zvakanyanya.
Furiramudenga rinozivikanwa nekukava nemakumbo aro akasimba. Rinogona kukava chero kwarakatarisa uye richiuraya kana kudambura shumba musoro.
Zvisingaitwe nedzimwe mhuka dzine makumbo mana, twiza inofambisa makumbo ayo maviri edivi rimwe chete pamwe chete zvinonzi pachiRungu “pacing”. Mafambiro aya anosanduka kana romhanya (galloping). Rinogonha kusvika 60km/hr.
. Zvimwe zviri muchinyorwa chino:
Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa - Chris and Tilde Stuart
Wild Mammals (Bundu Series) - Dale Kenmuir and Russel Williams