KWAKUKADE kucingwa ukuba le ntaka ibhabha iikhilomitha ezimalunga ne-35 200 ukusuka kummandla weArctic ukuya eAntarctica nokubuya. Kodwa uhlolisiso olusand’ ukwenziwa lubonise ukuba ibhabha ummandla ongaphezulu lee kulowo.

Kwancanyathiselwa izixhotyana ezincinci kweziliqela zezi ntaka. Ezi zixhotyana zabonisa ukuba ezinye zezi ntaka zibhabhe iikhilomitha ezimalunga ne-90 000 ukuya eAntarctica nokubuya. Lo ngowona mgama mde wakha wahanjwa zizilwanyana ezifudukayo. Kanti enye yazo yabhabha iikhilomitha eziphantse zibe yi-96 000. Yintoni ebangele ukuba kufunyaniswe ezi khilomitha ngoku?

Enoba zisuka phi xa zifuduka, xa zibhabha ezi ntaka ziyagwegweleza, njengoko lo mfanekiso ubonisa. Kutheni zigwegweleza nje? Zihamba ngemisinga yomoya wolwandle.

Ezi ntaka ziphila iminyaka emalunga neyi-30. Zithi zisifa zibe sezibhabhe umgama ongaphezu kweekhilomitha eziyi-2.4 miliyoni. Loo mgama ulingana nokuya enyangeni uphind’ ubuye de kube kathathu okanye kane. Omnye umphandi wathi: “Imangalisa ngokwenene indlela ebhabha ngayo le ntaka incinci kangaka.” Incwadi ethi Life on Earth: A Natural History ithi “sesona sidalwa sibona ilanga ngaphezu kwazo zonke ezinye” kuba ihlobo ilityela kwiSouth Pole nakwiNorth Pole.