UHarriet – ufudu lukaCharles Darwin

Abadumile akubona abantu kuphela, kodwa nezilwane. Ufudu lwendlovu u-Harietta (eminye imithombo imbiza ngokuthi u-Henrietta) wazuza udumo ngokuphila impilo ende kakhulu. Futhi nangeqiniso lokuthi yalethwa e-UK ngusosayensi odumile emhlabeni wonke kanye nesazi semvelo uCharles Darwin.

Impilo kaHarriet

Lesi silwane esihuquzelayo sazalelwa kwesinye seziqhingi zaseGalapagos. Ngo-1835, yona kanye nabanye abantu ababili bohlobo olufanayo balethwa e-UK nguCharles Darwin ngokwakhe. Ngaleso sikhathi, izimfudu zazilingana nepuleti. Ngaphandle kwalokho banikezwa iminyaka emihlanu noma eyisithupha. Lolo fudu oludumile, okuzoxoxwa ngalo kamuva, lwaqanjwa ngokuthi uHarry, ngoba babembheka njengowesilisa.

Nokho, ngo-1841, bobathathu laba bantu bathuthelwa e-Australia, lapho batholakala khona engadini yezitshalo yedolobha eBrisbane. Izilwane ezihuquzelayo zahlala lapho iminyaka eyi-111.

Ngemva kokuvalwa kweBrisbane Botanic Gardens, izilwane ezihuquzelayo ziye zadedelwa endaweni yokongiwa kogu e-Australia. Lokhu kwenzeka ngo-1952.

Futhi eminyakeni engu-8 kamuva, ufudu lukaCharles Darwin lwahlangatshezwa umqondisi weZoo yaseHawaii endaweni yokulondoloza. Futhi-ke kwavezwa ukuthi uHarry wayengeyena ngisho noHarry, kodwa uHenrietta.

Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokhu, uHenrietta wathuthela eZoo yase-Australia. Izihlobo zayo ezimbili azitholakalanga esiqiwini.

Ingabe uyena lo Harriet owalethwa uDarwin ngokwakhe?

Yilapho imibono yehluka khona. Imibhalo yofudu uDarwin Harietta yalahleka ngokuphepha emuva ngeminyaka yamashumi amabili. Abantu usosayensi omkhulu abanikeze yena mathupha izimfudu (futhi lokhu kwaba, ngiyakhumbula, kakade ngo-1835!), Basuke sebehambile baye kwelinye izwe futhi babengenalo ithuba lokuqinisekisa noma yini.

Kodwa-ke, umbuzo weminyaka yesilwane esihuquzelayo wawukhathaza abaningi. Ngakho-ke, ngo-1992, ukuhlaziywa kofuzo kwe-Harriet kwenziwa nokho. Umphumela wawumangalisa!

Ukuqinisekisile ukuthi:

• UHarrietta wazalelwa eziQhingini zaseGalapagos;
• okungenani uneminyaka engu-162 ubudala.

Kodwa! Esiqhingini esihlala abameleli be-subspecies lapho uHarriet engowakho, uDarwin akakaze abe khona.

Ngakho kunokuningi ukudideka kule ndaba:

• uma kungolunye ufudu, kwenzeka kanjani ukuthi lufinyelele esiqiwini;
• uma lesi kuyisipho esivela kuDarwin, pho wasithathaphi;
• uma usosayensi emtholile ngempela uHarriet lapho kade ekhona, wagcina efike kanjani kuleso siqhingi.

Usuku lokuzalwa lokugcina lweminyaka eyikhulu

Ngemuva kokuhlaziywa kwe-DNA, banquma ukuthatha u-1930 njengendawo yokuqala yobudala buka-Harriet. Baze babala ngisho nosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe - akusizi ukuthi usaziwayo onjalo angabi nalo usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa. U-Henrietta udle ngokujabula ikhekhe eliphinki elenziwe ngezimbali ze-hibiscus ukuhlonipha usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa lweminyaka engu-175.

Ngaleso sikhathi, isibindi eside sase sikhule kancane: kusukela ku-turtle ubukhulu bepuleti, waphenduka waba umdondoshiya wangempela kancane kancane kunetafula lokudlela eliyindilinga. Futhi uHarrietta waqala ukukala icentner eyodwa nengxenye.

Naphezu kokunakekelwa okuphawulekayo kwezisebenzi zase-zoo ezinakekile nothando lwezivakashi, ukuphila kofudu oluphila isikhathi eside kwanqanyulwa ngonyaka olandelayo. Washona ngoJuni 23, 2006. Udokotela wezilwane eZoo uJohn Hanger wahlonza lesi silwane esihuquzelayo ukuthi sinesifo senhliziyo.

Lesi sitatimende sisho ukuthi ukube bekungesona lesi sifo, ufudu lwendlovu ngabe luphile iminyaka engaphezu kuka-175. Kodwa ungakanani ngempela? Asikwazi lokhu okwamanje.