Uke Wayibona I-thylacine?

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-AUSTRALIA

‘NGIKE ngayibona ini?’ ungase ubuze. ‘Angazi nokuthi yini i-thylacine.’

Eqinisweni, elithi “thylacine” liyisimo esifushanisiwe segama eliphelele lesayensi yezilwane elithi Thylacinus cynocephalus futhi liyigama lesilwane esihlaba umxhwele sasezansi kwenkabazwe, ihlosi laseTasmania, noma inkentshane laseTasmania.

Elithi Thylacinus cynocephalus ngokwezwi nezwi lisho ukuthi “inja enesikhwama, enekhanda lenkentshane,” kodwa lesi silwane sathola izinhlobonhlobo zamagama alula siwanikwa abeLungu bokuqala abafika eTasmania, isiqhingi esincane sase-Australia. Amagama anjengokuthi i-opossum eyidube, impisi, inkentshane eliyidube, nokuthi i-opossum enekhanda lenja ayevamile. AboMdabu, ababeseTasmania ngaphambili kakhulu kokuba kufike abamhlophe eminyakeni engaba ngu-200 kuphela edlule, babebiza i-thylacine ngokuthi i-corinna.

Manje kucatshangwa ukuthi seliqothuliwe ihlosi laseTasmania, kodwa ayatholakala omisiwe emamnyuziyamu. I-thylacine yokugcina ephilayo eyaziwayo yafa ngo-1936 ise-zoo eHobart, inhloko-dolobha yaseTasmania. Nokho, kukhona abathi asekhona amanye ama-thylacine aphilayo acashe endle eTasmania, futhi imibiko yokuthi bawabonile isatholakala.

Nakuba ingeyona ngempela eyomkhaya wamahlosi, cishe leligama elithi ihlosi laseTasmania lavela ngenxa yako kokubili ukuthi lesi silwane sinemithende futhi sidla inyama. Imithende egqamile, ensundu, ecishe ibe mnyama, inquma emhlane waso bese yehla ngomsila waso omude, owuqhotho. Okunye futhi okuhlaba umxhwele ukuthi i-thylacine iyi-marsupial—okungukuthi, eyensikazi inesikhwama. Abantwana bazalwa bebancanyana, bengakakhuli ngokwanele, futhi bengaboni kodwa babe sebeqonda esikhwameni sikanina, lapho benceliswa khona baze bakhule ngokugcwele futhi babe namandla ngokwanele ukuba bangaphuma. Umntwana omncanyana osanda kuzalwa uhlala esikhwameni sikanina izinyanga ezingaba zintathu ngaphambi kokuphumela ngaphandle. Nokho, lapho nje isiphumile esikhwameni, ngokushesha i-thylacine encane iyaqala ukulandela umama ekufuneni kwakhe ukudla.

Kuthiwa i-thylacine iyi-marsupial enkulu kunawo wonke adla inyama aziwayo ezikhathini zamuva. Ngokungafani namanye ama-marsupial, anjenge-kangaroo, i-thylacine yesifazane inesikhwama esibheke emuva. Ingabeletha futhi incelise abantwana abane ngesikhathi esisodwa.

Yayisakazeke Kangakanani?

Nakuba imifanekiso eyayenziwe aboMdabu emadwaleni, izinsalela zamathambo, nama-thylacine omisiwe, enziwa ukuba angaboli kuye kwatholakala ezingxenyeni eziningi ze-Australia, kubonakala sengathi i-thylacine yayihlala ikakhulukazi eTasmania. Ngisho nalapho kungenzeka ukuthi yayingaxhaphakile. Abantu yibona ngokuyinhloko abanecala ngokuqothulwa kwayo. Ihlosi laseTasmania ngokwalo lalidla ezinye izilwane, nakuba kunjalo lalingenakubhekana nabazingeli abanobuqili nabahahayo ababengabanye babamhlophe abafika kulelizwe. Njengoba i-thylacine yayinelukuluku lokwazi futhi ingamesabi nhlobo umuntu, kwakulula kakhulu ukuyidubula nokuyibamba ngogibe.

Abalimi abaningi babethi ihlosi laseTasmania lalibulala izimvu, ngakho kwaba nezinkokhelo ezihehayo zokulibulala ezazikhokhwa amabhizinisi emfuyo kanye nawuhulumeni waseTasmania. Ama-thylacine aphilayo ayebanjwe ezingibeni ayethathwa ama-zoo aphesheya ngokushesha. Nakuba inani lama-thylacine ngokungangabazeki lehliswa isifo esingaziwa esingathi sína esabhuqa eziningi zezilwane zasendle zaseTasmania eminyakeni eminingi edlule, ukucekwa okukhulu kwamanani awo kwenziwa umuntu.

Izindlela Zokuzingela Eziyingqayizivele

I-thylacine ngokuvamile yayizingela ngayodwa kodwa ngezinye izikhathi ngamabili. Indlela yayo yayiwukuba ibone isilwane ezosihlasela, njenge-kangaroo encane, bese ikhabuzela nje isilandela, isixoshe size sikhathale. Lapho nje lenyamazane inciphisa ijubane, isikhathele, i-thylacine yayiyigxumela bese iyibulala ngemihlathi yayo enamandla. Esinye isici esiyingqayizivele salesi silwane esingavamile kwakuyisilinganiso sokuvuleka kwemihlathi yaso, u-120° othusayo!

Umkhuba wazo wokudla izingxenye ezithile kuphela zesidumbu—ngokuvamile izitho zangaphakathi kuphela—waholela ekubeni abanye bazibheke njengababulali abangenasizathu. Kodwa ukuze ilungise lokhu okubonakala kuwukumosa, enye i-marsupial encane kunalena, edla inyama, i-Tasmanian devil edla ingcuba (esekhona namanje) yayilandela ihlosi bese ishanela zonke izinsalela—amathambo, uboya, nakho konke.

Kubonakala sengathi i-thylacine yayingelona usongo kumuntu. Akukho bufakazi bokuthi ake azingela abantu. Enye indoda esimnkantsh’ ubomvu ikhumbula ukuthi ngobunye ubusuku, eminyakeni eminingi edlule, yayihlezi emlilweni wekamu layo, ifunda, lapho ngokungazelele phakathi kwamalangabi, ibona ihlosi laseTasmania liqubile, licathama, futhi lisondela kuyo ngokusongelayo. Isaba ukuhlaselwa, lendoda yathatha isibhamu sayo ingabangi msindo, yasiqondisa kulo ngokucophelela phakathi kwamalangabi, yase idubula. I-thylacine yashaya ungqimphothwe ihlehla nyovane kodwa ngokusobala yayingalimele kakhulu, ngoba yagxuma yase inyamalala emnyameni. Lendoda yaya kohlola ukuthi likhona yini igazi, ukuze ibone ukuthi ililimaze kabi kangakanani lelihlosi. Ngaphambi nje komlilo, yathola i-opossum enkulu inenhlamvu yesibhamu. Yilokho i-thylacine eyayikucathamela!

Kuthiwani Ngemibiko Yabathi Bayibonile?

Kuye kwaba nemibiko eminingi yabathi bayibonile i-thylacine kusukela lapho kufa eyokugcina ngo-1936 eyayivalelwe, kodwa kuze kube manje kuye kwavezwa ubufakazi obuncane ukuba bungaqinisekisa izazi zesayensi yezilwane ukuthi asekhona asaphila. Kubonakala sengathi akukho lutho olungaqinisekisa izikhulu ukuthi ama-thylacine asekhona ngaphandle kwesithombe uqobo noma ukuyibamba iphila.

Abantu abaningi asebekhulile abahlala emaphandleni aseTasmania bathi ngeke balibike ihlosi laseTasmania uma belibona. Bakhathazwa ukuthi lapho besebancane ekuphileni kwabo, abanye abantu babangela lokho okubonakala kuwukuqothulwa kwalesi silwane esiyingqayizivele. Uma esekhona namanje amanye ama-thylacine, abantu abanjalo bafuna ayekwe angaphazanyiswa.

Ngakho uma bebengabuzwa, “Uke wayibona i-thylacine muva nje?” impendulo yabo—beqinisile noma cha—ibiyoba ukuthi, “Cha!”

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 26]

Tom McHugh/Photo Researchers