Guinness recognizes wombat in Ikeda as oldest in captivity

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:33 JST, February 16, 2022

OSAKA — A wombat at a zoo in Osaka has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest living wombat in captivity.

Wain, one of four wombats at Satsukiyama Zoo in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, is at least 32 years old, equivalent to being about 100 in human years.

The male marsupial was rescued from the wild after his mother died in a motor accident in Tasmania, Australia, in November 1989. He is estimated to have been born in January that year, based on such factors as his height.

Since Guinness World Records calculates the age of the animal from the day his captivity started, Wain was 32 years 86 days old as of Jan. 31.

Wain arrived at the zoo in May 1990. There are currently six living wombats in Japan, with the remaining two being kept at Chausuyama Zoo in the city of Nagano.

According to Satsukiyama zookeeper Taiki Endo, Wain is friendly to people. He walks around as soon as the zoo opens each day and has a good appetite. He also takes good naps. “He leads a healthy life” of regular routines, Endo said.

A third-year elementary school student said: “He’s so cute, but he’s older than my 78-year-old grandpa. That’s surprising.”