On May 12, Guinness World Records announced that Wain, a 32-year-old wombat living at Satsukiyama Zoo in Ikeda City, Japan, is the oldest wombat in captivity ever.
The Japanese zoo celebrated Wain’s impressive milestone and shared that the record-breaking wombat is in good health despite his age, equivalent to 100 human years.
The wombat was rescued from his mother’s pouch after a car accident in November 1989. He arrived at the Satsukiyama Zoo with two other wombats, Wonder and Tai, in 1990, Guinness World Records shared.
Due to Wain’s advanced age, the zoo works to limit the wombat’s climbing and cuts his vegetables into smaller pieces, so it’s easier for the elderly animal to eat. His diet includes grass, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, apples, and carrots, Guinness World Records added.
“Although he was seen by a vet in the past a couple of times, he never got sick in the past few years,” the Satsukiyama Zoo told Guinness World Records in a statement. “We don’t know why this is, but this nature-filled and quiet environment this zoo has may have something to do with it.”
A wombat typically lives up to 15 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity, according to World Wildlife Fund.
Since the announcement, Satsukiyama Zoo said Wain has received “a lot of attention.”
“We received congratulatory notes from zoos across the country. We also have more visitors to the zoo,” the zoo told Guinness World Records. “All this tells us that Wain has achieved something extraordinary.”
Guinness World Records also shared a video on Instagram of the animal in his zoo habitat.
“Oldest wombat in captivity ever — Wain — 32 years and 86 days 🇯🇵,” they wrote alongside the clip.
