An alpaca named Wainui was officially dubbed the oldest in the world by Guinness World Records. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records
An alpaca living on a farm in New Zealand was officially named the oldest in the world at the age of 27 years and 185 days old.
Guinness World Records said the animal, named Hawthornden Wainui, was officially named the oldest living alpaca in captivity when his age was verified on July 6.
Wainui was born in 1998 and has lived with his owners, Vicki and Alex Cordier, since 2002.
“The personality of my lovely Wainui is now a bit of a grumpy old man,” Vicki Cordier told Guinness World Records. “In his younger days, he would be the herd lookout — sitting on a high vantage point watching the world go by.”
She said Wainui has always gotten along with the rest of the alpaca herd, but he now spends most of his time with a goat named Barney and a sheep named Squeak.
“I believe the secret to his longevity is the comfort in which he lives,” Cordier said. “He has access to the shelter all day and the first little bit of rain, he’ll be inside siting it out until it’s dry again.”
