Carver the World's Oldest Wombat
Carver, a Southern hairy-nosed wombat (picture courtesy the Brookfield Zoo, used with permission. Copyright ©2005 Chicago Zoological Society)
Carver Turns 32!
Carver, a Southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) who lives at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Illinois, USA, celebrated his 32nd birthday on Feb. 6, 2007.
That makes Carver not only the world's oldest living wombat, but the oldest recorded wombat ever. No other wombat, Common, or Hairy-nosed, has ever been known to live to be 32 years old.
It's possible other wombats have lived that long in the wild, but it seems unlikely given our current knowledge of a wombat's life span. The typical wild Hairy-nosed wombat is thought to live only 10-12 years.
Carver was born in the Brookfield Zoo in 1975, one of the first wombats to be born outside of Australia. Carver's mother, Vicky, lived to be 24.5 years old, so apparently longevity runs in the family.
Carver has suffered a few health problems, including arthritis, cataracts, and skin cancer, but seems to be in relatively good shape considering his age.
To learn more about Southern hairy-nosed wombats, click here.
To read more about Carver, visit his birthday page at the Brookfield Zoo website.