Photo/Illutration Wain shows off his round eyes and big nose at Satsukiyama Zoo in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, in November 2021. (Mihoko Takizawa)

IKEDA, Osaka Prefecture—A marsupial from Australia kept at the Ikeda city-run Satsukiyama Zoo was listed in Guinness World Records as the oldest wombat ever in captivity.

Wain celebrated his 33rd birthday in January and broke the previous record held by a male wombat in Australia that died in 2017 at age 32.

A ceremony was held at Satsukiyama Zoo on Feb. 11, when the official certification from Guinness World Records was presented.

Wombats in captivity live on average from 20 to 25 years.

Wain, who has outlived his mate and two children, would be a centenarian in human years.

He suffers from cataracts, but his overall health condition is fine, zoo officials said.

Wain is suited for the quiet mountainous environment where the zoo is located. His longevity may stem from his habit of waking up early and going to sleep early, a zookeeper said.

Australia donated Wain to Japan in 1990 when he was a 1-year-old joey.

Satsukiyama Zoo is now home to four of the six wombats being raised in Japan.

The wombats are a popular draw for visitors from around Japan, especially Wain because of his friendliness and his active runs inside his cage, the zoo said.

Taiki Endo, the zoo’s deputy director, has been taking care of Wain for nearly nine years. He said he has learned how to keep the wombat healthy through trial and error because there are few precedents of raising the animal in captivity.

“I hope he will continue to show his activeness and friendliness to visitors,” he said.
Endo is also 33 years old.

“I want to grow old together with Wain,” he said.

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