29-year said Patrick the Wombat in Australia

In all probability, the oldest in the world and the weighty Australian common wombat (Australian Common Wombat) just celebrated his 29th birthday.

Wombat Patrick is home in the Park-the wildlife sanctuary of Ballarat in Victoria (Ballarat Wildlife Park) since 1986, and has won many admirers during this time. He loves to ride around the Park in a wheelbarrow, giving visitors the chance to observe one of these delightful marsupials are pretty close, since they can be quite elusive animals in the wild. 24 Aug Patrick celebrated its 29th-tie.





Australian common wombats typically have a weight between 22 and 39 kilograms (48.5 — 86 lb), thus, slightly less than 40 kilograms (88 pounds). Patrick is probably the fat wombat in the world. He is also the oldest wombat in captivity for 13 years; however, the oldest wombat ever was known to have lived 34 years, so Patrick has the ability to break this record. In the wilderness, where the wombats fall victim to predators, fires, life expectancy of marsupials is approximately 15 years. In captivity they can live normally about 20 years.





In the wild, wombats occur in southern and Eastern regions of Australia. They mostly are nocturnal and sleep in complex systems of burrows excavated in the slopes above streams and ravines. The holes can be up to 20 meters (65.6 feet) in length. Wombats average about one meter (40 inches) in length and can run up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) per hour and cover up to 100 meters (328 feet) in 10 seconds. If you scare them, they will try immediately to try to escape. Although they usually move slowly, walking past the bushes, as happy small herbivores.





Patrick, like many living in captivity wombats was found on the side of the road as a kid in 1986 after his mother became the victim of a car. The Park managing Director Greg Parker (Greg Parker), recalled: "He was a shark then. Once he was in the car and moved to the driver's side, putting the car into gear he drove through the neighbor's fence!".



The Park staff tried to send Patrick back into the wild a few times, but he was always attacked by other wombats, and coming to bring him back to the Park for his own safety. And while wombats are known to be difficult to breed in captivity, Park officials recently let slip that Patrick had never had a girlfriend before, making it also the world's oldest known wombat virgin. That does not mean that he had feelings of love, especially lately. Since joining Facebook in July, Patrick page has gathered nearly 10,000 likes in less than six weeks. Most likely, Patrick is not at least publicly will be celebrated October 22 — world day of the Wombat.

Source: eco-portal.kz