The world’s oldest identified wild hen has laid an egg at almost 74 years outdated, its first in 4 years, US wildlife officers mentioned.
The long-winged seabird named Knowledge, a Laysan albatross, returned to the Halfway Atoll Nationwide Wildlife Refuge on the northwest coast of the Hawaiian archipelago with what consultants estimate is her sixtieth egg, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Area mentioned. it may well. a Facebook post this week.
Knowledge and her accomplice, Akekamai, have returned to the atoll within the Pacific Ocean to put eggs and provides start since 2006. Laysan albatrosses mate for all times and lay one egg per yr, however Akekamai had not been seen in years, in response to the USFWS. Sal, as she returned to the island, “sensible to start out the nuptial dance with different males” final week.
“We’re optimistic that the eggs will hatch,” Jonathan Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at Halfway Atoll Nationwide Wildlife Refuge, mentioned in an announcement. Yearly, tens of millions of seabirds return to the refuge to nest and lift their younger.
US Fish and Wildlife Service/Fb
Albatross mother and father take turns incubating an egg for seven months. The hatchlings fly to the ocean 5 to 6 months after hatching. They spend most of their lives flying over the ocean and feeding on squid and fish eggs.
Plissner mentioned Knowledge was first banded as an grownup in 1956 and has produced about 30 chicks.
In line with the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the typical lifespan of a Laysan albatross is 68 years.
because the 60 Minutes reported In 2018, Knowledge’s superior years have seen her defy not solely the conventional longevity prospects for her species, but additionally the hardships posed by the dire state of her pure habitat. The islands of Halfway Atoll are crammed with their nests Plastic pollution. The 60 Minutes crew discovered that a lot of Knowledge’s fellow albatrosses died round her with bellies filled with plastic, giving them some hope for the researchers.
USFWS called wisdom “A world-renowned image of hope for all species that depend upon the well being of the ocean for survival.”
