Wainui the alpaca leaves behind legacy as oldest of his species

Record-breaking alpaca Hawthornden Wainui has left behind a legacy following his tragic death.

The beloved pet, who lived in New Zealand with his loving owners Vicki and Alex Cordier, passed away on 26 September at the age of 27 years 267 days, making him the oldest alpaca in captivity ever.

Vicki and Alex said: “Our dearest Wainui. Forever you will have a special place in our hearts. A friend of many in New Zealand and around the world. Rest in peace our amazing alpaca!”

Wainui had been named the oldest living alpaca in captivity in July.

Alpacas usually live around 15-20 years, and Vicki figured it was his relaxed and pampered lifestyle that kept him around for so long.

Wainui was born on an alpaca farm named Hawthornden on 2 January 1998.

Read more stories about amazing record-breaking animals here.

He then came to New Zealand with his mother and lived in Wainui Bay – hence his name.

He moved to Vicki’s farm in 2002, and spent his golden years eating as much as he wanted and wandering around the paddock until it was time to head inside for another snack.

And if his dinner was ever late, Vicki said she’d be guaranteed to find him standing there waiting for it when she arrived.

Vicki told us earlier this year: “Wainui is a very calm alpaca, he’s always got on well with all the other alpacas in our herd.

“Now though, he lives in the daytime in his own paddock with Barney the goat watching over him, and Squeak the sheep.”

Wainui was so popular on the farm he even had his own fan club.

Vicki and Alex say they’ll forever cherish their “Wainui memorabilia”, including his Guinness World Records certificate and the 2026 edition of the book that he appeared in.

They’d also like to thank Wainui’s vets for helping give him such a long and wonderful life.

Rest in peace, Wainui.