Oldest Alpaca Living
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Jul 28, 2025
Living on a farm in New Zealand, Hawthornden Wainui was born in 1998 and still gets his regular exercise despite his old age.
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Alpacas usually live 15 to 20 years, so Wainui is a very, very, very old man
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I'm Vicky Kaurie and this is Hawthorne in Wainui. The personality of my lovely Wainui is now a bit of a grumpy old man
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In his younger days, he would be the herd lookout, sitting on a high vantage point, watching the world go by
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Wainui lives down under at the Wainui Mata coast on the lower north island of New Zealand
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Wainui has lived with us since 2002. By chance, my sister saw an auction for alpaca
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and in a matter of a few minutes, our love of alpacas started by buying five alpaca at the auction
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Hawthorndon is the name of the alpaca farm that he was born into in Victoria, Australia
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on 2nd of January, 1998. At a young age, Wainui came to New Zealand with his mother, Maddy
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and lived in Wainui Bay. In his old age, unfortunately his exercise is limited to the two small paddocks outside
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His eyesight isn't so good so he finds his way by his familiar roots that he's made
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Wainui is a very calm alpaca, he's always got on really well with all the other alpaca in our herd
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Now though he lives in the daytime in his own paddock But Barney the goat watching over him and Squeak the sheep Now at his old age he gets to eat as much as he likes when he likes In the morning he eat as much of his breakfast as he wants then he go for a
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wander outside and come back and eat some more during the day. If his dinner's a bit late he'll
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be standing here waiting for it. I believe the secret to his longevity is the comfort in which
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he lives. He has access to the shelter all day and the first little bit of rain and often that's
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Quite a lot in New Zealand, and especially in winter, he'll be inside and sitting it out until it's dry again
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He also enjoys having his coats put on, and he will have a coat on all day and all night during winter
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On the 6th of July 2025, Guinness World Records recognised Wainui as being the oldest alpaca living in captivity
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He was 27 years and 185 days. it's amazing for us to have animal holding a guinness world records title he's one very special
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alpaca he has his own fan club friends family and colleagues he even has his own flag gifted by a local artist
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