Wisdom the Albatross and Other Shockingly Old Moms
From killer whales to sea turtles, many animal mothers have kids well into their elder years.
If growing old brings wisdom, the famous albatross of the Midway Atoll is well named.
At the staggering age of 64, Wisdom is the world’s oldest known wild bird—and seemingly one of the friskiest.
Last month, the venerable female was seen sitting on an egg at her longtime nesting site at the U.S. Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, having already hatched as many as 36 chicks, according to a long-time research project by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (Related: "Oldest Known Wild Bird Hatches Chick at 62 [2013].")
If Wisdom is indeed 64, her fecundity is “amazing,” says animal-population modeler Deborah Pardo of the British Antarctic Survey.
But Wisdom is not the only animal about
