At the impressive age of 74, Wisdom, the world's oldest known wild albatross, has laid an egg in Hawaii, marking her first egg in four years. This milestone, reported by U.S. wildlife officials, highlights the remarkable longevity and resilience of these extraordinary seabirds.
Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, returned to the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, located at the northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago, to lay what experts estimate could be her 60th egg. According to the Pacific Region of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wisdom and her mate, Akeakamai, have been returning to the atoll annually since 2006 to lay and hatch eggs.
Laysan albatrosses typically mate for life and lay one egg per year. However, in recent years, Akeakamai has not been seen, leading Wisdom to interact with another male upon her latest return. Despite these changes, wildlife officials remain optimistic about the egg hatching successfully.
\"We are optimistic that the egg will hatch,\" stated Jonathan Plissner, supervisory wildlife biologist at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Each year, millions of seabirds, including albatrosses, return to the refuge to nest and raise their young, underscoring the importance of these protected habitats in supporting global biodiversity.
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World's oldest-known albatross lays an egg in Hawaii at age 74
cgtn.com
