14 DAY TRIAL // As this year's holiday season is drawing near – although, truth be told, it has already begun for some of us – let's take a few minutes to salute and pay our respects to Wisdom, a freakishly old Laysan albatross that is now getting ready to become a mom once more.
The bird, photos of which are included in the gallery below, is the oldest Laysan albatross to have until now been documented living in the wild. Thus, officials with the US Fish and Wildlife Service say that it was born at least 63 years ago.
Just to put things into perspective, it need be said that, according to wildlife researchers who have taken the time to study this species, Laysan albatrosses usually live about 12 to 40 years. Otherwise put, Wisdom is well past its prime.
The bird will soon become a mom
NBC News tells us that, not too long ago, the 63-year-old Laysan albatross was spotted sitting on an egg it laid in a safe place in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the North Pacific, looking quite at ease with the world.
What's really and truly amazing is that, since Laysan albatrosses mate for life and remain single, should they happen to lose their better half, this means that the chick that will soon hatch from the egg Wisdom laid on December 3 will be the 36th not just for the bird, but also for its sweetheart.
Wildlife researchers explain that, since Laysan albatrosses incubate their eggs for about 65 days, it will be a few more weeks before Wisdom and its mate welcome their latest offspring. After the chick breaks free from its egg, the pair will spend about a year looking after it.
During this time, they will not only feed it but also teach it all sorts of tricks and skills that will help it survive on its own in the wild. Eventually, the baby albatross will abandon its parents and go start a family of its own.
How Wisdom is an ambassador for its species
Apart from being one of the greatest moms in the world and possibly the absolute oldest Laysan albatross ever, Wisdom has a job as an ambassador for its species. Thus, its popularity helps draw attention to the need to protect wildlife sanctuaries such as the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
“We are thrilled with the public's interest in Wisdom. She really captures peoples' imagination around the world, particularly kids', and has become a great ambassador for conservation and Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge,” says Bret Wolfe with the US Fish and Wildlife Refuge.
For those unaware, Laysan albatrosses are rather big seabirds that populate the North Pacific. They measure an average 81 centimeters (32 inches) in length and have a wingspan of about 195–203 centimeters (77–80 inches). The species is currently considered a near-threatened one.
