This would be a very “Pat on the back” for mice.
A Pacific pocket mouse born at the San Diego Zoo nearly a decade ago is the longest living mouse in human care, according to the zoo.
According to sources, zoo officials are requesting that Pat, who is 9 years and 5 months old, be recognized by Guinness World Records.
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, which manages the park, will throw a ceremony on February 8 to honor the venerable age of the fuzzy creature, whose name is a tribute to actor Patrick Stewart.
A representative from GWR will also be present to check the age of the rodent and, hopefully, secure its place in the record book.
Fritzy, who was born in Britain and died in 1985 at the age of 7 years and 7 months, held the Guinness World Record for the oldest captive mouse.
Prior to 1993, the Pacific pocket mouse, the smallest mouse species in North America, was assumed to be extinct for 20 years. In 2012, the San Diego Zoo established a Pocket Mouse Conservation Breeding Facility due to dwindling populations.
In a 700-square-foot structure, up to 250 mice are housed, and the crew maintains an environment conducive to “healthy, behaviorally competent mice that are well-prepared for reintroduction.”
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