Dear Commander Bun Bun,
I have read that it has become more common for people to live to be over 100. I am just curious — do you know who the oldest living man and woman are, what they say their secret is, and who the world’s oldest pet bunny is? Thank for your research!
Al Duss-Twanns
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Dear Al,
Mbah Gotho, an Indonesian man, was born on December 31, 1870, according to the date of birth on his identity card. Indonesian officials at the local record office have confirmed Mr. Gotho’s birth date is genuine; however there is no independent, third-party verification of his claimed age, which is required to be recognized by the Guinness World Records. If it is true, it would make him a staggering 145 years old—and the oldest living man in recorded history!
Nevertheless, Mr. Gotho has outlived all 10 of his siblings, four wives, and even his children. His nearest living relatives are grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.
One of Mr Gotho’s grandsons said his grandfather has been preparing for his death ever since he was 122. In 1992 (24 years ago) he even bought a burial site close to the graves of his children.
Mr Gotho spends most of his time sitting and listening to the radio because his eyesight is too poor to watch television. He has had to be spoon-fed and bathed for the past three months as he has become increasingly frail. When asked what his secret to longevity is, Mr Gotho replied: “The recipe is just patience.”
The oldest living woman is Emma Morano, an Italian supercentenarian who is, at the age of 116 years, 298 days, one of the ten verified oldest people ever. When she received the news about being the oldest, she said “My word, I’m as old as the hills,” a caregiver confirmed.
Ms. Morano now lives in a small lakeside town near the Switzerland border, still in her own one-bedroom home. Doctors make house calls, but for a 116-year-old, her health is good.
As a teenager, a doctor told her to eat raw eggs for her anemia, and so she has every day since, according to a New York Times profile in 2015. She also eats minced meat and pasta daily.
According to Morano, leaving an unhappy marriage also helped her live so long. She separated from her husband in 1938 and never remarried. She kept busy working at a factory and then as a cook, and didn’t retire until she was 75 — 41 years ago.
Her physician, Carlo Bava, credits Morano’s longevity to genetics, but also to her emotional balance. “She is always very serene,” Bava said, “The beauty of Emma is that it is normal that she smiles, but also in difficulties, she is very decisive.”
As far as pet bunnies go, Hazel, a 16-year-old miniature grey rabbit set the world record for being the oldest living rabbit. I hope to surpass that age in the future!
Hope you enjoy this article!
Commander Bun Bun
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