Dalai Llama, oldest living llama in US, breaks Guinness World records

Dalia Llama has broken Guinness World Records as he crosses the age of 27 years and has been crowned as the oldest living llama in human care. The average age for a llama is 20 years, as per the press release by the Guinness World Records. Dalia Llama is also known as “DM Tommy Tune” who joined Andrew Thomas and Jill “Kee” Straits when he was already 14, in 2007, and is now living with them permanently. Before that, Dalai was at the Dorsey Mansion Ranch in Raton, New Mexico, USA. He was awarded the Guinness World Record after a veterinarian confirmed that Dalai is at least 27 years old.

Before Dalai, the previous oldest living llama in captivity was Ramadan's Arapahoe Gold aka 'Rapper'.  The Rapper was born in Olympia, Washington, in 1994, and was aged 26 years and 258 days old when his record was verified in 2020.  Dalai has also surpassed the record set by Canada-born Rainbow. Rainbow was born in 1995 and reached the respectable age of 26 years 328 days old. Unfortunately, Rainbow passed away on 15 May 2022. 

Taking to Facebook, the GWR wrote," Meet the world's oldest llama, a true living legend." 

The Oldest Llama

Before breaking the record of the oldest living Llama,  Dalai was adopted by a family for their children and included him in projects for the US-based youth organization network 4-H (Head, Heart, Hands, and Health). 4-H reached kids all through the United States (both in urban and rural areas) to empower and direct them, with the aim of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". But soon after the children grew up and went to college, Dalai was left unattended. After this, he was adopted by the Strats family where he became the trusted playmate of Thomas and Jill's daughter, Samibah “Sami” Straits. Dalai grew to be a true companion in Sami's adventures around the farm and in the nearby mountains. 

“Our daughter used to ride him when she was small and now helps to halter and care for him when he needs fly spray or eye drops,” said Sami's parents.