A Pacific pocket mouse that lives at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park was recognized earlier this month by Guinness World Records as the “oldest living mouse in human care” at 9 years and 7 months old.
The tiny mouse, affectionately called “Pat,” is named after famed actor Sir Patrick Stewart, according to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance officials, who operate the zoo and safari park. Pat was born on July 14, 2013, at the zoo’s Pacific pocket mouse breeding center as part of its conservation breeding and reintroduction program.
“This recognition is so special for our team, and is significant for the species,” Debra Shier, the program’s director, said in a statement Feb. 8, the same day “Pat” won the record. “It’s indicative of the dedication and incredible care we as an organization provide for each species, from the largest to the very smallest.”
Shier said the Pacific pocket mouse is often one of many “overlooked species [that] can be found in our own backyards,” and such acknowledgment is a “symbol of appreciation” for them.
Currently listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and once thought to be extinct, the Pacific pocket mouse faces such threats as loss of habitat and fragmentation caused by long distances and barriers between the few remaining locations where they live, according to the zoo.
If the zoo’s alliance is successful in its breeding program, this little creature will thrive once again.
In 2022, program saw the birth of 31 litters of Pacific pocket mice with 117 pups. Some of those mice will be reintroduced into their natural habitat along the Southern California shoreline, among other places, according to zoo officials.
The program began in 2016 in conjunction with Orange County Parks, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Together they established a new population of mice in Orange County’s Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, which has been breeding without human assistance since 2017, according to zoo officials.
As the smallest mouse species in North America, the Pacific pocket mouse is named for the pouches in its cheeks, which are used to pick up and carry seeds and nesting materials, according to the zoo. In addition to dispersing seeds from native plants, their digging activity helps to aerate the soil, encouraging plant growth, according to the zoo.
