Portugal: At 30, Bobi becomes the oldest dog ever
If he looks much younger than his age, Bobi, 30, is the oldest dog of all time.
© PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Bobi, 29 kilos and brown hair, has just become famous by becoming, at 30 years and 266 days, the oldest dog in the world and of all time.
A record approved by the very serious Guinness World Records.
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By turning thirty, Bobi has exceeded all expectations, especially for a dog of his breed.
Indeed, the Rafeiro generally lives between 12 and 14 years on average, specifies Guiness, which has just consecrated Bobi as the dean of canines.
"
We did not expect such a welcome
", still surprised Leonel Costa, its 38-year-old owner, who for several days has been chaining visits from curious people and interviews with the media from around the world who have stormed the peaceful village of Conqueiros, in central Portugal.
"
I wanted his age to be recognized
," says AFP Leonel Costa, barely eight years old when Bobi, the only one of four puppies to have been saved at birth, entered the family.
After a long process during which he had to provide “
photos, veterinarian reports
” or even “
examination results
”, the favorable decision of Guinness finally fell.
Varied diet based on meat and fish
Asked about the secret of this exceptional longevity, Leonel Costa explains it above all by the peaceful environment in which Bobi lives and the “
varied diet
” prepared at home, based on meat and fish.
"
He always ate what we eat
," he says.
Bobi's record, however, raises many questions.
“
I can't say it's impossible, but it's curious
”, because from the images released, he does not seem to show the signs of a very old dog, such as “
mobility problems
” or at least level "
of muscle mass
", explains to AFP Miguel Figueiredo veterinarian in the Joao XXI clinic in Lisbon.
He is particularly concerned "
about the misconception about the life expectancy of a dog, which could pass to the general public
".
“
We should not give false hopes
,” he warns.
Because Bobi is anything but a normal dog.
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