oldest sheep 

 The world's oldest sheep, died after falling off a cliff.

An ear tag on the blackface Ewe, nicknamed Methuselina, showed that it was 25 years and 11 months old. In 2009, John Maciver, her owner of North Tolsta, Lewis, put her longevity down to her still having most of her teeth, allowing her to graze easily.

That same year the recognized holder of the world's oldest sheep title died at the age of 23, she died in a heat - wave in Australia.

Maciver said Methuselina, had also met an unfortunate end. "The sad news is Methuselina is no more. She passed away and I wouldn't say peacefully. I found her at the bottom of a rock. She had gone over a cliff and met her demise that way at the grand old age of 25 years and 11 months," he said.

The latest oldest sheep living was Lucky, 28 years and 51 weeks, who died on November 2009.

Lucky raised by Delrae Westgarth set the Guinness record in 2007 and was a celebrity in her home town of Lake Bolac, near Melbourne.

The Polwarth-Dorchester cross was hand-reared from birth after being abandoned by her mother. She went on to have 35 offspring of her own.

Guinness World Records said that since Lucky's death it had been actively looking for a contender for world's oldest living sheep. It was understood that Maciver had not applied for the recognition for his ewe.

By Portia : this article can also be found in TELL magazine