Doves and pigeons have an average life expectancy of around 20 years, but Sugar, the oldest living dove in captivity, lived more than double that long. Born on 23 June 1981, the angelic white dove spent most of his days close to its human, 77-year-old Dewayne Orender, watching their favourite TV programmes together and listening to music.
“He seems very happy and content,” Dewayne told Guinness World Records earlier this month. “He loves me dearly – he and I are best friends.”
The pair were so close that when Dewayne was in the hospital in Nashville, Sugar was so nervous that he just stayed on the floor of his cage and hardly ate. Once his human came back, he was back to his old self again.
“I had to go back to Nashville a while back for a recording session… [and] I left Sugar with my mom,” Dewayne recalled about another time he was away from home. “She called me at the session and said Sugar just lies on the floor of the cage and won’t get up. He was grieving for me! When I got back from Nashville, once again he ate like he was making up for lost time.”
Sugar beat the record set by the previous holder of the title of ‘world’s oldest dove/pigeon in captivity’ by over 15 years, but Dewayne Orender hoped his pet would reach age 50, so he could throw him a big party, complete with treats like an extra piece of a whole wheat bagel and some blended popcorn.
Sadly, Sugar passed away on Easter Sunday, but he will live on both in Dewayne’s heart and in the memory of people around the world as the world’s oldest pigeon.
