Ollie, one of the world's oldest emus, celebrates his 40th birthday at Blackpool Zoo

Ollie the emu hatched at Harewood Bird Gardens in Leeds in 1983 before moving to Blackpool when he was one year old.

He lives happily with the kangaroos as well as his partner Maggie and has fathered many chicks throughout his life.

Typical lifespan of an emu is 10 to 20 years in the wild and up to 35 in captivity, although a few older birds have been reported in the past.

Ollie’s favourite foods are carrots and cabbage and he is partial to the odd apple as a treat. Staff at Blackpool Zoo made sure he was well looked after on his big day.

Emma Swindells, who is a senior keeper on Blackpool Zoo’s bird section, said: “It is wonderful to be celebrating 40 years of Ollie.

“He’s a very gentle bird who keeps himself to himself, unlike his partner Maggie who loves to come over to keepers for a good scratch and to see what we are doing.

“This is a huge milestone birthday and Ollie is in great health. He’s one of the oldest emus in the world and will be getting lots of treats to mark the occasion!”

The oldest emu in the world was claimed to be 58 in 2020. He was kept on a family farm in Valencia Creek in the Australian state of Victoria.

Emus are flightless birds that can reach running speeds of up to 30mph. The species hails from Australia, where the first recorded sighting was in 1696.