Abubakar Tahiru, a 29-year-old Ghanaian environmental activist and forestry student, has set a Guinness World Record for hugging 1,123 trees in one hour.
The Guinness World Record confirmed this on Friday, stating that Tahiru’s achievement not only makes him the record holder, but also the first individual to hold this distinction, as he “easily surpassed the minimum requirement of 700.”
The event was believed to have occurred at the Tuskegee National Forest in Alabama, USA, where he embraced almost 19 trees each minute.
According to GWR, Tahiru grew up in an agricultural hamlet in Tepa, Ghana, where he developed a strong interest in ecology and conservation.
After completing his undergraduate degree in forestry at one of Ghana’s premier universities, he relocated to Alabama last year to complete his master’s degree at Auburn University.
Describing the challenge, GWR disclosed that a successful tree hug is defined as both arms wrapped around a tree in a close embrace. No tree may be hugged more than once, and no damage can be caused to any tree, or else the attempt is disqualified.
It was reported that Tahiru undertook this challenge while fasting during Ramadan, which prevented him from drinking water despite the strenuous effort.
He also had to move fast between trees while ensuring that each hug matched the necessary criteria.
READ MORE: Nigerian Lady Sets Guinness World Record For Longest Interview Marathon
Speaking with GWR, Tahiru said, “Not being able to drink water throughout the attempt posed a significant challenge, especially given the physical exertion required.
“However, this also proved to be helpful in a way, as there was no need to pause for water breaks, allowing me to continue the attempt uninterrupted from start to finish.
“Achieving this world record feels incredibly rewarding.”
