420-Year-Old Tortoise, Baba Dies At Alaafin Palace

A tortoise believed to have lived for about 420 years and regarded as one of the Oyo Kingdom’s historical treasures, popularly known as Baba, has died at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oyo State.

Naija News reports that Baba, which had become a symbol of the palace’s heritage and a major attraction for visitors, reportedly died on Monday after falling ill. Palace officials later buried the animal.

The Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Ibadan on Thursday.

According to him, Baba was not seen merely as a pet but as a living connection to the history and traditions of the Oyo people.

“Baba was more than a turtle in status. He represented a part of the oral history of the Yoruba race. Now, the Alaafin has lost an ageless companion,” Durojaiye said.

The palace said oral accounts traced Baba’s origin to Oyo-Ile, the ancient capital of the old Oyo Empire, before it was brought to the present palace in Oyo town.

Over the years, the tortoise became a major attraction, with residents and tourists visiting the palace to see the animal because of its reported age, size and historical significance.

The palace said successive Alaafins cared for Baba, with designated officials responsible for feeding and looking after it.

According to the statement, Baba’s diet included watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves and grass.

The palace described Baba as a unique part of Oyo’s heritage, saying generations of monarchs inherited the tortoise as a relic from previous rulers.

“While he was alive, Baba was more than a diapsid. He was arguably the oldest living mammal in the world. He was venerated and loved by the people, who turned his abode in the Palace into a tourist point,” the statement said.

The palace added that Baba’s name reflected the respect attached to its age and status.

“Baba, the turtle, must have drawn its name from the fact that it was the oldest creature. No one could call him by his name, so Baba was adopted, indicating that it was a male,” it said.

The statement noted that the tortoise attracted visitors because of its calm nature and longevity.

“In Oyo, Baba was regarded as the oldest indigene. It was the Paramount Ruler’s most besotted pet. The Monarch met it in the Palace. Baba was nourished by a succession of kings, who inherited him as part of the relics of their ancestors,” the palace stated.

The palace said Baba became ill on Monday and stopped eating before eventually passing away. It added that the tortoise had already been buried.

“Baba fell ill on Monday, just a little sickness and couldn’t eat anymore. Then he died. Just like that.

“He had since been buried. Good night, Baba,” the statement read.