Alaafin's palace mourns beloved tortoise

The 420-year-old tortoise named Baba has died at the Alaafin’s Palace in Oyo and has been buried.

The Alaafin of Oyo’s palace is in mourning over Baba, a tortoise that lived for about 420 years. Baba was a cherished part of the history of the ancient Oyo Kingdom.

Baba reportedly passed away on Monday after falling ill. The palace later buried him, marking the end of what they called a centuries-old presence that outlasted many Alaafins.

Bode Durojaiye, the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, shared this news in a statement from Ibadan on Thursday.

Durojaiye explained that Baba was more than just a tortoise to the palace. He said Baba was part of the oral history and culture of the Yoruba people.

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

According to the palace, Baba originally came from Oyo-Ile, the ancient capital of the Oyo Empire. He was later brought to the current palace in Oyo town.

Over the years, Baba became a well-known sight at the palace. Many visitors came to see him because of his remarkable age and size.

The palace mentioned that two officials took care of Baba. They fed him watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves, and grass.

On Monday, Baba fell ill and stopped eating before he died. The palace statement called Baba a long-time companion of many Alaafins. Each king inherited the tortoise as part of the royal relics.

“No one could call him by his name, so Baba was adopted, indicating that it was a male. He drew his own crowd. Strong and friendly, Baba was the reason many people trooped to the ancient palace in his days,” the statement said.

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

The palace also connected Baba’s role in Oyo history to Yoruba beliefs about the living, the dead, and the unborn. They referenced Wole Soyinka’s play, Death and the King’s Horseman.

The statement described Baba as a symbol of the palace’s oral tradition. His death is seen as the loss of a long-time companion and an attraction that drew visitors to the historic palace.

The statement concluded, “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.”