420-Year-Old Oyo Palace Tortoise, Baba, Dies

The ancient palace of the Alaafin of Oyo has lost one of its most treasured historical relics with the death of Baba, a tortoise believed to have lived for about 420 years.

Baba died on Monday after a brief illness and was later buried within the palace premises.

The death was confirmed by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin of Oyo, Bode Durojaiye, who described the tortoise as a living part of Yoruba oral history.

Durojaiye said Baba suddenly became ill on Monday and stopped eating before he died a few hours later.

He explained that generations of Alaafins had inherited and cared for the tortoise as part of the palace’s historical relics.

“In Oyo, Baba was regarded as the oldest indigene. It was the Alaafin’s most besotted pet,” Durojaiye said.

According to him, the tortoise held a unique place in the palace and enjoyed the attention of successive monarchs.

The official said Baba was more than a reptile because of the historical significance attached to his long life.

He added that visitors from different parts of Nigeria and beyond often visited the palace to see the ancient tortoise.

Baba also earned his name because of his extraordinary age.

Durojaiye said nobody dared to address him by an ordinary name, as palace officials and visitors regarded him as an elder.

The tortoise was reportedly strong and friendly throughout its long life.

His presence also became one of the attractions that drew visitors to the historic Alaafin’s palace in Oyo town.

Oral accounts indicate that Baba came from Oyo-Ile, the former capital of the Oyo Empire, before reaching the present palace.

He subsequently outlived several Alaafins and remained under the care of successive rulers.

The palace assigned two officials to take special care of him while he lived.

His regular diet reportedly included watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves and grass.

Baba’s death has therefore rekindled interest in the relationship between historical memory, tradition and the Oyo royal institution.

His long life also offered a rare link between the present Oyo Kingdom and earlier generations of the empire.

The palace statement drew a literary connection between Baba’s story and Professor Wole Soyinka’s celebrated play, Death and the King’s Horseman.

The play explores the relationship between the living, the dead and the unborn through the traditional duties surrounding the Elesin Oba, the king’s horseman.

Unlike the horseman, the king’s horse and the king’s dog in the traditional account, Baba survived successive generations of rulers.

His longevity instead made him a symbol of continuity within the Oyo royal institution.

For decades, the tortoise remained at the palace while kings came and went, giving visitors a physical connection to a history preserved through generations.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade I, reportedly met Baba when he ascended the throne.

Following the tortoise’s death, the monarch is said to be considering plans to preserve its remains for future generations.

The proposed preservation would ensure that Baba remains part of the palace’s historical record despite his death.

For Oyo residents and visitors who knew the ancient tortoise as a palace attraction, his passing marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in the history of the Alaafin’s palace.

Baba’s death also leaves behind a story that spans centuries, successive monarchs and generations of Yoruba history.