End Of An Era As Alaafin’s Centuries-Old Tortoise ‘Baba’ Dies

The Alaafin of Oyo’s Palace has lost one of its oldest and most cherished residents, as ‘Baba’, a tortoise believed by the Palace to have lived for about 420 years, has died and been buried in Oyo.

The ancient reptile, which had become a familiar sight and tourist attraction at the historic Palace, reportedly died on Monday after a brief illness.

Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, disclosed this in a statement made available to New Telegraph on Thursday.

According to Durojaiye, Baba was not merely a Palace pet but had become part of the cultural and oral history surrounding the Alaafin institution, having survived generations of monarchs.

He said the tortoise was believed to have been brought from Oyo-Ile, the ancient Oyo Empire, to the present-day Palace in Oyo town.

“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.

He explained that the reptile derived its name from its exceptional age, noting that no one referred to it by an individual name, with the title ‘Baba’ eventually becoming its identity among Palace residents and visitors.

Durojaiye said successive Alaafins had cared for the tortoise as part of the relics inherited from previous generations, while two Palace officials were assigned responsibility for its welfare.

Over the years, Baba became a notable attraction for visitors to the Palace, with tourists and residents reportedly making trips to see the unusually old reptile.

“Baba was a tourist attraction as many people trooped into the Palace to see and experience Baba due to its age and strength. It was the reason so many people visited Oyo and the Palace,” the statement said.

The Palace also described Baba as a strong and friendly creature whose presence added to the historical appeal of the ancient institution.

Durojaiye said the tortoise became ill on Monday, stopped eating and subsequently died.

He said the Alaafin, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, would miss the animal, which had occupied a unique place within the Palace for generations.

The Palace said Baba was fed with items including watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves and grass during its lifetime.

The death has also rekindled attention on the cultural and tourism value of historic relics associated with the Alaafin institution, particularly those linked to the ancient Oyo Empire.

The Palace had reportedly hoped to preserve Baba for another century as part of the institution’s living heritage.

With the tortoise now buried, one of the Palace’s most unusual links to generations of Alaafins has come to an end.