420-Year-Old Palace Tortoise ‘Baba’ Dies After Outliving Generations of Oyo Kings
The palace says Baba fell ill and stopped eating before his death, ending the life of a tortoise regarded as a cherished relic and living link to Oyo’s royal history.
A tortoise known as “Baba”, which the Alaafin of Oyo’s Palace says lived for about 420 years, has died after reportedly surviving generations of monarchs in the historic Oyo Kingdom.
Baba died on Monday after falling ill and stopping eating, according to Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin of Oyo. The tortoise has since been buried inside the palace.
Durojaiye confirmed the death in a statement issued on Thursday, describing Baba as more than an ordinary palace animal and saying it had become part of the oral history of the Yoruba people.
“In Oyo, Baba was regarded as the oldest indigene. It was the Alaafin’s most besotted pet. The incumbent paramount ruler met it in the palace, as Baba was nourished by a succession of kings, who inherited him as part of the relics of their ancestors,” he said.
The palace’s oral history holds that Baba was brought from Oyo-Ile, the former capital of the old Oyo Empire, to the present palace in Oyo town.
Over the years, the tortoise became a familiar presence at the palace and an attraction for visitors who came to see the animal because of its reported extraordinary age and size.
Two palace officials were reportedly assigned to care for Baba, feeding it watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves and grass.
According to Durojaiye, the tortoise remained a cherished companion of successive Alaafins and became a symbol of continuity between generations of Oyo’s royal history.
“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 current Alaafin, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, reportedly met Baba when he assumed the throne. Palace officials said the monarch is considering ways to preserve the tortoise’s remains or memory for future generations.
Baba’s reported age, however, is based on palace oral tradition and has not been independently established through scientific records. Multiple reports confirming the death have similarly described the 420-year figure as a reported or believed age rather than a scientifically verified lifespan.
The tortoise’s reported longevity nevertheless gave it a special place in the cultural life of Oyo. Visitors reportedly made trips to the palace specifically to see Baba, turning the animal into an unusual tourist attraction and a living reminder of the kingdom’s long royal history.
The death of Baba has therefore marked the loss of a unique palace tradition that, according to the Alaafin’s account, connected successive generations of monarchs with the historical memory of Oyo-Ile and the old Oyo Empire.
“Baba fell ill on Monday, just a little sickness and couldn’t eat anymore. Then he died. Just like that,” Durojaiye said.
