A 420-year-old tortoise popularly known as ‘Baba’ has died at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oyo State, bringing an end to the life of an animal regarded as an important relic of the ancient Oyo Kingdom.
Baba reportedly died on Monday after falling ill and losing its appetite. The tortoise was subsequently buried, according to the palace.
The Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, disclosed this in a statement issued in Ibadan on Thursday.
Durojaiye said Baba had been cared for by successive Alaafins and had become an important part of the palace’s history and heritage.
According to him, the tortoise was more than an animal to the people of Oyo, as it represented part of the oral history of the Yoruba race and served as a link to the kingdom’s past.
The palace said oral tradition traced Baba’s origin to Oyo-Ile, the ancient capital of the Oyo Empire, from where it was brought to the present palace in Oyo town.
Over the years, Baba became a tourist attraction, drawing visitors to the palace who came to see the tortoise because of its reported age and size.
Two palace officials were reportedly assigned to care for the animal, which was fed with watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves and grass.
The palace said Baba fell ill on Monday and stopped eating before it eventually died.
Describing its death as the loss of a longstanding companion of the Alaafin, the palace said Baba had been inherited by successive monarchs as part of the relics associated with the ancestors of the kingdom.
It said the tortoise was regarded in Oyo as the oldest indigene and had enjoyed the affection of the people over the years.
The statement also linked Baba’s historical significance to Yoruba traditional beliefs concerning the relationship between the living, the dead and the unborn.
The palace referenced Wole Soyinka’s play, Death and the King’s Horseman, in explaining the cultural understanding of continuity between generations.
The statement said Baba had become a familiar presence at the ancient palace, attracting crowds during its lifetime.
The palace described the tortoise as strong and friendly, adding that its presence had contributed to the attraction of visitors to the historic site.
Baba was eventually buried following its death.
The palace, in its farewell message, said: “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.”
