A tortoise named Baba, believed to be 420 years old and regarded as one of the oldest animals in Yorubaland, has died at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo after a brief illness.
The palace announced that Baba fell ill on Monday, refused to eat, and passed away hours later. He has since been buried within the palace grounds.
Confirming the death, Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, said Baba was more than a pet. “In Oyo, Baba was regarded as the oldest indigene. It was the Alaafin’s most besotted pet”, he said.
Successive Kings inherited and cared for the tortoise as part of the palace’s ancestral relics.The current Alaafin, Oba Abinbola Akeem Owoade 1, met Baba upon ascending the throne.
According to palace oral history, Baba was brought from Oyo-lle, the seat of the old Oyo Empire, to the present palace in Oyo town. Two officials were specifically assigned to look after him.
His diet included watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves, and grass. Over the years, the large tortoise became a tourist attraction, drawing visitors eager to see the living link to Oyo’s royal past.
The Alaafin is reportedly planning to preserve Baba’s remains so the ancient tortoise can continue to serve as symbol of continuity for posterity.
Palace officials described his death as the loss of an ageless companion and part of Yoruba oral history.
Baba, described as the oldest living animal in Yorubaland was a familiar presence at the palace and was regarded as a link between generations of Yoruba culture and history.
The ancient town of Oyo is mourning the death of the oldest living animal.
According to the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, generations of monarchs cared for Baba, with royal caretakers providing his favourite foods.
Two palace officials also monitored his health and daily routine.
“In Oyo, Baba was regarded as the oldest indigene”, Durojaiye said.
He said Baba had been “nourished by a succession of kings who inherited him as part of their ancestors’ relics”.
Over the decades, thousands of tourists and local visitors reportedly travelled to the ancient palace to see Baba, whose size, friendly disposition and claimed age made him a major attraction.
Durojaiye said the tortoise survived several monarchs, unlike some accounts of royal animals in Yoruba legends, which were associated with rituals involving the death of kings.
He said Baba stopped eating after falling ill on Monday and later died peacefully. His remains have since been buried within the palace grounds.
-9News Nigeria.
