A tortoise believed to have lived for about 420 years has died at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo in Oyo State.
The tortoise, popularly called Baba, reportedly died on Monday after falling ill and losing its appetite. It was subsequently buried.
The development was announced on Thursday by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, in a statement issued in Ibadan.
Baba was regarded by the palace as a significant historical relic and had reportedly been cared for by successive Alaafins.
Durojaiye said the animal represented more than a palace pet because of its connection with the history and traditions of the ancient Oyo Kingdom.
“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,” he said.
According to the palace, oral accounts traced Baba’s origin to Oyo-Ile, the ancient capital of the Oyo Empire, before the animal was brought to the present-day palace in Oyo town.
The tortoise reportedly became a major attraction for visitors to the palace, who came to see it because of its extraordinary age and size.
Two palace officials were said to have been responsible for feeding and caring for Baba. Its reported diet included watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves and grass.
The palace described Baba as a longstanding part of the institution, saying successive monarchs inherited and cared for the tortoise as part of the historical relics associated with the palace.
It stated, “While he was alive, Baba was more than a diapsid. He was arguably the oldest living mammal in the world.”
The statement also said the tortoise was regarded by residents as one of the oldest inhabitants of Oyo and attracted crowds to the palace during its lifetime.
The palace linked Baba’s symbolic importance to Yoruba traditional beliefs concerning the relationship between the living, the dead and those yet to be born.
It also referenced Wole Soyinka’s play, Death and the King’s Horseman, in explaining the cultural significance attached to the tortoise.
The palace said Baba became ill on Monday and stopped eating shortly before his death.
“Baba fell ill on Monday, just a little sickness and couldn’t eat anymore. Then he died. Just like that,” the statement said.
Confirming that the tortoise had been buried, the palace added, “He had since been buried. Good night, Baba.”
The death of the tortoise has marked the loss of a creature that had, for generations, been associated with the history, heritage and tourism of the Alaafin’s Palace.
