Historic Oyo Palace Tortoise ‘Baba’, Reported to Be 420 Years Old, Dies

The historic tortoise of the Oyo Kingdom, popularly known as “Baba,” has died at the reported age of 420 years after spending generations at the palace of the Alaafin.

The tortoise, which had become a notable relic and attraction at the palace, was reportedly buried following its death, bringing to an end the life of an animal closely associated with the history and oral traditions of the Yoruba people.

The Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, disclosed the development, describing Baba as more than an ordinary tortoise because of its longstanding connection with the Oyo royal institution and Yoruba history.

According to Durojaiye, the current Alaafin, His Imperial Majesty, Iku Baba Yeye, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, met Baba at the palace upon ascending the throne, where successive Alaafins had cared for the tortoise and preserved it as part of the relics associated with their ancestors.

“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,” Durojaiye said.

He added that Baba represented “a part of the oral history of the Yoruba race.”

The Palace’s historical account states that Baba was brought from Oyo-Ile, the former capital of the Oyo Empire, to the present-day Oyo town, where it remained at the palace and eventually became a tourist attraction for residents, historians and visitors.

Baba was reportedly fed mainly with watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves and grass. Its reported extraordinary longevity, coupled with its name—meaning “father” in Yoruba—contributed to the special status it enjoyed within the palace.

The tortoise reportedly fell ill on Monday and subsequently stopped eating before its death.

For generations, Baba remained a familiar presence within the Alaafin’s Palace, surviving successive reigns and becoming a living symbol of Oyo’s connection with its royal and cultural past.

Although the reported age of 420 years forms part of the Palace’s historical account and oral tradition, the exact age of the tortoise cannot be independently established from the information available.

With Baba now buried, the Alaafin’s Palace is expected to preserve the memory of the historic tortoise, whose remarkable story had, over the years, become part of the cultural heritage and enduring historical narrative of Oyo.