Olushola Omogbehin
Oyo Empire has lost a 420-year-old tortoise widely known as Baba having succeeded many Alaafin at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oyo State.
As a symbol of history and tradition being popularly known as the oldest indigene of Oyo, Baba died on Monday after a brief illness.
Disclosing this in Ibadan on Thursday, the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, said Baba had been loved and cared for by successive Alaafins.
Describing Baba as more than a tortoise, Durajaiye said the animal had become a part of the oral history of the Yoruba people and a major attraction at the ancient palace
According to him, the incumbent Alaafin, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, met Baba at the palace after his ascension to the throne.
The palace said oral history traced Baba’s origin to Oyo-Ile, the old Oyo Empire, from where it was brought to the present palace in Oyo town.
“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.
“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 statement also revealed that two palace officials were assigned to cater for Baba, which fed on watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves and grass.
The statement added, “While he was alive, Baba was more than a diapsid. He was arguably the oldest living mammal in the world. He was venerated and loved by the people, who turned his abode in the Palace into a tourist point.
“Baba, the turtle, must have drawn its name from the fact that it was the oldest creature. No one could call him by his name, so Baba was adopted, indicating that it was a male. He drew his own crowd. Strong and friendly, Baba was the reason many people trooped to the ancient Palace in its days.
“In Oyo, Baba was regarded as the oldest indigene. It was the Paramount Ruler’’s most besotted pet. The Monarch met it in the Palace. Baba was nourished by a succession of kings, who inherited him as part of the relics of their ancestors.”
“Baba fell ill on Monday, just a little sickness and couldn’t eat anymore. Then he died. Just like that.
The death of the tortoise has also evoked memories of Yoruba beliefs about the connection between the living, the dead and the unborn.
He added that the current Alaafin planned to preserve Baba’s memory for future generations, saying the monarch was
determined to ensure that the animal’s place in the history of the kingdom would endure.
