Baba
Baba was a tortoise. He lived at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo in Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria, until he died in September 2026. The palace said the animal was ab…
| Species | Tortoise (species not independently established) |
|---|---|
| Born | Disputed; estimated by the palace as approximately 1606 |
| Died | September 2026 Palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria |
| Owner | Alaafin of Oyo |
Baba was a tortoise. He lived at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo in Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria, until he died in September 2026. The palace said the animal was about 420 years old. They said he came from Oyo-Ile, the old capital of the Old Oyo Empire.[1] There were no birth records or science proof for this age. Pulse Nigeria said this would make Baba more than two times older than Jonathan. Jonathan is a Seychelles giant tortoise. Guinness World Records said Jonathan was the oldest living tortoise at 194 years old in 2026.[2] Many Alaafins took care of Baba over the years. Palace officials said he was a cultural and historical symbol of the Oyo Kingdom.[3]
History and where he came from
The palace of the Alaafin of Oyo has an old story that is passed down by word of mouth. This story says Baba came from Oyo-Ile, the seat of the old Oyo Empire. He was then brought to the palace in Oyo town.[3] The palace said many Alaafins took care of the tortoise. They saw him as part of the old things that belong to the palace.[3] People said the current Alaafin, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, found Baba already living in the palace after he became king.[3]
If the palace guess of about 420 years is true, the tortoise was born around the year 1606. This is many hundreds of years before modern Nigeria existed.[2]
Care and daily life
Two palace officials were given the job of taking care of Baba.[1] The tortoise was fed watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves, and grass.[4] The palace said Baba was friendly. They said his age and big size made people want to come and see him at the palace. The area around his home was a place for visitors to look at inside the palace grounds.[1]
Death and burial
Baba got sick on a Monday in September 2026. He stopped eating and then died.[1] The Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, said in a statement that the tortoise died. He gave the statement in Ibadan on Thursday 17 September 2026.[1] The tortoise was then buried at the palace.[3] Durojaiye said the current Alaafin plans to keep Baba's memory alive for people in the future.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Adegbite, Ademola (17 September 2026). "420-year-old tortoise at Alaafin's palace dies in Oyo". The Punch. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Adesanya, Gloria (18 September 2026). "Alaafin's '420-year-old' tortoise is dead — but how old was Baba really?". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Agboluaje, Rotimi (17 September 2026). "420-year-old Alaafin's palace tortoise dies". The Guardian Nigeria. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Adeniran, Yinka (17 September 2026). "Oyo mourns as Alaafin's 420-year-old tortoise dies". The Nation. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
See also
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