The Alaafin of Oyo’s palace has announced the death of Baba, a tortoise reputed to have lived for about 420 years and to have been part of the palace’s history for generations.

Baba reportedly died on Monday after a brief illness during which it stopped eating. Its remains were subsequently buried within the palace grounds.

The Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, Bode Durojaiye, confirmed the development, saying Baba had been inherited by successive Alaafins and was regarded as an important part of the palace’s history and tradition.

According to palace oral history, the tortoise was brought from Oyo-Ile, the ancient capital of the Oyo Empire, to the present-day palace in Oyo town.

The current Alaafin reportedly met Baba at the palace when he ascended the throne and continued the tradition of caring for the animal. Two palace attendants were assigned to its care, while its reported diet included watermelon, grass and corn pap wrapped in leaves.

Over the years, Baba became an attraction for visitors to the palace because of its reputed longevity and association with successive generations of Alaafins.

Durojaiye described the tortoise as more than an ordinary palace animal, saying it had become part of the oral history and cultural heritage of the Yoruba people.

However, the claim that Baba lived for 420 years has not been independently or scientifically verified. While the age attributed to the tortoise would make it one of the oldest known living animals in Nigeria, the exact age remains uncertain.

News of Baba’s death has since generated reactions on social media, with some questioning the reported age while others maintained that its historical association with the Alaafin’s palace remains significant regardless of its precise lifespan.

The palace said Baba was buried within the grounds where it had reportedly lived for generations.