ALAGBA, THE PRIDE OF OGBOMOSOLAND

At 343, Alagba is the oldest tortoise in the world. It is the pride of Ogbomosoland.

Soun Ikumoyede, the third Soun of Ogbomosoland, a passionate and charismatic hunter went into the bush on a fateful day to hunt for bush meats but he found a little tortoise instead of finding meats. Then, he decided to bring the tortoise to the palace for keeps.

Then, the tortoise got accustomed to the Ogbomoso people and its environs. The tortoise eats regular yoruba meals like amala, rice, pawpaw, grass and drinks a bucket of water at once on a weekly basis. The palace gatemen provides water for the tortoise by the time it crawls to the gate. The gatemen also bathe the tortoise once in a week.

In 2010, the tortoise suddenly developed a lump on the right side of its mouth. The Soun, HRM Oba Dr Oladunni Oyewumi was duly informed and he ordered that, the tortoise be referred to the Veterinary Hospital, Mokola, Ibadan for medical attention. The doctors said that, the tortoise have a minor chance of survival if they carry out a surgical operation on it. So, the palace decided to avoid the operation and the tortoise was returned to the palace without the operation carried out on it.

Today, the tortoise is hale and hearty at the palace, living with the lump though, but the lump did not take away the charisma and prestige attached with the personality of the tortoise in the palace.

The current Soun is the twentieth Soun of Ogbomosoland. Apparently, Alagba have lived with eighteen Souns and still counting.

The Ogbomosos believe that, the tortoise is a protective element and core part of the existence of Ogbomosoland. They also believe that, the tortoise hears whoever communicates with it. In addition, they usually urge tourists to pray to it so that, they can also live long.

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Interesting.


You mean the tortoise really answer prayers for long life? Like seriously?..


And are there documentations to show that this is the same tortoise that had been in the temple for decades?