Meet Alagba, A 330-Year-Old Tortoise Found In Ogbomoso, Oyo State (Pics)

Alagba 330 years is still alive at the palace of
Ogbomoso King in Oyo State.The legendary
tortoise who lumbers about in the palace is
popularly called “the elderly one”.
Since Alagba is believed to be older than
everyone in Ogbomoso, permutations about its
true age relies heavily on oral history. Its present
age was arrived at by situating it with the period
of the Soun who reigned then. Alagba was
allegedly brought to the palace by Soun
Ikumoyede Ajao,the third Soun of Ogbomoso,
who is believed to have been born sometime in
the late 16th century and who reigned in the
17th.
Mr. Ajamu Oluwatoyin, the secretary of the
current Soun says dating of the kingship of
Ogbomoso was started by the elite in 1797
during the reign of Oba
Toyeje Akanni (1797 to 1825), the fourth Soun
and one time Are Ona Kakanfo (the Yoruba
Nation Generalissimo).Tourism is never complete
in Oyo State without visiting the ancient giant
male land tortoise.It is a sacrilege to call Alagba
a mere tortoise in Ogbomosoland.

, a giant male land tortoise believed to be