A five-month-old gorilla, discovered in the cargo hold on a Turkish Airlines flight last month, is recovering at a zoo in Istanbul while officials decide where he should live next.
The tiny primate was found in a box on a flight from Nigeria to Thailand that travelled through Istanbul, reports The Associated Press. He was named Zeytin, or Olive, in a public competition.
For now, he remains under the care of Polonezkoy Zoo in Istanbul, and wildlife officers say he could be returned to his natural habitat.
“Of course, what we want and desire is for the baby gorilla … to continue its life in its homeland,” Fahrettin Ulu, regional director of Istanbul Nature Conservation and National Parks, told AP on Sunday.
“What is important is that an absolutely safe environment is established in the place it goes to, which is extremely important for us.”
One veterinarian overseeing Zeytin is optimistic about his recuperation in the zoo and said he’s showing improvement since he arrived following the traumatic ordeal.
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“When he first came, he was very shy, he would stay where we left him,” said veterinarian Gulfem Esmen. “He doesn’t have that shyness now. He doesn’t even care about us much. He plays games by himself.”
According to Metro UK, the gorilla was found inside a small wooden crate by custom officials from Turkey’s Ministry of Trade, who had tracked the shipment as part of its wildlife protection efforts.
An endangered baby gorilla, found by Turkish authorities at Istanbul Airport, is seen in a box on Dec. 22, 2024.
Turkish Ministry of Trade / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images
He was found wearing a white T-shirt, and was transferred into the care of the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
A ministry spokesperson said: “The little one is doing well. It was confiscated during customs checks while being illegally transported without proper documentation.
A baby gorilla, found by Turkish authorities at Istanbul Airport, plays with toys in Istanbul, Turkey on Jan. 12, 2025.
Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty Images
“The General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks personnel are providing rehabilitation and necessary care.”
“The gorilla remains under close observation to ensure its recovery,” they added.
Zeytin, a five-month-old male gorilla who was rescued at Istanbul Airport, reacts with a keeper in a specially created section of a zoo, in Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan. 12, 2025.
Khalil Hamra / The Associated Press
“Rehabilitation experts are working diligently to help the gorilla regain strength and health. Their care aims to provide a safe environment for the animal’s well-being.”
Both gorilla species — the western and eastern gorillas, which populate Central Africa’s remote forests and mountains — are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
As Istanbul emerges as a major air hub between continents, customs officials have increasingly intercepted illegally traded animals. Last October, 17 young Nile crocodiles and 10 monitor lizards were found in an Egyptian passenger’s luggage at the city’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport.
— With files from The Associated Press
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