ISTANBUL — A young gorilla that was rescued from the cargo hold of a plane is now recovering at an Istanbul zoo, according to officials on Sunday. Wildlife officers are contemplating returning him to his natural habitat.
The 5-month-old gorilla was found in a box on a Turkish Airlines flight from Nigeria to Thailand just last month. Following a public competition, he has been given the name Zeytin, which means Olive, and is currently recuperating at Polonezkoy Zoo.
“Our main wish and goal is for the baby gorilla to be able to live out its life in its natural habitat,” stated Fahrettin Ulu, the regional director of Istanbul Nature Conservation and National Parks, 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.”
In the weeks since he was found, Zeytin has gained weight and is showing signs of recovering from his traumatic journey.
“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.”
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. In October, 17 young Nile crocodiles and 10 monitor lizards were found in an Egyptian passenger’s luggage at the city’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport.
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