A young gorilla rescued from the hold of a plane recovers at a Istanbul zoo, officials said Sunday, as wildlife officials consider returning it to its natural habitat.
The 5-month-old gorilla was discovered in a box on a Turkish Airlines flight from Nigeria to Thailand last month. After a public competition, he was named Zeytin, or Olive, and is recovering at the Polonezkoy Zoo.
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“Of course, what we want and desire is for the baby gorilla… to continue its life in its country of origin,” Fahrettin Ulu, regional director of nature conservation and national parks, said on Sunday from Istanbul.
“What is important is that an absolutely safe environment is established where it is sent, which is extremely important to us.”
In the weeks since his discovery, Zeytin has gained weight and is showing signs of healing from his traumatic journey.
Khalil Hamra / AP
“When he arrived, he was very shy, he stayed where we left him,” said veterinarian Gulfem Esmen. “He doesn’t have that shyness anymore. He doesn’t even care much about us. He plays games by himself.
Both gorilla species – the western and eastern gorillas, which inhabit the remote forests and mountains of central Africa – are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Khalil Hamra / AP
As Istanbul emerges as a major air hub between continents, customs officials are intercepting more and more illegally traded animals. In October, 17 young Nile crocodiles and 10 monitor lizards were discovered in the luggage of an Egyptian passenger at the city’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport.