A baby gorilla was rescued from an attempted smuggling operation at a Turkish airport last month.
The five-month-old gorilla, now recovering at the Polonezkoy Zoo in Istanbul, was found by authorities in the cargo hold of a Turkish Airlines plane.
According to officials, the gorilla was named “Zeytin” through a public competition. He was traveling last month when he was rescued in Istanbul while en route to Thailand.
Fahrettin Ulu, the regional director of Istanbul’s nature conservation and national parks, shared with the press on Sunday, “Of course, what we want and desire is for the baby gorilla… to continue its life in its homeland.”
He continued, “What is important is that an absolutely safe environment is established in the place it goes to, which is extremely important for us.”
Additionally, officials shared Zeytin’s recovery journey, informing that he has gained weight after his traumatic experiences.
Gulfem Esmen, the veterinarian responsible for the five-month-old, revealed that Zeytin has overcome his initial shyness and has started playing games by himself in front of others.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified both western and eastern gorillas, which inhabit central Africa’s remote forests and mountains, as critically endangered since 2007 and 2016, respectively.
As Istanbul is located at the center of several air travel routes, customs officials have observed an increase in illegal animal trade.
Earlier 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.
