A young gorilla rescued from the cargo compartment of an airplane is recovering at a zoo in Istanbul, officials reported Sunday, while nature protection services study the possibility of 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 has been appointed Zeytin, or Oliveand is recovering at the Polonezkoy Zoo.
“Of course, what we want and desire is for the baby gorilla… to continue its life in its homeland.”Fahrettin Ulu, regional director of Nature Conservation and National Parks in Istanbul, said on Sunday.
“The important thing is that an absolutely safe environment is established where you go, which is extremely important to us.”
In the weeks since he was found, Zeytin has gained weight and is showing signs of recovery from his traumatic trip.
“When he first arrived, he was very shy, he would stay where we left him,” said veterinarian Gulfem Esmen. “Now he doesn’t have that shyness. He doesn’t even care much about us. “Play alone.”
Both species of gorilla —the western and eastern gorillas, which populate the remote forests and mountains of central Africa— are classified as danger of extinction 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 the luggage of an Egyptian passenger at the city’s Sabiha Gokcen airport.