A baby gorilla was found in the cargo plane being recovered in a Turkish zoo

A young gorilla rescued from the cargo hold of the plane is recovering Istanbul zooWildlife officials are considering returning it to its natural habitat, officials said Sunday.

A 5-month-old gorilla was found in a box on a Turkish Airlines plane From Nigeria to Thailand last month. After the public competition, he was named Zeytin, that is, Olive, and is recovering in Polonezköy Zoo.

Fahrettin Ulu, regional director of Istanbul Nature Conservation and National Parks, said on Sunday, “Of course, our wish and desire is for the baby gorilla to continue its life in its homeland.”

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“The important thing is to create a completely safe environment wherever it goes, which is extremely important to us.”

Zeytin, a 5-month-old male gorilla rescued from Istanbul Airport, drinks milk in a specially created section of the zoo in Istanbul, January 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

In the weeks since he was found, Olive has put on weight and is showing signs of recovery from her traumatic trip.

Veterinarian Gülfem Esmen said, “When he first arrived, he was very shy and stayed where we put him.” “Now he doesn’t have such shyness. He is not so interested in us. He plays games himself.”

Both the western and eastern gorillas, which live in the remote forests and mountains of Central Africa, are classified as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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Istanbul emerges as a major air hub Customs officers between continents are increasingly intercepting 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.