The baby gorilla rescued from the cargo hold of the plane in Turkey is recovering – Milli
A five-month-old child the gorillaA man found in the cargo hold of a Turkish Airlines plane last month is recovering at a zoo in Istanbul while officials decide where he will live next.
It was a small primate found in the box The Associated Press reports that the flight from Nigeria to Thailand passed through Istanbul. His name was Zeytin, that is, Zeytun public competition.
For now, he is in the care of Istanbul’s Polonezköy Zoo, and wildlife officials say he may be returned to his natural habitat.
“Of course what we want and wish for is a baby gorilla continues his life in his homelandFahrettin Ulu, regional director of Istanbul Nature Protection and National Parks, told AP about this on Sunday.
“The important thing is to create a completely safe environment wherever it goes, which is extremely important to us.”
A vet looking after Olive is optimistic about her recovery at the zoo, saying she has improved since her arrival after the traumatic ordeal.
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Veterinarian Gülfem Esmen said, “When he first arrived, he was very shy and stayed where we put him.” “Now he has no such shyness. He’s not that interested in us. He is also playing games.”
According to Metro UK, it was a gorilla found in a small wooden chest By customs officials who tracked the cargo as part of the Turkish Ministry of Trade’s wildlife conservation efforts.
An endangered baby gorilla found by Turkish authorities at Istanbul Airport is seen in a box on December 22, 2024.
Turkish Ministry of Trade / Presentation/Anadolu via Getty Images
He was found wearing a white shirt, and he was handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the country.
A ministry spokesman said: “Little is doing well. It was seized during customs checks during illegal transportation without appropriate documents.
A baby gorilla, found by Turkish authorities at Istanbul airport on January 12, 2025, plays with toys in Istanbul.
Mehmet Murat Önel/Anadolu via Getty Images
“Employees of the General Administration of Nature Protection and National Parks provide rehabilitation and proper care.”
“The gorilla remains under close observation to ensure his recovery,” they said.
Zeytin, a five-month-old male gorilla rescued at Istanbul Airport, reacts with a keeper in a specially created section of a zoo in Istanbul on January 12, 2025.
Khalil Hamra / Associated Press
“Rehabilitators are working hard to restore the gorilla’s strength and health. Their care is aimed at providing a safe environment for the welfare of the animal.”
Both species of gorillas, the western and eastern gorillas, inhabiting the remote forests and mountains of Central Africa, are classified as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
As Istanbul emerges as a major air hub between the continents, customs officials become more and more intrusive illegally traded animals. Last 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.
— With files from the Associated Press
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