A 5-month-old gorilla who after a public competition has been named Zeytin or Olive, was discovered in a box on a Turkish Airlines flight from Nigeria to Thailand last month.
He was rescued from a plane’s cargo hold and is recuperating at Polonezkoy Zoo in Istanbul, officials said Sunday, while wildlife officers consider returning him to his natural habitat.
“Of course, what we want and desire is for the baby gorilla … to continue its life in its homeland,” Fahrettin Ulu, regional director of Istanbul Nature Conservation and National Parks, said Sunday.
He added that what is important is that a safe environment is established in the place it goes to, which is extremely important.
According to veterinarian Gulfem Esmen, When he first came, he was very shy, he would stay where he was left but he doesn’t have that shyness now. He doesn’t even care about them much as he plays games by himself.
In the weeks since he was found, Zeytin has gained weight and is showing signs of recovering from his traumatic journey.
The western and eastern gorillas, which populate central Africa’s remote forests and mountains — are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Istanbul has emerged as a major air hub between continents, and customs officials have increasingly intercepted Illegally traded animals. 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.