A five-month-old gorilla, discovered last month in a carfo of a plane, is recovering at Istanbul’s Polonezkoy Zoo. Named Zeytin, meaning “Olive” in English, after a public competition run by Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the young gorilla is gaining weight and showing signs of recovery.
The infant gorilla, approximately 5 months old, was found in a container aboard a Turkish Airlines flight travelling from Nigeria to Thailand last month.
Wildlife officials are considering returning Zeytin to his natural habitat. “Of course, what we want and desire is for the baby gorilla … to continue its life in its homeland,” said Fahrettin Ulu, regional director of Istanbul Nature Conservation and National Parks. “What is important is that an absolutely safe environment is established in the place it goes to, which is extremely important for us,” he added, as quoted by the Associated Press.
Zeytin’s condition has improved significantly since his arrival. “When he first came, he was very shy, he would stay where we left him,” said veterinarian Gulfem Esmen. “He doesn’t have that shyness now. He doesn’t even care about us much. He plays games by himself.”
Both western and eastern gorilla species, found in central Africa, are endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Istanbul’s growing role as a major air hub has led to an increase in intercepted illegally traded animals. In a separate incident in October, customs officials at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport found 17 young Nile crocodiles and 10 monitor lizards in a passenger’s luggage.
