On Sunday, Turkish officials announced that a five-month-old gorilla is recovering at an Istanbul zoo. Turkish Airlines workers rescued the young animal from a plane’s cargo hold last month. Now wildlife officers must decide how—and whether—to return the little ape to the wild.
Workers discovered the baby gorilla in a box on a Turkish Airlines flight. The plane was on its way from Nigeria to Thailand.
Turkish officials held a public contest to name the gorilla. In the end, social media users chose the name Zeytin. The word is Turkish for olive. Other monikers in the running were Üzüm (grape), Kömür (coal), and Misket (marble).
Both the western and eastern gorilla species populate central Africa’s remote forests and mountains. A global conservation group classifies both as endangered.
Fahrettin Ulu is a director of Istanbul Nature Conservation and National Parks. He says, “Of course, what we want and desire is for the baby gorilla . . . to continue its life in its homeland.” He adds that finding a “safe environment . . . is extremely important for us.”
Istanbul has become a major air hub between Europe and Asia. Because of the increasing amount of travel through its airports, Turkish customs officials are finding more illegally traded animals. In October, officials found 17 young Nile crocodiles and 10 monitor lizards in a passenger’s luggage.
For now, baby ape Zeytin is recovering at Istanbul’s Polonezkoy Zoo. He’s receiving near round-the-clock care that includes blankets, snacks, and even stuffed animal toys.
In the weeks since being found, Zeytin has gained weight. The gorilla is also showing signs of recovering from what was likely a traumatic journey.
“When he first came, he was very shy, he would stay where we left him,” says veterinarian Gulfem Esmen. “He doesn’t have that shyness now. He doesn’t even care about us much. He plays games by himself.”
