Baby gorilla rescued at Istanbul airport to return to Nigeria

A young gorilla, discovered in a box by Turkish customs officers at Istanbul Airport in December 2024, is set to return to its native Nigeria.

Named Zeytin, meaning “olive” in Turkish, the baby gorilla was smuggled from Nigeria to Thailand when it was rescued.

Since then, Zeytin has been cared for at an Istanbul zoo, where it has grown into a healthy young gorilla.

“Zeytin has now become a young gorilla. Our goal is to ensure he continues his life in ideal conditions,” said Fahrettin Ulu, Istanbul’s regional director for the agricultural ministry.

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Zeytin is believed to be a Western lowland gorilla, a critically endangered subspecies native to the rain forests of central Africa whose numbers have plummeted in recent decades because of deforestation, hunting and disease.

West and Central Africa are major sources of trafficking, with a 2013 UN environment programme report – the latest official figures available – saying 3,174 great apes were lost annually to illegal trade, based on the numbers seized, with a great many more going undetected.

Ulu told AFP: “It was the first time a gorilla has been confiscated at Istanbul airport.

“He was found inside a small box, and he was terrified: you could see it in his eyes.”

The Star