A baby Western lowland gorilla rescued from traffickers in Turkey is set to return to Nigeria after months of rehabilitation at the Polonezkoy Zoo in Istanbul.
The gorilla, named Zeytin, was just five months old when he was found crammed into a wooden crate in the cargo hold of a Turkish Airlines flight from Nigeria to Thailand in December 2024. Turkish authorities described the infant as terrified, sparking national and international attention.
“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,” said Fahrettin Ulu, regional director of Istanbul’s Nature Conservation and National Parks directorate.
Since his rescue, Zeytin has been cared for in a special section of the zoo. “When he first arrived, he weighed 9.4 kilograms, and now he weighs 16. And his height has increased from 62.5 to 80 centimetres. In other words, Zeytin, who was once a baby, has become a young gorilla,” Ulu added.
Zeytin has been observed playing actively in the zoo’s open areas, swinging from branches and interacting with his keeper, while also enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables. Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), animals rescued from trafficking must be returned to their country of origin, a process now underway with Nigerian authorities.
“We followed the legal procedures and investigated information regarding the rehabilitation centre in Nigeria, after which we decided to send him back,” Ulu said.
Conservationists warn that baby great apes are increasingly targeted for trafficking due to their manageability and demand for pets, social media content, or zoo displays. “Gorilla babies can be trafficked easily because they are young, very manageable and easy to transport, so the trend is increasing,” said Denis Mahonghol, TRAFFIC’s Central Africa director.
In Nigeria, Zeytin will be cared for temporarily by the Pandrillus Foundation, which will conduct DNA testing to confirm his origin and facilitate his integration with another young gorilla, Bili.
“At Drill Ranch we have another gorilla, a three-year-old female named Bili, who was confiscated by customs in Lagos two years ago. DNA testing has shown she is a Western lowland gorilla. We postponed our plans to transfer Bili to a habitat country sanctuary when we learnt of Zeytin so that he could join her while completing his quarantine. These two little orphans have suffered so much already in their very young lives,” said Liza Gadsby, director of the Pandrillus Foundation.
Authorities say the repatriation will allow Zeytin to eventually reintegrate into the wild in Nigeria, marking a critical step in protecting the critically endangered subspecies from illegal trade.
