A young gorilla rescued from a plane hijacking is recovering at an Istanbul zoo

A a small gorilla He was rescued from a cargo hold and is recovering at a zoo in Istanbul, officials said Sunday, as police considered returning him to his natural habitat.

A five-month-old gorilla was found in a box on a Turkish Airlines flight from Nigeria to Thailand last month. After the public competition, he is named Zeytin, or Olive, and is recuperating at the Polonezkoy Zoo.

“Yes, what we want and wish is for the baby gorilla … to continue his life in his country,” said Fahrettin Ulu, the regional director of Istanbul Nature Conservation and National Parks, on Sunday.

“The important thing is to establish a completely safe environment in the destination, which is very important to us.”

In the weeks since he was found, Zeytin has gained weight and is showing signs of recovery from his painful journey.

“When he first arrived, he was shy, he stayed where we left him,” said veterinarian Gulfem Esmen. “He doesn’t have those eyes anymore. He doesn’t care about us anymore. He plays alone.”

Both species of gorillas – the western and eastern gorillas, which live in the forests and remote mountains of Africa – are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

As Istanbul emerges as a major intercontinental air hub, transit officials have stepped up their efforts to catch smuggled animals. In October, 17 Nile crocodiles and 10 lizards were found in the luggage of an Egyptian passenger at Sabiha Gokcen Airport.