Baby gorilla rescued from plane cargo recuperates in Istanbul ahead of return home

An infant gorilla that was rescued from a plane’s cargo hold is recuperating at an Istanbul zoo ahead of a return to his natural habitat in Nigeria. Footage shared by The Associated Press on Thursday (21 August) shows Zeytin, who is around a year old, beating his chest and playing on the swings at Polonezkoy Zoo Park. Zeytin was smuggled onboard a Turkish Airlines from Nigeria to Thailand flight in December. Since he was found in the hold, Zeytin has been recuperating at the park in a “safe, isolated, and sterile environment,” where he has put on weight and bonded with his caretakers.