Baby gorilla wearing t-shirt found stuffed inside crate at Istanbul airport, rescued

Authorities in Turkey have rescued a smuggled baby gorilla that was found stuffed inside a small crate.

Updated on: Dec 24, 2024 1:09 PM IST

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Authorities in Turkey have rescued a smuggled baby gorilla that was found stuffed inside a small crate. The endangered animal was being transported from Nigeria to Thailand via Turkey when the shipment was intercepted and the gorilla was rescued.

A baby gorilla was rescued while being smuggled through Turkey (X/@TCTarim)

Footage shared on social media by Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry shows the baby gorilla, wearing a t-shirt, being rescued from the crate in which it was being transported. The video also shows two employees taking care of the gorilla and feeding it through a baby bottle.

Watch the video below:

The western gorilla is listed as an endangered species and its trade is only allowed in special circumstances, such as scientific research.

Turkish authorities said that the baby gorilla was being smuggled without proper documentation. Turkey’s Ministry of Trade tracked the shipment as part of its efforts to protect wildlife. The Customs Enforcement teams of the Ministry of Trade seized the crate at Istanbul airport and found the baby gorilla inside.

The Ministry said that the gorilla’s health is improving but the animal is still under observation. The gorilla is being cared for by National Parks staff. However, it is not clear where the baby gorilla will be kept permanently after its health improves.

About the western gorilla

The western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) is one of the two species of gorillas, the other being the eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei). They are found mostly in the tropical rainforests of central and western Africa, including countries like Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic.

Western gorillas are primarily herbivorous, consuming a diet of fruits, leaves, stems and roots. Males of the species weigh between 140-200 kg, while females can weigh up to 100 kg.

The western gorilla is classified as critically endangered due to habitat loss, population decline because of diseases, poaching etc.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sanya Jain
Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.Read More

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