Turkish zoo nursing baby gorilla discovered in plane cargo.

On Sunday, officials announced that a young gorilla saved from a plane's cargo hold is recuperating at an Istanbul zoo. Meanwhile, wildlife authorities are contemplating whether to return him to his natural environment.

Last month, a 5-month-old gorilla was discovered in a box on a Turkish Airlines flight from Nigeria to Thailand. After a public competition, he has been named Zeytin, or Olive, and is recuperating at Polonezkoy Zoo.

Fahrettin Ulu, the regional director of Istanbul Nature Conservation and National Parks, stated on Sunday that, of course, what we want and desire is for the baby gorilla to continue its life in its homeland.

"It is crucial to establish a completely safe environment for it to go to, which is of utmost importance to us."

Since his discovery, Zeytin has regained weight and exhibits indications of recovery from his harrowing experience.

"Gulfem Esmen, a veterinarian, stated that when the dog first arrived, he was extremely shy and would remain in the same spot where they left him. However, now the dog is no longer shy and doesn't seem to care much about people. He enjoys playing games on his own."

Both western and eastern gorillas, found in central Africa's forests and mountains, are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Customs officials in Istanbul have been increasingly intercepting illegally traded animals, including 17 young Nile crocodiles and 10 monitor lizards found in an Egyptian passenger's luggage at the Sabiha Gokcen Airport in October.