A young gorilla rescued from a plane’s cargo hold is recovering at an Istanbul zoo while wildlife officers consider returning him to his natural habitat.

Istanbul’s airports have become hotspots for stopping illegal wildlife trafficking. In October, customs officials found 17 young Nile crocodiles and 10 monitor lizards hidden in a passenger’s luggage at Sabiha Gokcen Airport.

Last month, a juvenile gorilla was found onboard a Turkish Airlines flight from Nigeria to Thailand. Officials believe the gorilla was being trafficked for the illegal wildlife trade, finding the 5-month-old ape in a box within the plane’s cargo hold at Istanbul Airport.

A baby gorilla named Zeytin found in the cargo of a Turkish Airlines flight is recovering at Istanbul's Polonezkoy Zoo. Discovered last month on a plane from Nigeria to Thailand, Zeytin is showing signs of recovery and gaining weight.

A 5-month-old gorilla rescued from a Turkish Airlines plane's cargo hold is now recovering at a zoo in Istanbul, officials announced Sunday.

A five month old baby Gorilla has been found in the cargo hold of a Turkish airlines flight zookeepers are debating what to do with the stowaway – the public has named him, Zeytin