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Rescued infant gorilla recuperating at Istanbul zoo is set for return to his natural habitat in Nigeria

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

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.

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