A baby western lowland gorilla was rescued at an airport in Turkey while being transported from Nigeria to Thailand.

The gorilla, dressed in a t-shirt, was found inside a small wooden crate at Istanbul Airport on December 22.

Officials said the animal was part of a cargo shipment being transported from Nigeria to Bangkok, where there were plans for it to be sold on the black market.

The Customs Enforcement Smuggling and Intelligence Directorate tracked and inspected the shipment as part of its risk analysis efforts aimed at protecting wildlife and natural habitats.

After the rescue, the gorilla was handed over to the Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Ministry.
An update on December 24 revealed that the animal appeared to be in better condition.

The animal was identified as a western lowland gorilla, listed under Appendix I of CITES and classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

This species is threatened with extinction, and international trade is permitted only under exceptional circumstances, such as for scientific research.

Edwin Wiek from the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand urged the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression to investigate and identify the smugglers attempting to bring the gorilla into Thailand.

He speculated that the animal may have been destined for another country, where it could fetch a higher price.

He also added that several orangutans were smuggled into Thailand earlier this month from Indonesia.