Authorities at Istanbul Airport have intercepted an endangered baby gorilla being smuggled from Nigeria to Bangkok. The discovery, reported by Daily Sabah on December 22, highlights ongoing efforts to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.
The Customs Enforcement Smuggling and Intelligence Directorate flagged the container as part of its risk analysis operations aimed at protecting wildlife. Upon inspection, officials uncovered a “western gorilla,” a species classified under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This designation underscores its critically endangered status and restricts its trade to exceptional circumstances, such as scientific research.
Native to Africa, western gorillas face significant threats from habitat destruction and illegal trade, with only about 100 reportedly remaining in Nigeria last year. The baby gorilla, now under the care of Turkey’s Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, is reportedly in improved condition since its rescue.
Edwin Wiek of the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand has called on Thai authorities, including the National Parks and Wildlife Department, to investigate the smugglers behind the attempt to traffic the animal into Thailand. Wiek noted the potential destination might have been a third country and estimated the value of such an animal at 2-3 million Thai baht.
Highlighting broader concerns, Wiek revealed that several orangutans had recently been smuggled into Thailand from Indonesia. He emphasized the importance of targeting key players in smuggling networks to dismantle the illicit wildlife trade, rather than focusing on low-level offenders.
