The gorilla has now been named Zeytin, olive in Swedish, after a public contest and is being cared for at Polonezkoy Zoo in Istanbul.
In recent weeks, the young one has gained weight and the authorities are now considering returning him to his natural habitat.
When he first arrived, he was shy and stayed where we left him, says veterinarian Gulfem Esmen and continues:
He's not as shy anymore. He doesn't even care much about us. He plays games by himself.
The plane was en route from Nigeria to Thailand. As Istanbul becomes a flight hub between continents, customs officials have discovered more illegally traded animals. In October last year, 17 young Nile crocodiles and ten monitor lizards were found in an Egyptian passenger's luggage.
Gorillas, both the western and eastern species, are classified as endangered.
