Customs enforcement teams from the Ministry of Trade intercepted an attempt to smuggle an endangered baby gorilla via Istanbul Airport.

According to a statement from the ministry, the Customs Enforcement Smuggling and Intelligence Directorate at Istanbul Airport tracked a cage-type cargo shipment departing from Nigeria and destined for Bangkok as part of risk analysis efforts aimed at protecting wildlife and natural habitats.

Upon inspection, the team discovered that the cage contained a "western gorilla," a species listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), indicating its critically endangered status.

Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants. These species are threatened with extinction, and international trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances, such as for scientific research.

Appendix I includes species like the western lowland gorilla, highlighting the critical need to protect them from exploitation. It aims to ensure that trade does not contribute to the further decline of these vulnerable populations.

The baby gorilla has been handed over to the relevant units of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.