A smuggled baby gorilla was discovered inside a small wooden crate at Istanbul Airport in Turkey.
The endangered animal was part of a cargo shipment from Nigeria that was on its way to Bangkok in Thailand.
Custom enforcement teams from Turkey’s Ministry of Trade had tracked the shipment as part of efforts to protect wildlife and natural habitats.
When they opened the crate today they found a western gorilla, which is listed as an endangered species that should be protected from exploitation.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) says international trade of endangered species is only allowed in exceptional circumstances, such as scientific research.
The baby gorilla has been handed over to the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Daily Sabah reports.
Last month a suspected spider smuggler was arrested after allegedly strapping hundreds of tarantulas to his body as he walked through airport security.
The unnamed 28-year-old South Korean was detained at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima after officers noticed he had a peculiar ‘swollen stomach’.
Concealed beneath his jumper were 300 tarantulas, around 100 centipedes and nine stinging bullet ants in small plastic bags, police said.
In September, meanwhile, customs officers got a shock when checking a plane passenger’s carry-on luggage and discovering a massive albino Burmese python.
Footage shows the suspect going through security at Tashkent airport in Uzbekistan before being instructed to open his carry-on luggage.
He then unzips the bag and reveals the 10 foot long snake curled up asleep inside it.
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