Newsletters
Animal keeper Tugce Nur Bostanci moved from Kocaeli to Izmir rather than leave behind four gibbons she had cared for for years after the private zoo where they lived shut down.
The four animals were transferred in August from the closed private zoo in Darica, a district of northwestern Kocaeli province, to Izmir Wildlife Park, according to a statement from Izmir Metropolitan Municipality.
Among them are two white-handed gibbons, 19-year-old male Bruno and 29-year-old female Justine, along with two siamangs, 24-year-old Savannah and her 8-year-old daughter Mula.
Bostanci, who had looked after the animals for many years, later moved to Izmir and joined the wildlife park following talks with officials.
Bostanci said learning that she would have to separate from the animals had deeply upset her, while the park was also looking for ways to make their adjustment to their new surroundings easier.
"I could not just watch them leave and wave goodbye," she said. "After our talks, I came to Izmir. I am so glad I came, and I am so glad I am still with them."
She said the bond she had built up with the gibbons had grown stronger over the years, allowing her to recognize their personalities, moods, happiness and sadness simply by looking at them.
Bostanci said gibbons are strongly attached to their routines, meaning a change of environment can become stressful.
Having a person they trusted nearby helped them feel calmer during the transition, she said, adding that both she and the animals gradually settled into their new lives.
One change in their behavior became particularly noticeable after the move.
"When they first came to Izmir, they were not singing and they were much quieter. Now we listen to their songs every morning. This is their way of saying, 'This place is our home now,'" Bostanci said.
She added that the animals become more active and communicative when they are happy, while they prefer to be alone when they are feeling low.
Bostanci said she had changed her life for the gibbons and continued to think about them even when she was away from them, wondering how they were doing during rain or thunderstorms.
"The bond I feel toward them cannot be described in words," she said. "They are on my mind every minute."
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
