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Smoking Chimp Shocks Zoo Visitors in China
10 Oct
Summary
- Chimpanzee seen smoking cigarette thrown by visitors
- Incident occurred at Lanzhou Wildlife Park in China
- Zoo says it was unable to stop visitors from throwing cigarettes
On October 4th, 2025, a disturbing incident occurred at the Lanzhou Wildlife Park in Lanzhou, China. A chimpanzee was seen sitting behind a glass barrier, puffing on a cigarette that had been thrown into its enclosure by visitors.
The shocking footage quickly went viral online, sparking outrage among animal lovers. The clip shows the chimpanzee gripping the cigarette with both hands, appearing to inhale and exhale smoke before flicking away the butt.
According to the zoo, the animal had picked up the cigarette after tourists tossed it into the enclosure. The staff explained that they normally stop such behavior from visitors immediately, but there had been too many people in the area that day for them to react in time.
A spokesperson for the Lanzhou Wildlife Park assured that the chimpanzee was unharmed and had not suffered any ill effects from the incident. The zoo confirmed that the animal remains on public display as usual.
However, online commentators were quick to condemn the visitors for giving the chimpanzee a cigarette, with one user calling it "cruel and irresponsible" and another saying it was "a sign that people need better respect for animals." Others questioned why the zoo did not have stricter supervision to prevent such incidents.
This type of incident is far from new in Chinese zoos, with social media regularly inundated with clips of puffing primates. In the past, similar cases have been reported at other wildlife parks in the country, raising concerns about animal welfare and visitor behavior.
