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Animal activists slam zoo staff for encouraging chimp to smoke 20 cigarettes a day

Animal welfare activists have lashed out against a North Korean zoo over their star attraction - a 'chain-smoking' chimpanzee who smokes at least a pack a day.

The 19-year-old female chimpanzee named Azalea, which translates to "Dallae" in Korean, smokes about 20 cigarettes every day, encouraged by zoo staff.

Thrown a lighter by a trainer, the chimpanzee lights her own cigarettes. If a lighter isn't available, she can light up from lit cigarette if one is tossed her way.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund slammed the zoo for the disturbing show, saying it was a cheap selling point to "attract gawkers".

Photo: AP
Photo: AP

"This exemplifies the problem with any captive wildlife displayed for profit," Carter Dillard, the Director of Litigation for the ALDF, told the Telegraph.

"They are made to do unnatural and freakish things to attract gawkers.

"The good news is that the civilised world is moving away from this, like the gradual elimination of orcas from places like Seaworld."

Director of PETA UK Elisa Allen said it was clear the zoo was more concerned about profit than the welfare of its animals.

“Smoking is as dangerous to Azalea the chimpanzee as it is to humans, and yet her ‘caretakers’ facilitate her habit – just for the sake of a few cheap laughs and more bodies coming through the gates," she said.

According to officials at the Pyongyang zoo, Azalea doesn’t inhale the smoke.

While the sight has prompted outrage for some, it seemed to delight visitors who roared with laughter earlier this week as the chimpanzee, one of two at the zoo, sat puffing away as her trainer egged her on.

The trainer also prompted her to touch her nose, bow thank you and do a simple dance.

The zoo is pulling in thousands of visitors a day with a slew of attractions ranging from such typical fare as elephants, giraffes, penguins and monkeys to a high-tech natural history museum with displays showing the origins of the solar system and the evolution of life on Earth.

Another of the most popular attractions that might come as a surprise to foreign visitors is the dog pavilion, which has everything from German shepherds to shih tzus.

It would likely cause outrage in other parts of the world, however spectators were seen cheering and laughing at Azalea's smoking habit. Photo: AP
It would likely cause outrage in other parts of the world, however spectators were seen cheering and laughing at Azalea's smoking habit. Photo: AP

The zoo also has performances featuring other animals trained to do tricks, including a monkey that slam dunks basketballs, dogs trained to appear as though they can do addition and subtraction on an abacus and doves that fly around and land on a woman skating on an indoor stage.

Renovations for the new zoo began in 2014, as part of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's efforts to create more modern and impressive structures and leisure centers around the capital.

The zoo actually dates back to 1959, when Kim Il Sung, the nation's first leader and the grandfather of Kim Jong Un, ordered it be built on the outskirts of the city.

According to its official history, the zoo started off with only 50 badgers.