A video of a chimpanzee from China is going viral, however, for wrong and concerning reasons. It showed the zoo animal holding a cigarette and taking a few puffs, leaving the internet shocked and worried. Netizens have raised questions about supervision, questioning how authorities allowed this to happen and whether proper measures are in place to ensure animals do not engage in such activities that would adversely impact their health.

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The undated clip surfaced from the Nanning Zoo in China’s Guangxi area. It opened to show a chimpanzee seated below the rocks smoking a cigarette. The animal held the cig is one of hands and smoked as if no one was watching. However, it was caught on camera during the act.

How did it get the cigarette? Like you might have guessed, the zoo members also suggest some visitor might have dropped their ciggy into the animal’s enclosure, either accidentally or on purpose.

China zoo responds

A report by Newsflare noted the zoo’s response to the viral footage. The China zoo is investigating the matter to understand whether some guest intentionally triggered the animal to smoke a puff or what other way the chimpanzee managed to procure the harmful substance.

According to the news outlet, the zoo has urged visitors to act responsibly during their visit and refrain from throwing objects at animals. The management has reportedly taken measures to raise visitor awareness about animal protection to maintain order within the zoo and prevent further such concerning incidents in future.

Netizens reacts "Not funny...it's just awful"

The video of the chimp smoking inside the zoo was posted online by many users. An Instagram page ‘Travly’ recorded several responses on the incident.

Notably, the online page identified the animal as a "gorilla" actually referring to a chimpanzee at the zoo.

Netizens slammed the incident and called it “Not funny”. They found it alarming instead of a mere viral video. “Is he stressed, thus smoking?”, one commented on the clip, while another wrote, “It’s sad people teach them to do that and it’s just awful”.