Orangutan bred by Vietnamese zoo "smoking", learned by watching behavior of visitors = Korean coverage

A controversial video of a zoo in Vietnam, of an orangutan smoking a cigarette thrown by a visitor spreads online.

On June 22nd (local time), the British Daily Mail and others reported that a video of a smoking orangutan spread on SNS. This video was confirmed to have been taken at a zoo in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The orangutan in this video smokes like a human. Some have raised suspicions that "the keeper taught (how to smoke)" it to smoke in a natural way.

However, the zoo director said in an interview with the local media, "It seems that some visitors threw cigarettes at the moment when there were no zookeepers. They are able to learn the 'method' of using things." Regarding the smoking, the said, "It was learned while watching visitors smoke, and it seems that orangutans have started smoking."

Although the management of visitors is "difficult", the director said, "We are considering methods such as installing glass windows. It can be said that we can consider installing additional surveillance cameras."