Is that an orangutan in a cage smoking a cigarette ?  I couldn’t believe it – a Smoking Great Ape ! Visitors to the Taru Jurug zoo in Indonesia, had been tossing lit cigarettes into Tori’s cage for at least a decade, and sadly, overtime, as she mimicked the behavior of the tourists, Tori became addicted. She was even known to throw tantrums when in need of a fix. Although it took more than a decade, the zoo keepers helped her kick the habit by placing Tori on an isolated island within the confines of the zoo. It worked, and, even better yet, in 2012 Tori gave birth to a healthy infant orangutan.

So, although we share 96.4% of our genetic makeup with orangutans, the next time your at the zoo (or anywhere for that matter), don’t mimic the humans.

Im Izzykat and remember to bikepenguin !