A chimpanzee famous for smoking cigarettes died at a South African zoo after puffing until age 52, despite zookeepers’ efforts to help him kick the habit, an official said last week.
Charlie the chimp started smoking after visitors to the zoo in central Bloemfontein tossed him a lit cigarette, which he picked up and stuck in his mouth, aping the human onlookers.
The trick earned laughs, encouraging more people to feed his habit. For years zookeepers tried in vain to convince people to stop abetting him.
Photo: AFP
In the end, Charlie lived 10 years longer than the average chimp, so his addiction did not end his life prematurely, zoo spokesman Qondile Khedama told AFP.
An autopsy would determine whether smoking had caused his death, said Khedama.
“He was on serious medications and in and out of the vet,” Khedama told AFP.
“Charlie was very old for a chimp, and even though he has been receiving special care, and a special diet including protein shakes, vitamin and mineral supplements, he succumbed to old age.”
The zoo is looking for a new companion for his widow Judy, “although we realize it will be almost impossible to replace a character like Charlie,” he added.(afp)
南非一座動物園官方人員上週表示，一隻因為會抽菸而成名的黑猩猩，在抽菸抽到五十二歲，近日終於心搏停止與世長辭。動物園工作人員曾企圖讓該黑猩猩戒菸。
黑猩猩查理開始抽菸，是因為某位遊客有一次在布隆方丹的動物園裡，給了牠一支已經點著的香菸，查理將菸撿起來插在自己的嘴裡，模仿看著牠的人們。
牠的表演搏得了笑聲，讓更多人繼續給牠香菸，助長牠吸菸的習慣。好幾年以來，動物園工作人員勸阻遊客慫恿查理抽菸，但卻無效。
動物園發言人孔迪磊‧克達瑪告訴法新社，結果查理比其他隻黑猩猩平均年齡多活十年，所以菸癮並沒有提早結束牠的生命。
克達瑪說，他們將驗屍確定吸菸是否造成查理死亡。
克達瑪告訴法新社，「牠當時大量服用藥物，經常進出獸醫診所。」
「對於黑猩猩而言，查理已經算很老了。即使正接受著特別照料，飲食甚至包括高蛋白飲品、維他命與外加礦物質食物等，依然不敵歲月啃食牠的生命。」
他又說，「雖然無法找到代替查理的角色，但是動物園正替牠的寡婦珠蒂物色新伴侶。」（法新社／翻譯：吳岱璟）
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