Smoking chimp who can't quit

[Misunderestimator]

10.42AM, Fri Apr 22 2005

A chimpanzee at a South African zoo is struggling to kick the habit after learning to smoke by mimicking visitors.

Charlie, a chimp at the Bloemfontein Zoo, has been picking up cigarettes thrown to him by visitors and smoking them.

Zoo officials said he probably picked up the habit by observing humans.

"Baby chimps pick up habits by mimicking adults and we think he started mimicking smokers at his enclosure which probably led to smokers throwing him cigarettes," said spokesman Daryl
<snip>
http://www.itv.com/news/world_237813.html


<snip>
...according to the zoo, "he acts like a naughty schoolboy" and hides his cigarettes when his handlers happen by. So now the zoo has to help a monkey go cold turkey — resist the temptations of humans — and get him to understand that "monkey see, monkey do" isn't as good a philosophy as "do what I say, not what I do."
<snip>
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/21/eveningnews/main690053.shtml





...now, where on earth will they put a nicotine patch on him?

[ChickMagic]

1. I completely understand

I'm also a slave to the coffin nails.

[ghostsofgiants]

2. I've always found monkeys/chimps/whatever that smoke to be amusing...

I don't know why. It started in 8th grade though. I saw a picture of it and thought "holy shit, a monkey smoking a cigarette!!!"

[Misunderestimator]

4. LOL... judging by your user name... I guess that picture stuck.

I saw this on the local news this morning, so went searching for a link. Amazing... he looks so human smoking... inhaling and then blowing the smoke out his nose... blew me away.

[StopTheMorans]

5. yeah, in spite of the fact that it is depressing, the pics still make me

laugh

[LynneSin]

7. How are you with your not-smoking

Did it survive your move?

[Misunderestimator]

10. Absolutely

not! :) :( :) ;) :blush: :smoke:

(I have a dr appointment this afternoon... I pulled a muscle coughing over the weekend... :silly: :banghead: :blush:... I do think it's time now.)

[chickenscratching]

3. i'd totally smoke up with this guy n/t

[Mutley]

6. OMG

That's just not right. :rofl:

[peekaloo]

8. Future headline: Nicotine Deprived Chimp Goes Berserk Kills 7

Film at 11.

[progressoid]

9. Damn, he looks cool huh?

[Misunderestimator]

11. LOL

:spray:

He does, doesn't he?

[Blue-Jay]

12. They should just let him smoke.

The poor chimp probably doesn't get too much pleasure in sitting around the zoo.

Smoke up, Bobo!

[chickenscratching]

13. he kinda has a clint eastwood look

very nice

[BringEmOn]

14. Here's a cigar smoking monkey

[progressoid]

15. ha ha - good one

[ScooterTramp]

18. Oh.crap.

[Done]

16. This was on CBS Evening Infotainment last night.

It is wonderful how they keep us informed.

[Misunderestimator]

17. Ain't it though? With all the Jackson news... it's a wonder we get filled

in at all on such globally impactful events such as this... :shrug:

[nytemare]

19. Does he light them up himself?

Or does he go up and ask someone for a light?

[Huckebein the Raven]

20. I guess visitors light up one and throw it to him

:shrug:

[nytemare]

21. LOL, I could picture the chimp walking up to somebody

with a cig in his mouth and puffing to light one up! That would be funny!