Zoo officials discovered that Charlie watchers encouraged Charlie in picking up the habit by throwing him lit cigarettes, which Charlie then smoked. Charlie was weaned off of tobacco a few years ago, and his death is thought to have been due to old age. Charlie was 52 years old said
Reuters.
Once news spread about Charlie's smoking habit, he became the most popular animal at the zoo.
Charlie, who passed away on Tuesday, is to undergo an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
The General Manager of Manguang's Communication Services, Qondile Khedam announced Charlie's death Wednesday, said the
BBC.
The
Manguang Zoo was founded in 1906 and is a world class zoo.
Chimpanzees are related to humans. They can live up to 45 years of age in the wild, according to the
National Geographic. When kept in captivity, Chimpanzees can live for up to
60 years.
Earlier this year,
Reuters reported a story about a former Russian circus performing Chimpanzee, Zhora. Zhora had been sent to live in a zoo in Rostov because he had become aggressive. During his stay at the zoo, Zhora picked up cigarette smoking, along with drinking alcohol, and was subsequently sent to a rehab center to dry out. The
Huffington Post added that Zhora had been fed cigarettes and alcohol by his human visitors.
While Charlie's death has become a viral news item in the Western Hemisphere, in Africa, the death of the chimpanzee cannot compete with some of the other big news headlines. In fact, readers will be hard pressed to find news of Charlie's death in Africa. All Africa reports the top news headlines for Wednesday include:
Hundreds Dead, Thousands At Risk From Lead Pollution, UN Team Reports;
UN Seizes Leader of Rebel Group Presumed Responsible for Mass Rape; and
Hundreds Working as Slaves in Fishing Vessels.
