Smoking orangutan moves to island to kick habit
Before moving to her new island, Tori smokes a cigarette discarded by a zoo visitor.
July 26th, 2012
12:22 PM ET

Smoking orangutan moves to island to kick habit

Call it an orangutan detox facility.

It's an island in the middle of a lake in Indonesia's Taru Jurug Zoo, and it's where Tori, the smoking orangutan, will be spending her days.

The 13-year-old primate picked up the habit by grabbing still-burning butts discarded in her enclosure by zoo visitors and imitating their actions, zoo officials told the Jakarta Globe.

Signs warned against the practice, but zoo visitors paid no heed, the zoo's director, Lilik Kristianto, told the Globe.

“A common problem for zoos in Indonesia are naughty visitors,” the director is quoted as saying. “Although there are sign prohibiting them from giving food or cigarettes to the animals, they keep on doing it. It is not rare that visitors even hurt the animals.”

Besides keeping puffing visitors at a safe distance, the island will have other advantages over the concrete cage Tori has called home at the zoo in Solo.

“Tori can climb five big trees on the island. This might be the best orangutan enclosure in Indonesia,” the zoo director is quoted as saying.

Tori isn't alone on the island. A male, Didik, has joined her.

But Didik has no need for rehab. While Tori would puff on the butts, Didik used to stamp them out, the Globe reported.

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Filed under: Animals • Indonesia • Orangutan
soundoff (131 Responses)
  1. Joe Flyguy

    So, does this mean Biden is in charge?

    July 29, 2012 at 11:02 am | Report abuse |
  2. Michael

    So she's a smoker. I bet she's a lot more fun to go drinking with than that chimp wannabe that keeps putting them out.

    July 29, 2012 at 4:38 pm | Report abuse |
  3. COCO PUFFS

    Just like humans copying what they see others do. One dumb one that picks up a stupid habit and another who was smart enough not and stomped those dirty cigs out.

    July 29, 2012 at 4:57 pm | Report abuse |
    • Sebastian

      Sorry abuser.

      July 30, 2012 at 5:59 pm | Report abuse |
    • Sebastian

      I am your drug.

      July 30, 2012 at 6:01 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Michael

    This is just soo sad at what those ignorant and disrespectful Taru Jurug zoo-goer idiots who toss cigarettes into the orangutan's cage do for entertainment in watching the orangutan smoking a cigarette. I not only blame those zoo-goer cigarette-tossers, but the zoo staff in not doing anything to stop it once the zoo-goers started tossing the cigarettes into the orangutan's enclosure. Just like us humans, orangutan's can also get lung cancer from smoking. At least Tori's partner hadn't decided to do the nasty, smelly habit!!!

    July 30, 2012 at 8:51 am | Report abuse |
  5. Steves

    It's good to see Lucille Ball get the help she needs.

    July 30, 2012 at 9:30 am | Report abuse |
  6. Boo

    I'd hate to be around this orangutan when she goes thru nicotine withdrawal...

    July 30, 2012 at 3:30 pm | Report abuse |
    • Hope

      Boo...

      Sounds like something only a true bonified
      monkey would say. My favorite monkey, is a fraud. Thinks he can control people, monkeys, cages; even Nanners, but he can't catch me!

      LUCY, I'm home!
      :D

      Take a number...

      July 30, 2012 at 5:21 pm | Report abuse |
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