Banjin, a baby monkey, is one of the new residents of Hengshui Wildlife Park located in Hebei province in northern China and is probably now a popular mainstay at the zoo after it's seen puffing a cigarette.
A Daily Star report specified that the zoo is now on the hot seat after a video showed a baby monkey puffing smoke of cigar in the wildlife park's most recent "anti-smoking campaign."
The said video that had gone viral on Douyin, a Chinese app, showcases baby Banjin sitting on a tiny bench while holding a lit cigarette in his mouth.
In just a short time, as shown in the video, a woman is seen behind the camera as she takes the cigarette from the macaque after which, it falls off the small bench to the ground.
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Sparking Outrage Online
On the video was an overlay text saying, "Oops, it's hitting him." The text sends a message that smoking is hazardous to any individual's health.
Moreover, the woman is seen behind the camera then puts a thin towel over baby Banjin, who by then was already looking "glassy while staring blankly in the room."
The viral video ignited disgrace online, prompting the zoo staff to take it down, saying that typically, captive monkeys are not smoking.
Those from the wildlife park explained they posted the video online to bring up awareness in the fight against smoking. Viewers were engaged, though, claiming it is animal abuse.
One Internet user wrote the baby monkey fell over on his back as if "he was dizzy and sick." Another online commenter said a zoo should know better than having a campaign like this. The comment also said these people are supposed to care about the animals.
Management at the zoo did not respond or comment on the incident; although social media users in China hit out at the wildlife part, saying, as earlier mentioned, the video was cruel.
A Mail Online report said that according to the US Food and Drug Administration, animals exposed to cigarette smoke had been discovered to be at higher danger of illnesses like eye problems, pneumonia, cancer, and heart disease.
Zoo Doubted 'Animal Cruelty
Users of the Douyin app have discovered video footage from the same zoo's account as well, showcasing caretakers making the monkeys perform tricks in an enclosed area.
According to a wildlife protection unit spokesperson from Hengsui Natural Resources and Planning Authority, there are national regulations on the use of wild animals for display or exhibition purposes, and cruelty to animals is certainly not allowed.
The zoo has the administrative permission required for the exhibit. The spokesperson added they have informed the wildlife park has already informed the zoo that animal cruelty is strictly not allowed.
Meanwhile, the video featuring the smoking monkey is the most recent in a list of controversies around animal welfare in China.
Just in May this year, the "blind box" craze, in which pets were sealed and marketed in "mystery boxes" for $1.20 each, swept through online shoppers in the country.
Moreover, animal activists were able to rescue roughly 160 cats and dogs. Some of these animals had died while being transported because of suffocation.
Related information about the baby monkey smoking is shown on The News's YouTube video below:
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