Malaysian Oranguttan Forced to Quit Smoking

Malaysian Oranguttan Forced to Quit Smoking

A Malaysian orangutan in named Shirley who is well-known for smoking cigarettes thrown by visitors into her enclosure is being helped to quit this habit. Wildlife officials say she is undergoing "cold turkey" at Malacca zoo after being detached from her zoo in southern Johor state last week. Shirley is likely to be sent back to a wildlife centre on Borneo island after her rehabilitation is complete. Officials said her withdrawal symptoms are not too bad. According to Malacca zoo chief Ahmad Azhar Mohammed she was so far showing a regular appetite for food and no clear signs of depression and illness.

"I would say she is not addicted... but she might have formed a habit after mimicking human beings who were smoking around her,". He also pointed out that smoking is not a regular behavior for orangutans and also results from her blood and other tests have not yet come back. Shirley's addiction was reported by a local newspaper investigating the poor conditions of zoos across the country.