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a chimpanzee in a northwest china zoo has quit smoking after 16 years with the help of her keepers, official media reported.
ai ai, a 27-year-old chimp at the qinling safari park in northern china's shaanxi province, ended her tobacco dependency when zoo keepers put her on a strict regime that included walking, music therapy and exercise sessions.
the staff, worried about her declining health, weaned 27-year-old "ai ai" off tobacco by distracting her with entertainment and a tastier diet, xinhua news agency said.
she's served fried dishes and dumplings at every meal, alongside her usual diet of milk, banana and rice," he said, "i also put earphones on her so that she could enjoy some pop music from my walkman."
xinhua attributed ai ai's habit to solitude and grief.
living in a safari park in shaanxi province, she had taken up smoking in 1989 shortly after her mate died, it said. then she had become a chain smoker after her second mate died in 1997 and her daughter was moved to another zoo.
the report did not say why zookeepers started giving the animal cigarettes, or whether they faced punishment.
china is the world's largest cigarette consumer, with education about the dangers of tobacco not widely known. china has lax laws protecting the rights of animals.
the xian evening news said the zoo was trying to find another mate for her.
for every chimp that quits, two more get addicted.....
xxoozero
reuters
