Azalea
| |
|---|---|
| Born | 1996 (age 27–28) |
| Nationality | North Korean |
| Other names | Dallae |
| Occupation | Korea Central Zoo performer |
| Known for | Smoking cigarettes |
Azalea (known in Korean as Dallae) is a chimpanzee housed at the Korea Central ZooinPyongyang, North Korea. She is best known for her ability to smoke cigarettes, a behavior that has garnered criticism from multiple animal rights organizations.
Azalea smokes about one pack of cigarettes a day,[1] though she reportedly does not inhale when smoking.[2] She is able to light her own cigarettes using a lighter and has also learned to light a cigarette by touching it to the end of a lit cigarette.[1] Azalea's trainers support her smoking, providing her with both supplies and encouragement. Azalea is popular with the zoo's visitors, many of whom find her funny.[1] Smoking is a widespread habit among men in North Korea, with approximately 45% of men smoking on a regular basis.[2][3]
Azalea is also able to perform tricks like dancing, bowing, and touching her nose.[1]
The Zoo has been criticized by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, who stated that it was "cruel to willfully addict a chimpanzee to tobacco for human amusement" and that smoking was as dangerous to Azalea as it is to humans.[4][5]
The Animal Legal Defense Fund's Director of Litigation has described the keeping and treatment of Azalea as part of a larger problem with displaying captive wildlife for profit, stating that "they are made to do unnatural and freakish things to attract gawkers".[5]
Azalea is not the only animal at the zoo known for "less-than-ethical" habits, with other exhibits including a dog that can manipulate an abacus, basketball-playing monkeys, and a group of doves that perform a figure-skating routine.[2]
