Meet The Chimpanzee They’re Calling 'The James Dean' Of Pyongyang Zoo

I can imagine life in a zoo run under a totalitarian dictatorship can be pretty stressful. And so it seems for one chimp living in a newly-opened zoo in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, who's taken to lighting up after a hard day of climbing on trees and doing whatever it is chimps do in zoos.

Azalea, a 19-year-old female chimpanzee, has managed to develop a 20-a-day fag habit in her short time at the zoo and has even learned to light her own cigarettes.

Image credit: PA

She has even learned how to feed her habit if there is no lighter available by igniting her smokes with a discarded cig.

Though frowned upon in many countries, locals in the country are flocking to the zoo, which reopened in July, with Azalea becoming the star attraction.

Image credit: PA

However, zoo officials have insisted that the chimp, who also goes by the Korean name Dalle, does not inhale any of the smoke.

Yeah, mate, we've heard that one before...

The 19-year-old is one of two chimpanzees at the zoo.

Featured image credit: PA

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Topics: Gorilla

James Dawson

James Dawson is a Journalist at LADbible. He has contributed articles to LADbible’s ‘Knowing Me, Knowing EU’ series on the EU referendum, the 'Electoral Dysfunction' series on the 2017 general election, the ‘U OK M8?’ series tackling mental health amongst young men, and for its ‘Climate Change’ initiative in partnership with National Geographic.

@thejaytoday