Appalling: North Korean zoo chimpanzee smokes a pack daily, making visitors laugh! - See pics

Azalea, the chimpanzee, in her zoo enclosure smoking a cigarette.

New Delhi: A Korean zoo just reopened its doors to the public and it already has a new main attraction – a smoking chimpanzee!

Animal activists and environmentalists are obviously enraged, ridiculing the Central zoo in Pyongyang, which has in the past been criticised for animal cruelty.

As per the zoo officials, the 19-year-old female chimpanzee Azalea, known as Dallae in Korean, smokes a pack a day.

The chimp can start a lighter to light her cigarettes and also knows how to spark a cigarette from another cigarette, but, zoo authorities insist that she never inhales, or so they claim.

Visitors have been flocking to the zoo to catch a glimpse of a smoking Azalea, because her puffing makes them laugh. This has shocked and disgusted animal rights campaigners and animal lovers alike.

As per The Guardian, her trainer seemed to be encouraging the smoking and prompted her to touch her nose, bow thank you and do a simple dance.

Renovations at the zoo began in 2014 as part of efforts by the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, to create leisure centres around the capital.

Another popular attraction is the dog pavilion. The zoo also arranges performances featuring other animals trained to do tricks, including a monkey that slam dunks basketballs and doves that fly around and land on a woman skating on an indoor stage, The Guardian reported.

Check out Azalea happily puffing away in the images below: