A chimpanzee was seen sitting behind a glass barrier puffing on a cigarette thrown into its enclosure by visitors at a zoo.

The shocking footage was filmed at Lanzhou Wildlife Park in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province in north-western China, and shared online on 4th October where it quickly caused outrage among animal lovers.

The clip shows the chimpanzee gripping the cigarette with both hands as it appears to inhale from it and exhale smoke before flicking away the butt.

Staff at Lanzhou Wildlife Park said the animal had picked up the cigarette after tourists tossed it into the enclosure.

They explained that such behaviour from visitors was normally stopped immediately but that there had been too many people in the area that day for staff to react in time.

A spokesperson told local media that the chimpanzee was unharmed and had not suffered any ill effects from the incident.

The zoo confirmed that the chimpanzee remains on public display as usual.

Online commentators condemned the visitors for giving the animal a cigarette, with one user calling it "cruel and irresponsible" and another saying it was "a sign that people need better respect for animals".

Monkey smokes cigarette at zoo in Lanzhou, China, undated. The video was shared on Douyin - the Chinese version of TikTok on Oct. 4, 2025.Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (newsX)

Others questioned why the zoo did not have stricter supervision to prevent visitors from throwing objects into the enclosure.

Lanzhou Wildlife Park houses more than 100 species of animals including lions, tigers, and primates, and has previously promoted public education campaigns about animal welfare and safety.

(Mike Leidig / newsX)