People are outraged about an orangutan smoking in a zoo

Zoos are a point of contention in society. While some argue that animals should be left alone in the wild, others say that zoos are necessary for the conservation and rehabilitation of animals. 

The debate is ongoing, but those who have kept an eye on news coming out of Indonesia in recent years will agree that the conditions at Bandung Zoo are unacceptable. Bandung Zoo is known for its gross neglect of animals. 

Recent footage of a 22-year-old Bornean orangutan named Ozon picking up a cigarette that someone had thrown into the enclosure has again raised the ire of concerned observers.  One of the visitors to the zoo is seen taking a puff of a cigarette, then throwing it into the enclosure. 

This is not a first for the troubled zoo. And the way that the orangutan instinctively knows what to do with the cigarette butt implies that visitors to Bandung have been training the ape to smoke over a long period of time. 

This new incident makes you wonder: where will Indonesia draw the line when it comes to the neglect of its zoo animals?

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