On the afternoon of June 18, in an interview with Thanh Niên newspaper, Mr. Phạm Văn Tân, Director of Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, confirmed that the orangutan smoking in the clip is indeed the one from the zoo.
According to Mr. Tân, at the zoo, in the sheep enclosure, visitors can enter to feed the sheep, but in other enclosures, there are signs prohibiting guests from feeding or bothering the animals, in both Vietnamese and English.
“However, in reality, the enclosures still have a lot of garbage, food, and drinks that guests throw in. Every time staff clean the enclosures, it is very difficult. The orangutan in the clip smoking could be using a cigarette that a guest discarded,” said Mr. Tân.
The director of Saigon Zoo also added that, in principle, the zoo does not have the authority to punish guests for disturbing the animals. Instead, staff are instructed to remind guests immediately if they see them engaging in such behavior, which sometimes leads to negative reactions from the guests.
“When constructing the animal enclosures, we have to consider how to prevent guests from bothering the animals. We not only built barriers but also added layers of glass. In the near future, the zoo may need to install more cameras for monitoring,” Mr. Phạm Văn Tân shared.
In a discussion with Tuổi Trẻ Online, a staff member from Saigon Zoo said: “The cigarette could have been thrown down by a visitor. Tourists often throw various objects into the enclosures, and the animals tend to pick them up and mimic what people do.”
This staff member further stated that due to the high number of visitors, many security guards and staff cannot monitor all animal enclosures effectively.
Previously, the clip showing an orangutan at Saigon Zoo puffing on a cigarette went viral on social media, leaving many viewers shocked.
Just minutes after the clip appeared online, it attracted thousands of views, comments, and shares.
The Bornean orangutan is classified as critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List due to habitat loss and poaching. They can live 35-40 years in the wild, or up to 60 years in captivity.
Saigon Zoo was established in 1864, originally called the Botanical Garden, and is one of the 10 oldest zoos in the world. It is regarded as a biological museum with thousands of different plant and animal species from Vietnam and around the world being cultivated and cared for.