Charlie the Smoking Chimpanzee Dies at 52 3.87K Max Read 10/07/10 02:47AM Filed to: and now he's dead and now he's dead Chimpanzees Monkeys Smoking Cigarettes Animals Zoos Charlie Charlie the chimp Charlie, a South African chimpanzee famous for smoking cigarettes while being an ape, has died at age 52, having lived ten years longer than the average chimp despite his tobacco habit. That doesn't mean smoking is good for you, however.