Shanghai: Shanghai’s youngest social media star isn’t an influencer — it’s a two-year-old chimpanzee named Ding Ding. The pint-sized primate, already a crowd favourite at Shanghai Wildlife Park, has gone viral for sipping milk cross-legged, hiding shyly in its keeper’s arms, and even stealing lotus flowers one petal at a time.

But recently, Ding Ding developed a curious new habit: binge-watching short videos on visitors’ phones. Clips showed the chimp glued to the screen, scratching its face in deep concentration as music and quick-fire visuals played on. Some visitors swore it preferred comedy skits and mini-dramas over anything else.

Worried about the animal’s eyesight and stress levels, the zoo has now introduced a “no phones” rule at the enclosure. A new sign — featuring a cartoon of Ding Ding with a giant red “No” slapped across a smartphone — warns visitors not to press play for the little ape.

Zoo staff explained that too much screen time could harm Ding Ding’s eyes. “If a chimpanzee cannot see clearly and cannot communicate with humans, it may become anxious,” one worker said. “And unlike us, Ding Ding can’t wear glasses.”

The unusual ban has sparked laughter across Chinese social media, where netizens affectionately nicknamed the chimp the ‘flower thief’ and joked that he’s now also a “video addict in rehab.”