Russian boxer Anastasia Luchkina filmed herself giving her e-cigarette to an orangutan at Taigan Safari Park in Crimea.
The 24-year-old athlete from Pyatigorsk shared the footage on social media, showing the dangerous interaction with Dana, the only orangutan in the region.
The video shows Luchkina taking a drag from her vape before pushing it towards Dana’s face through the enclosure glass.
The orangutan mimicked the action, putting her lips to the device and inhaling before seemingly gesturing for more.
Dana attempted to extract the vape cartridge into her mouth as Luchkina tried to pull it back.
The orangutan has lived at the safari park since 2018 and belongs to an endangered species listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Orangutan Shows Worrying Health Symptoms After Vaping Incident
Dana has exhibited concerning behaviour since the vaping incident. The orangutan has lost her appetite, refuses to interact with others, and lies motionless throughout the day.
Park veterinarians fear Dana may have swallowed the vape cartridge, which contains between 2.5-3 ml of nicotine liquid. The park’s vet expressed concern about potential intestinal blockage and vomiting if the plastic cap was ingested.
“I’m worried that Dana might’ve swallowed the cap, because this plastic can cause intestinal blockage and vomiting,” the park’s vet said. “It is dangerous if she swallowed this cap, then, God forbid, Dana will have to be operated on.”
Veterinarians are continuing their examination of Dana, with results expected in the coming days.
Boxer Faces Public Outrage and Potential Sanctions Over Animal Welfare
The incident sparked widespread outrage on social media platforms. Users called for Luchkina to be arrested and imprisoned for endangering the animal.
“She should be arrested and be imprisoned for life for endangering this innocent animal,” said one X user.
Another wrote “Generation of idiots,” with several others agreeing the boxer should face significant punishment.
PETA UK vice president Mimi Bekhechi criticised the boxer’s actions, telling SunSport: “Anastasia Luchkina must have received a few too many knocks to the head if she thinks it’s a lark to give an orangutan a vape…a violation of this intelligent, gentle ape’s welfare.”
Luchkina’s coach, Vladimir Akatov, stated he was unaware of her smoking habit. “I didn’t know Anastasia was a smoker. She is currently on vacation. We will definitely discuss this matter when she returns.”
The boxer faces potential fines and a ban from the safari park. Some contrarian voices argued that Dana’s confinement was the bigger issue, with one commenter suggesting the orangutan should be free to vape if it chooses.
Luchkina lost her only professional fight to Indian boxer Vinashki at the King of Himalayan Ring in Himachal Pradesh, India, on 22 Jun 2025.
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