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Puffing on a vape pen at the zoo is bad enough, but a young Russian boxer somehow managed to do one far worse.
Anastasia Luchkina, 24, handed her e-cigarette to an orangutan at the Taigan safari park in Crimea, as seen in shocking footage she shared.
The creature later exhibited “disturbing” behavior,” according to Russian outlet zamin.uz.
The orangutan, who is named Dana and is the only of its kind in Crimea, has reportedly lost her appetite, refuses to interact with others and “lies motionless throughout the day.”
She has lived in the safari park since 2018.
The orangutan is feared to have swallowed the cartridge of the e-cigarette, which contains between 2.5-3 ml of nicotine liquid.
Veterinarians are expected to continue with their examination of Dana, with results to arrive in the coming days.
Dana is part of an endangered species of orangutans listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
“I didn’t know Anastasia was a smoker,” Luchkina’s coach, Vladimir Akatov, told reporters, per zamin.uz. “She is currently on vacation. We will definitely discuss this matter when she returns.”
The incident elicited outrage from many on social media.
“She should be arrested and be imprisoned for life for endangering this innocent animal,” said one X user.
“Generation of idiots,” wrote another, with several others agreeing the boxer should face significant punishment.
PETA UK vice president Mimi Bekhechi shared a similar sentiment, 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, from the Russian city of Pyatigorsk, lost her only pro fight to Indian boxer Vinashki at the King of Himalayan Ring in Himachal Pradesh, India, on June 22.
