Russian boxer faces backlash after giving endangered orangutan vape pen

Sinar Daily

10-07-2025

Veterinarians were still waiting for test results to determine the full extent of the damage, but a staff describe Dana's condition as disturbing.
Luchkina took a puff and then casually handing the device to the orangutan, as if sharing a snack. - Photo: Social media
SHAH ALAM - Of all the things you are not supposed to do at a zoo, handing a vape pen to an orangutan has to be one of the most outrageous, yet that's exactly what Russian boxer Anastasia Luchkina did.
In a video that has been making its rounds on social media, 24-year-old Luchkina was seen offering an e-cigarette to an orangutan named Dana at the Taigan Safari Park in Crimea, Ukraine.
The short clip, now viral, showed Luchkina taking a puff before casually handing the device to Dana as if she were sharing a treat.
But this was not just a silly stunt. It could have caused real harm.
Dana, who has lived at the park since 2018, is now reportedly in distress. Dana, who has lived at the park since 2018, is now reportedly in distress. - Photo: Social media
According to international news reports, she has stopped eating, no longer interacting with other orangutans and laid motionless for hours.
Zookeepers feared she may have swallowed the vape cartridge and toxic substance, even in small amounts.
Veterinarians were still waiting for test results to determine the full extent of the damage, but a staff describe Dana's condition as disturbing.
"This is animal abuse. It shouldn't be celebrated in any way," X user wrote Paul A Szypula commented.
Another user Eman, said Luchkina's behaviour was irresponsible and unacceptable.
"Using an endangered animal like that for something harmful shows a complete lack of respect for wildlife and animal welfare," she said.
Dana is a Sumatran orangutan, an endangered species with fewer than 14,000 left in the wild.