Orangutan vape: MMA fighter Anastasia Luchkina could lose fight licence over Instagram stunt at Taigan zoo in Russian-occupied Crimea

Russian martial arts star Anastasia Luchkina, 24, shared the clip on social media showing how she first drew on the e-cigarette to show the trusting ape how it was done.

Then she hands it to the caged orangutan through a wire fence and it raises the vape to its mouth and backs away as it exhales a cloud of vapour.

Luchkina keeps offering the ape, named Dana, the vape and at one point it draws so hard it sucks off the gadget's vape fluid cartridge and swallows it whole. Now, vets fear, Dana may need an operation to remove it as her medical condition worsens

The sick stunt, filmed at the Taigan Safari Park in Russian-occupied Crimea, sparked a global protest and calls for her to be stripped of her fight licence.

Shamefaced Luchkina later pleaded on Instagram: "I love animals very much and did not want to cause any harm to their health. I ask everyone for forgiveness and declare that this will not happen again."

She added: "Before me, other zoo visitors also gave the ape tobacco products. I followed their example and posted it on camera. I sincerely want to continue my sports career. I can't imagine myself without sports."

Meanwhile, zoo officials have reported that the condition of Dana has worsened. They say she does not eat and can hardly stand up.

Vets suspect she is suffering from an overdose of concentrated vape fluid and are scheduling surgery to remove it.

Social media users and animal rights activists piled in to attack Luchkina.

One said: "Just disgusting behaviour and she should not be allowed to fight again."|

Another added: "Leave the animal alone!"

Animal rights group PETA UK's vice president Mimi Bekhechi said: "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. Taigan Safari Park has a shocking track record of negligence."

The park is the same place where last month where Taigan Lion Park director Oleg Zubkov had his throat torn out by his own big cats while he was feeding them.

Story: NewsX