Investigations are underway after a Spanish man in Kenya shared videos on social media showing himself pouring beer down an elephant’s trunk. The man was filmed at a wildlife reserve drinking from a can of Tusker beer before offering it to the elephant. He captioned one Instagram clip, later deleted, with “Just a tusker with a tusked friend.” The footage has been verified by the BBC, which indicated it was filmed at the Ol Jogi Conservancy in Laikipia County.
A staff member from the conservancy expressed shock at the man’s actions, stating that such behavior is unacceptable and would be reported to relevant authorities. The staffer highlighted that interactions with the elephants are typically restricted to ensure their safety. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is also looking into the incident, according to agency spokesperson Paul Udoto. The man, who uses variations of the name Skydive_Kenya on social media, has posted additional videos, including one where he feeds two elephants carrots and declares, “We are on beer time.”
The posts received hundreds of critical comments, with some users calling for the man’s deportation before they were removed. Notably, the elephant featured in the videos is believed to match the description of a well-known bull elephant named Bupa, who was rescued from a cull in Zimbabwe in 1989 and brought to the conservancy at eight years old.
The man has also faced criticism for allegedly breaking rules at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where he was seen feeding a rhino, a prohibited action according to the reserve’s regulations. Dr. Winnie Kiiru, a Kenyan biologist and elephant conservationist, cautioned that the man’s actions could endanger both himself and the elephant, emphasizing that 95% of Kenya’s elephants are wild and should not be approached in such a manner.
This incident follows another recent event in which tourists disrupted a migrating wildebeest herd at Maasai Mara, leading to promises of stricter regulations to preserve wildlife safety.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjeyjep9pw3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss