A Spanish tourist in Kenya has caused outrage after uploading videos of himself downing beer down an elephant's trunk at a private wildlife conservancy. In the video, the man is initially shown drinking from a can of Tusker, a well-known Kenyan beer, before presenting the rest of it to the elephant. He captioned the video: "Just a tusker with a tusked friend."
The clip, originally posted to Instagram, was taken down after hundreds of furious comments poured in with many Kenyans demanding his deportation.
The video was recorded at the Ol Jogi Conservancy in Laikipia, central Kenya, where there are close to 500 elephants. Employees in the sanctuary described themselves as shocked, stating that the action went against strict regulations against getting too close to animals.
This never should have occurred. We don't let anyone come anywhere near the elephants," a staff member said. "The issue has been referred to the concerned authorities."
The incident has since been confirmed to be investigated by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
The elephant in the video has been recognized as Bupa, a renowned bull with characteristic tusks. Saved from a cull in Zimbabwe in 1989, Bupa was taken to Ol Jogi as a young elephant and has since become a fan favorite among tourists for his friendly nature.
Animal conservationists, though, aver that such conduct puts both people and animals at risk. Kenyan elephant biologist Dr. Winnie Kiiru criticized the tourist's action: "Approximately 95% of Kenya's elephants are free-ranging. Facilitating close contact for social media purposes sends the wrong message and risks lives."
The same tourist, who brands himself as an "adrenaline junkie" on social media using the moniker Skydive_Kenya, also shared videos of himself feeding elephants carrots and saying to the viewer: "We are on beer time."
At another time, he was recorded on film at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy feeding a rhino yet another park rule violation. Staff there affirmed that touching rhinos in such a direct way is not allowed.
This incident comes just days after separate footage emerged from the Maasai Mara, where tourists were seen blocking migrating wildebeest and forcing them into crocodile-infested rivers. The behavior caused widespread anger, prompting Kenya’s tourism ministry to announce tougher enforcement of park rules.
Authorities have pledged stricter penalties, better signage, and stronger visitor education to prevent future violations.Maasai Mara wildebeest migration and Kenya's elephants are viewed worldwide as treasures, and conservationists caution that reckless tourist behavior threatens to erode years of protection measures.
