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Outrage in Kenya as Spanish tourist films himself pouring beer into elephant’s trunk: ‘This should never have happened’

According to a BBC report, the incident occurred at Ol Jogi Conservancy in central Kenya's Laikipia County last year but came to light recently after Kenyans slammed the tourist.

Spanish tourist pours beer into elephant’s trunk in Kenya

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) spokesperson Paul Udoto said a probe has been launched to establish the tourist's identity

A Spanish tourist is facing backlash in Kenya after footage emerged of him pouring beer into the trunk of an elephant at a wildlife reserve. The video, reported by the BBC, was filmed last year at Ol Jogi Conservancy in Laikipia County but only recently came to light, sparking anger and condemnation online.

The tourist, who captioned the clip “Just a tusker with a tusked friend,” has not been publicly identified. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) spokesperson Paul Udoto said a probe has been launched to establish his identity.

“This should never have happened. We’re a conservation and we can’t allow that to happen. We don’t even allow people to go near the elephants,” a staff member at Ol Jogi Conservancy told the BBC.

Watch the video:

Spanish tourist in Kenya gives beer to elephant

The incident is being investigated by the Kenya Wildlife Service and the relevant authorities. pic.twitter.com/teut0sYhax

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Last month, Ol Jogi issued a statement on Facebook confirming the incident, adding that the elephant seen in the video, named Bupa, is in good health. “Ol Jogi Wildlife Conservancy is aware of a video resurfacing showing an individual feeding beer to one of our habituated elephants. Bupa has lived at Ol Jogi for many years. We take matters like this extremely seriously and remain committed to ensuring the well-being and dignity of the animals in our care,” the statement said.

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The controversy has triggered widespread outrage on social media, with users demanding strict action against the man. One angry commenter wrote: “This man is a fool and an idiot.”

Separately, another video showed the same tourist feeding carrots to rhinos at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, also in Laikipia. Dylan Habil from the sanctuary told the BBC: “He has also broken our rules because he was not supposed to touch the rhinos, because they are not pets.”