A video showing a Spanish man pouring beer into the trunk of a male elephant is sparking outrage in Kenya in the latest case of tourists disturbing the wildlife.
Elephant forced to drink beer at Kenyan nature park
A BBC investigation into the social media video identified the elephant as ‘Bupa’, a 44-year-old male living in the Ol Jogi conservation in central Kenya.
In the Instagram video, an unknown Spanish man is seen drinking a large-sized can of the local beer ‘Tusker’ before serving it to the elephant.
The now-deleted clip was captioned "Just a tusker with a tusked friend".
Ol Jogi is a private reserve that advertises itself as “providing a safe habitat for indigenous and critically endangered species”.
Another deleted video allegedly shows the same man feeding carrots to an endangered rhino.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has launched an investigation into the incident, the agency's spokesperson, Paul Udoto, told the BBC.
The video got hundreds of comments from indignant Kenyans angered by yet another case of tourists disturbing the country’s protected wildlife.
Last week, a group of tourists was filmed blocking migrating wildebeest at Kenya's Maasai Mara Reserve during the annual migration - one of the world's greatest wildlife wonders – with some of the animals forced into crocodile-infested waters.
In response to the viral footage, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Rebecca Miano, announced new measures to strengthen animal protection in the Maasai Mara .
The four-point action plan includes stricter enforcement of park rules, increased ranger presence at sensitive crossing points, and clearer accountability for tour operators.
“Kenya’s tourism future is anchored in our ability to protect both visitors and wildlife. We must act decisively to preserve the Maasai Mara’s integrity, uphold visitor safety, and demonstrate Kenya’s unwavering commitment to conservation,” Miano said.