A Spanish tourist is facing investigations after a now-deleted Instagram video showed him pouring beer down an elephant’s trunk at the Ol Jogi Conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya. The clip, which went viral before being taken down, also showed the man feeding carrots to rhinos at the nearby Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
Ol Jogi Conservancy, where the elephant named Bupa has been living for years, condemned the act in a statement dated July 29 and shared on August 29. “This behaviour is unacceptable, dangerous, and completely against our values. The incident occurred last year and was dealt with internally at the time. We remain committed to the wellbeing and dignity of the animals in our care,” the sanctuary said.
Staff at Ol Jogi told the BBC, “This should never have happened. We are a conservation centre and cannot allow such incidents. We don’t even allow people to go near the elephants.”
At Ol Pejeta Conservancy, officials also confirmed that the tourist violated rules by hand-feeding rhinos. “He was not supposed to touch the rhinos because they are not pets,” Dylan Habil from the sanctuary stated.
The incident has sparked widespread backlash online, raising fresh concerns over tourist behaviour and wildlife safety in Kenyan sanctuaries.
