KENYA: Tourist Sparks Outrage After Giving Beer To Elephant In Laikipia

By Lisbeth Micheni, Kenya 

A Spanish tourist is facing investigations after a video surfaced showing him pouring beer into an elephant’s trunk while visiting Kenya, an act that has drawn widespread outrage.

The footage, taken at Ol Jogi Conservancy in Laikipia, showed the man sipping from a Tusker beer can before offering the remainder to the elephant.

He later posted the video on Instagram with the caption, “Just a tusker with a tusked friend,” but deleted it after facing heavy criticism online. The video is posted on The Telegraph account on TikTok.

In a separate clip, the same tourist was seen feeding elephants carrots and joking about being on “beer time.” Additional videos showed him at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where he was filmed feeding rhinos in clear violation of sanctuary rules.

Staff at Ol Jogi Conservancy condemned the behaviour, noting that visitors are strictly prohibited from approaching elephants.

“This should never have happened. We cannot allow people to get that close to the animals,” one staff member said, confirming that the matter had been reported to authorities.

The elephant in the video is believed to be Bupa, a male rescued during a government cull in 1989.

Conservationists warned that such actions spread misleading messages about wildlife. Dr. Winnie Kiiru, a Kenyan elephant biologist, said it was irresponsible to post content suggesting elephants can be treated like tame animals.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has confirmed it is looking into the incident, while the conservancy described the act as dangerous, unacceptable, and against its values.

The incident follows another viral controversy just a week earlier, when tourists in the Maasai Mara were caught blocking wildebeests during their annual migration.

The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife has since directed tour operators to enforce stricter regulations to protect animals from harassment.