Several investigations have been launched in Kenya after a Spanish man posted videos on social media showing himself pouring beer down an elephant's trunk, an act that sparked widespread anger. The man, who uses variations of the phrase "Skydive_Kenya" on his social media accounts, was filmed at the Ol Jogi Conservancy in the central county of Laikipia. In the now-deleted Instagram clips, he was seen drinking from a can of Tusker, a popular local beer, before offering the remainder to an elephant. One video was captioned, "Just a tusker with a tusked friend."

The BBC authenticated the footage, confirming its location at the privately owned Ol Jogi Conservancy, home to approximately 500 elephants and known for its animal rehabilitation efforts. A staff member, identified only as Frank, expressed shock and stated that the videos would be forwarded to "the relevant authorities," emphasizing that such behavior is strictly prohibited in a conservation area where visitors are not even allowed to approach elephants. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) spokesperson, Paul Udoto, also confirmed that the agency was investigating the incident.

The elephant involved, described as large with long, distinctive tusks (one damaged), matches the description of Bupa, a well-known friendly male at Ol Jogi. Bupa was rescued from an elephant cull in Zimbabwe in 1989 and brought to the conservancy at eight years old. The man, who self-identifies as an "adrenaline junkie" on TikTok, had also posted another video showing him feeding two elephants carrots and saying, "We are on beer time." These Instagram videos garnered hundreds of critical comments, with some calling for his deportation, before they were eventually taken down.

Further scrutiny of the man's activities revealed another violation. A video posted on Monday showed him at the nearby Ol Pejeta Conservancy feeding a rhino with carrots. Thige Njuguna from Ol Pejeta confirmed the rhino was from their reserve and stated that the man had broken their rules, as visitors are not allowed to touch rhinos because "they are not pets." Ol Pejeta does not house elephants.

Dr. Winnie Kiiru, a Kenyan biologist and elephant conservationist, condemned the tourist's actions as "unfortunate," highlighting the danger posed to both the man and the elephant. She emphasized the misleading impression social media posts can create, as about 95% of elephants in Kenya are wild, making close encounters and feeding highly risky.

This incident follows closely after another widely publicized event where tourists were filmed blocking migrating wildebeest at Kenya's Maasai Mara during the annual wildlife migration. Viral footage showed visitors exiting safari vehicles, crowding riverbanks, and forcing wildebeests into crocodile-infested waters. In response to such incidents, the tourism and wildlife ministry announced stricter regulations, mandating tour operators to enforce park rules by ensuring visitors remain inside vehicles in non-designated areas. The ministry also pledged to enhance signage and intensify visitor education on safety protocols within wildlife parks, preserving Kenya's prized natural heritage assets like the Maasai Mara wildebeest migration.