A social media influencer caused outrage after she posed on the top of an endangered elephant in Bali for a photoshoot. Alesya Kafelnikova posted a short video on Instagram of herself lying naked on top of the animal. The clip soon captured a lot of attention, especially from the animal rights activists, who called her actions “insensitive.” She removed the video from Instagram, before it got surfaced on other social media platforms, including Twitter. The model’s post is now internationally headlined. Animal groups called it a “tragic trivialisation.” According to media reports, Alesya is the daughter of Tennis world champion, Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

In the video, Alesya poses on the elephant while it wags its tales and shakes its ears. In 2012, the Sumatran elephant was changed from “endangered” to “critically endangered,” by WWE because half of its population has been lost in one generation. The decline is largely due to habitat loss and a result of human-elephant conflict. As per a 2017 report from National Geographic, the population of Sumatran elephants is estimated to be between 700 and 1000. From Pregnant Elephant and Cow Fed With Explosives to Dog Dragged Behind Bike, Shocking Incidents of Animal Cruelty. 

Alesya’s post did not impress everyone. While some followers appreciated the video, and love for animals, others called her ‘insensitive.’ The animal is not native to the Indonesian island but is kept captive to serve the tourism industry, which is another reason why the footage was sickening to many. Some referred to her act to animal abuse. Yulia Ushakova, Russian Instagram Influencer Wears Bikini Made of Medical Masks. 

Here's the Video:

After facing criticism online, Alesya shared another post on Instagram, defending her actions and insisting that she is an animal lover. “If someone does not know I have been doing charity work for many years and one of my last donations was financial support to animals and to local people in the village, in which I took these photos,” reads the caption. The Instagram post includes photos of her with the elephant. “I love animals, I love elephants!” she added.

Here's Alesya's Post:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Alesya Kaf (@kafelnikova_a)

Torture against elephants are often revealed on the headlines internationally. Last year, a pregnant elephant was killed in Kerala, India, after the animal was fed pineapple with crackers. More shocking instances of animal brutality have come into the limelight.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 19, 2021 11:43 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).