What She Wasn’t Wearing While Riding An Elephant Had Everyone Dropping their Jaws….

A social media influencer’s controversial photo shoot sparks an important debate on animal exploitation and the ethical responsibilities of online personalities.

In a world where social media influencers will go to any lengths for the perfect Instagram shot, a recent incident has sparked a wave of controversy. Alesya Kafelnikova, a 22-year-old Russian influencer, faced a backlash from netizens after she shared a video in which she posed atop a Sumatran elephant, an endangered species, in the nude.

The video, filmed in Bali, Indonesia, was promptly deleted from her Instagram account following the outrage it incited. Accompanying the video was the caption, “Natural vibes,” apparently an attempt to align herself with nature. A subsequent post, presumably featuring the same elephant, was captioned, “To love nature is human nature.”

While Kafelnikova, daughter of former tennis champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov, enjoys a considerable following, this incident elicited anger and disappointment from many of her followers. “Aren’t you ashamed to lie naked on an elephant? This is a living creature. Money overshadows everything,” one user commented, highlighting the perceived insensitivity and disregard for the animal’s dignity.

The Sumatran elephant, a species native to Sumatra and not Bali, is often kept for tourism purposes. This incident, therefore, raises questions about the ethics of exploiting animals for human entertainment, a topic of growing concern worldwide.

Speaking on the incident, a spokesperson from the Save The Asian Elephants organization voiced their concern, stating that the photo shoot was a “tragic trivialization of the majestic Asian elephant.” The species, they added, is already battling against brutal abuse in the tourism and human ‘entertainment’ industry. The organization advocates for legislation banning the advertisement and sale of venues that exploit these creatures through brutal treatment, instead promoting genuine sanctuaries.

In response to the backlash, Kafelnikova sought to defend her actions, stating that she had been contributing financially to the local community and the animals in the village where the photoshoot took place.

Asserting her love for Bali and its wildlife, she said, “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.”

She further explained that the photos and video were taken during a private shoot in Bali, where she resides. She claimed that she never intended to offend or hurt the local community with her actions.

In a plea to her critics, she wrote, “I would wish that all those who are so negative will awaken an aesthetic love for my post and you will see the wonderful beauty in it!”

Despite her defense, the incident serves as a potent reminder that even seemingly innocent actions can have harmful implications for the environment and the creatures inhabiting it.

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Sources: Americanews, Yahoo