Russian Model Riding an Elephant Naked... Faces Backlash for 'Animal Abuse'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A Russian influencer, formerly a model, faced severe criticism for animal abuse after posting photos on social media of herself naked on top of an elephant during a trip to Bali, Indonesia.

On the 13th (local time), Alesya Kapelnikova (22), who has 540,000 followers, shared photos and videos on her social media showing her lying naked on the back of a Sumatran elephant. She also added the caption "natural feeling" to the post.

However, after the photos and videos were posted, Kapelnikova was accused of abusing the elephant.

Netizens reacted with comments such as "Aren't you ashamed to be naked on an elephant?" "Elephants are living beings," and "The elephant's expression looks very sad."

Animal protection organizations also criticized her. The elephant protection group 'Save the Asian Elephants' called it "another tragic trivialization." 'Trivialization' refers to making the perpetrator's actions seem insignificant.

According to the organization, Asian elephants like the Sumatran elephant have suffered abuse for decades under the guise of tourism and human entertainment.

The Sumatran elephant population has drastically declined due to deforestation and habitat degradation, and in 2012 it was reclassified from "endangered species" to "critically endangered species."

According to National Geographic in 2017, the population of these elephants is estimated to be between 700 and 1,000. These elephants originally live only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra but some have been moved to Bali island for tourism purposes.