Let’s talk about the elephant in the (hotel) room
A video of a wild elephant wandering through a hotel in Sri Lanka has gone viral on social media.
The elephant, called Natta Kota (meaning short tail) is often seen at the Jetwing Yala Hotel on the island’s south east coast, where he lives in the grounds.
He occasionally goes inside the hotel, poking at objects with his trunk.
A video of one of his visits was posted on Twitter by @upidaisy yesterday. She wrote: "Woke up to a text from my mom about how a wild elephant went into a Sri Lankan hotel and gently wandered around while poking stuff with his trunk."
It is not clear exactly when the footage was taken. Around five months ago, the Jetwing Yala uploaded another video showing the elephant in the hotel.
The hotel itself has previously posted a video of Natta Kota in the hotel. It said: "Please note that though he is a regular visitor to our hotels, Natta Kota is still very much a wild elephant and we at Jetwing would have him remain as such.
"While it is exciting and memorable to encounter wild animals in and around our hotels, we humbly request that guests respect their space and maintain a healthy distance at all times. Please avoid feeding the animals and refrain from using flash photography."
The hotel is in scrubland where many wild animals live. They have not fenced off the complex, so animals are regular visitors to the grounds where guests can see them.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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