Comment Alvin Kaunda was in the middle of describing the effects of human actions on the natural world when the tip of a brown log appeared just behind his left ear. The trunk, which belonged to one of the young residents of an elephant orphanage in Nairobi where Kaunda had gone to report a story about the devastating drought affecting Kenya and its wildlife, was draped gently over the reporter’s shoulder before twist up to probe his ear, exploring the side of his head. Kaunda, however, appeared unfazed by the unexpected invasion of his personal space and continued to deliver his report to the camera, only to finally burst out laughing when the elephant’s leathery appendage began to suffocate his face. Clips of the moment began circulating online over the weekend and have since racked up millions of views — catapulting Kaunda and the curious young elephant to viral fame. The brief interaction between the reporter and the subject enthralled onlookers and left many in awe of Kaunda’s ability to keep his cool for as long as he did. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a non-profit organization that runs the orphanage, identified the elephant as Kindani, a 4-year-old female rescued in April 2018. “Baby elephant upsetting a TV reporter is the best part of today,” tweeted one Twitter user, who shared a video of the exchange that has been viewed more than 11.8 million times since Wednesday. For Kaunda, it all started as just another day at work. The Kenya Broadcasting Corp reporter. was on assignment at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage, according to Kenyans.co.ke. Kenya is battling its worst drought in four decades, and local officials say extreme weather is killing 20 times more elephants than poaching. A recent report released by the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife revealed that more than a thousand animals have died as a result of the drought, including wildebeests, zebras, elephants and buffaloes. Relentless drought kills hundreds of Kenya’s zebras, elephants, wildebeest Kaunda told a local Kenyan radio station that he knew he wanted to set up a shot at the orphanage where he would speak in front of the elephants. But he was struggling to pass his report and had already attempted 10 downloads — all unsuccessful. “I had kept my distance, but I was so focused I didn’t even realize they were coming,” he said. At the start of this would-be-viral moment, Kaunda, dressed in a t-shirt and a red and navy jacket, can be seen standing among several maroon elephants holding a microphone bearing the KBC logo in his hand. In the background, Kitani has her torso draped over the back of one of the other elephants. “Let’s go,” says a faint off-camera voice. With a quick breath, Kaunda focuses his gaze on the camera and begins. “It is said that charity begins at home,” says Kaunda, his expression serious, “and for these young orphaned elephants, this charity is what they call home.” He briefly looks away from the camera when one of the elephants appears to push the side of his body with its head, but does not flinch. Instead, he places a gentle hand over the elephant’s head and hammers away, seemingly determined to get a usable shot. Kidani, however, now right behind him, seems to have other plans. “And with increasing cases of drought, it’s up to us to be guardians of our natural world,” Kaunda says, ignoring the elephant trunk tracker scrutinizing his ear. It moves to the top of his head before moving down to the center of his face, forcing Kaunda to close his eyes as he bravely continues to speak. But when Kitani’s torso starts groping his nose and mouth, the reporter gives up. Letting out a high-pitched laugh, he squirms, drawing laughter from the camera, while the elephant quickly pulls its trunk. On social media, the interaction, which lasted less than a minute, soon captivated people around the world. “Most of us would have lost our professionalism much sooner!” the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust said on Twitter. “An important piece related to the drought, but our orphans just had a visitor to investigate!” Kidani “knows exactly what she plans to do,” the organization added in another tweet, responding to a Twitter user who showed the elephant’s eyes moments before approaching Kaunda. “The side eye is often a harbinger of cheeky behavior.” Faced with the willing elephant, many onlookers were impressed by Kaunda’s determination. “I’m amazed at how long this reporter managed to keep his cool,” one person tweeted. “I would start laughing at the first touch.” Another Twitter user applauded the journalist for his “amazing professional review”. “The reporter stayed the course until it was no longer possible,” the person wrote. “I’m glad he got the laugh at the end, it did my heart good.” In the interview with Radio Kenya, Kaunda described the trunk as “tickling”, saying:[I] I just tried to keep my cool.” “It didn’t actually smell at all,” he said. “I’m sure if it had a bad smell it would have really distracted me. It wasn’t normal, but I loved the experience.” Kaunda, a self-described “wildlife lover,” said he hopes to experience more of these encounters, adding that he aims to “get close” to many species of animals. “There are only two left so far. the lion and the leopard”. Sign up for the latest news on climate change, energy and the environment, delivered every Thursday
