Instagram influencer who posed nude with endangered elephant responds to critics: 'I love and respect animals'

Instagram influencer Alesya Kafelnikova with over a half-million followers has responded to criticism of her recent nude photo shoot, which pictures her lying naked atop an endangered Sumatran elephant in Bali.

But among the many fans who liked Kafelnikova’s photo, a number of critics took issue with the influencer staging her shoot with a critically endangered animal that was likely transported to Bali for tourism purposes — including an advocacy group campaigning to save Asian elephants. "Yet another tragic trivialization of the majestic Asian elephant when the species is fighting for its very existence against brutal abuse in tourism and human 'entertainment,’" wrote Save the Asian Elephants (STAE) in a statement shared with The Sun. On Twitter, the group further decried Kagelnikova’s shoot as a "crude stunt to exploit and humiliate Asian elephants for commercial gain."