Elephants were found wandering around a five-star hotel in Sri Lanka

An elephant in Sri Lanka seems to have gotten a taste of the high life after it was filmed roaming the corridors of a five-star hotel in the southeast of the country.

The guests were amazed when Natta Kota, an adult male Asian elephant, appeared to roam the interior of the Jetwing Yala hotel before picking his nose gently with his trunk.

A video of Natta Kota being caught red-handed went viral over the weekend after being uploaded to Twitter.

The elephant living on the hotel’s premises is well known by staff and frequently roams around the building.

Natta Kota, which means Short Tail, has been called “the hotel’s most loyal patron” since 2013.

“In its early years, Natta Kota was a seasonal visitor, appearing for several months of the year before disappearing again into the bush. During this time, he also regularly visits other resorts along the beach,” a Jetwing spokesman told the BBC.

“A few years ago, he took up residence at Jetwing, where he was allowed to be at peace. Natta Kota spends the day sleeping in the shade of the bushes and walking along the hotel boardwalk. ”

Footage from late last year showed the elephant on another of his elephants passing through the hotel – although the staff was quick to remind guests to keep their distance.

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 pic.twitter.com/C2biQT8C30

— Spookily 👻🇱🇰 (@upidaisy) January 19, 2020

“Please note that although he is a frequent visitor to our hotels, Natta Kota is still a wild elephant and we at Jetwing will let him stay,” a spokesperson said at that time.

“While it is exciting and memorable to encounter wildlife in and around our hotel, we humbly ask that guests respect their space and maintain a healthy distance at all times.

“Please avoid feeding animals and do not use flash to take pictures.”

Although she is trusted to come to the hotel at will, Natta Kota always serves her own food when the opportunity arises.

Guests have been warned to keep an eye out for the elephant’s “mischievous moments”, while an electric fence has been installed in front of the kitchen door to keep it away from the hotel’s food supply.

The Jetwing Yala Hotel is located near Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park, the country’s most visited wildlife sanctuary.