Bali Zoo’s elephant, located in Sukawati Subdistrict, Gianyar Regency, Bali, was swept away by a river and found dead on Tuesday morning, December 17, 2024. Bali Zoo buried the carcass of the Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) named Molly in the zoo area in Singapadu Village, Sukawati, Gianyar Regency, Bali.
“We have buried Molly at the zoo,” said Bali Zoo Head of Public Relations Emma Kristiana Chandra, as reported by Antara.
The 45-year-old female elephant was buried at around 12 a.m. on Tuesday, December 17, after being successfully lifted from the bottom of the rocks of the Cengceng River in Guwang Village, about 2.8 kilometres from the conservation institution.
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They then transported the body of the jumbo animal, estimated to weigh around 2.5 tons, using a special heavy goods truck to the 12-hectare zoo.
The team even had to open evacuation access around the river cliff because of the dense trees and steep terrain, with the depth of the ravine estimated to be over 10 meters.
Chronology of Molly’s Elephant Death
For the chronology, on Monday 16 December 024 at around 3.30 p.m., Moly, a 45-year-old female elephant, was being guided by a mahout or elephant handler to return to the holding area after completing routine socialisation activities.
As part of Bali Zoo’s daily care, zookeepers give elephants time to play, explore their environment, and receive mental and physical stimulation to maintain their well-being.
Then, the route to the holding area passes through a river that usually has a calm current. Heavy rains caused the river’s water discharge to increase suddenly and created a very strong current. In this situation, Moly lost her balance and was swept away.
Subsequently, the search and discovery process of the Bali Zoo team moved quickly to conduct an intensive search in coordination with the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Centre (BKSDA) and BPBD Gianyar, as well as involving the local community.
The increasing river water discharge and the swift flow of the Wos River caused the female elephant’s body to be dragged up to 2.8 kilometres.
