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December 17, 2024 | 04:06 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Molly, a 45-year-old Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) residing at the Bali Zoo conservation institution, was found dead at the Cengceng River in Gianyar Regency after being swept away by the strong current of the Wos River on Monday, December 16, 2024.
“In tandem with the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and local communities, we finally found our elephant that was swept away by the current after almost 15 hours of searching,” said Emma Kristiana Chandra, Head of Public Relations of Bali Zoo in Singapadu Village, Gianyar Regency, on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
The incident occurred during heavy rainfall that affected much of Bali. While playing in the water with another elephant, Tina, and under the supervision of two mahouts, Molly attempted to cross the river to return to her enclosure.
“Tina successfully crossed the river, followed by Molly and a mahout. But as Molly approached the riverbank, she was unexpectedly swept away by the strong current, and the mahout tried to catch her but failed,” Emma explained, sobbing.
The search for Molly ensued, and her body was eventually discovered at approximately 06:30 local time on Tuesday, approximately 2.8 kilometers from where she was initially swept away. The elephant's body, located at the bottom of the rocky riverbed in Guwang Village, Sukawati District, was found submerged under approximately 5-10 meters of water.
To prevent further displacement, Molly's body was secured with a chain rope tied to trees on the riverbank. The evacuation process required extra effort due to the significant weight increase caused by water ingress and decomposition. Bali Zoo plans to bury Molly in the conservation area.
Ratna Hendratmoko, Head of the Bali BKSDA, mentioned that this was the first incident to occur at a conservation institution in the country. “It was usually baby elephants that were reported to be swept away by the current,” she said.
Molly had been a resident of the Bali Zoo since 2013, having been transferred from the Central Java BKSDA. The zoo currently houses a total of 14 elephants, comprising four males and ten females.
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