Bali Zoo mourns death of Sumatran elephant swept away by river current
Molly was in the river during a routine exercise when the current suddenly increased due to heavy rain upstream
Molly, a 45-year-old female Sumatran elephant was one of two being guided by a mahout to a holding area outside the zoo grounds through a river on Monday afternoon. The activity was part of their daily routine of mental and physical stimulation.
The first elephant had made it across and Molly was in the river when the current suddenly increased due to heavy rain upstream, the zoo said in a statement.
“In this situation, Molly lost her balance and was swept away by the current,” it said. The mahout was uninjured.
A team from Bali Zoo and Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency conducted an intensive search. The dead elephant was found on Tuesday morning in Cengceng river in Sukawati subdistrict in Gianyar district, Bali.
“The entire team at Bali Zoo is deeply saddened by the loss of Molly, a female elephant who has been an important part of our extended family. Molly was known to be a kind and friendly elephant,” the zoo said.
