Bali Zoo’s critically endangered Sumatran elephant Molly found dead in river
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Bali Zoo said it would focus on evacuating its Sumatran elephant Molly’s body and preparing for her burial on the zoo grounds.
PHOTO: AFP
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BADUNG, Indonesia – A critically endangered elephant living at a zoo on the Indonesian resort island of Bali was found dead in a river on Dec 17 after being swept away by strong currents following days of torrential rain.
Molly, a 45-year-old female elephant, was found lifeless in a rocky river, Bali Zoo spokeswoman Emma Chandra said in a statement.
The elephant was being led across the river by a handler on Dec 16 to a holding area as part of her daily routine to play and explore when a sudden surge of water carried her away.
“Due to heavy rainfall, the river’s water level rose suddenly, creating a very strong current. In this situation, Molly lost her balance and was swept away,” Ms Chandra said.
She confirmed that Molly was a Sumatran elephant and was crossing a river that runs through the zoo.
The zoo launched an overnight search with the help of local residents before Molly’s body was found around 6.30am.
“We at Bali Zoo are deeply saddened and grieving the loss of Molly. She was a treasured member of our family and had been with us since 2013,” Ms Chandra said.
Bali Zoo management said it would focus on evacuating Molly’s body and preparing for her burial on the zoo grounds.
Torrential rains have battered several Indonesian regions
According to conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature, Sumatran elephants are on the brink of extinction, with only about 2,400 to 2,800 left in the world.
In the wild, the elephant population is also threatened by rampant poaching because of their tusks, which are prized in the illegal wildlife trade.
Rampant deforestation has reduced the critically endangered elephants’ natural habitat and brought them into increasing conflict with humans. AFP
