o in Indonesia announced on Tuesday that one of its elephants was found dead on Tuesday.
The zoo was guiding two of its elephants to a holding area on Monday. That’s part of their daily routine since it promotes physical stimulation. Unfortunately, a strong river current swept one of the two elephants away. There was a joint search team from Bali Zoo and Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency to find the missing elephant. It wasn’t until Tuesday when Molly, a 45-year-old female Sumatran elephant, was found dead in Cengceng river. The other elephant was able to cross the river safely.
“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,” the zoo said in a statement. “Molly was known to be a kind and friendly elephant.”
According to the Associated Press, the river current got much stronger due to heavy rain. Molly ultimately lost her balance and was unable to get to safety.
The zoo’s head of public relations, Emma Chandra, referred to Molly’s death as an “unavoidable event.” Nonetheless, the zoo is committed to “conducting a thorough evaluation of our operational procedures and risk mitigation measures” to ensure that animals will be safe during future rainy seasons.
As of right now, Sumatran elephants are an endangered species. There are fewer than 700 remaining on Sumatra Island, per the Associated Press. That makes this tragedy even more heartbreaking.
Hopefully, Bali Zoo can elevate its operational procedures to the point where another tragedy like this never happens again.
