elephant bali zoo

An Elephant from Bali Zoo in Gianyar Drifted Away by the River Current

Share:

On Monday, December 16, 2024, an overflowing river in Gianyar, Bali carried away an elephant. The elephant belonging to Bali Zoo on Jalan Singapadu, Sukawati, Gianyar, was washed away at around 6 p.m.

It is known that from morning to afternoon a number of areas in Bali were showered with rain, including Gianyar. The video capturing the drifting elephant went viral on social media, although it was quite difficult to find the elephant in the middle of the swift brown river current.

Sukawati Police Chief Kompol I Ketut Suaka Purnawasa said the current swept Moly away while she was going to her cage. At that time, the 30-year-old female elephant was being guided by her handler to the holding area after completing routine socialization. However, the journey home was not smooth. Moly was swept away by the river current.

“When passing through the river, which was her usual route, Moly was suddenly thrown by the river water, which suddenly rose because of high rainfall. So Moly lost her balance and was carried away by the river current,” said Suaka Purnawasa.

@detikbali Mih, semoga Moly bisa segera ditemukan ya!😢 #GajahHanyut #BaliZoo #Moly #InfoGianyar ♬ original sound – detikbali

Knowing the incident, the entire Bali Zoo crew conducted a search. They followed the river downstream to Rangkan Beach and Purnama Beach.

“Bali Zoo has reported the elephant’s disappearance to BPBD Gianyar and Bali BKSDA,” said Suaka Purnawasa.

The Head of Emergency and Logistics Division of BPBD Gianyar Regency I Gusti Ngurah Dibya Presasta confirmed the information about the elephant belonging to Bali Zoo. However, BPBD officers could not help evacuate because the elephant is too heavy. According to him, handling must be done by professionals.

“BPBD Gianyar Regency has not been able to help with the evacuation, because the elephant has a heavy weight that requires evacuation to be done specifically by professionals. A solution needs to be found to lift it when the elephant’s position is found,” he said, as reported by Detik.

As of Monday night, the elephant’s position was still unknown. Apart from the large and brownish river current, the situation was also dark.

The search for Moly resumed on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.

Bali Zoo’s Elephant Moly Found Dead

They finally found Bali Zoo’s elephant, Moly, dead in the Cengcengan River, De Guwang.

The dead elephant has now been evacuated by Sukawati Police personnel.

“Sukawati Police personnel combined with Bhabinkamtibmas and Bhabinsa secure the evacuation process of a drifting elephant in the Subak Cengcengan River in the Sukawati sub-district area,” wrote from the @polseksukawati account.

Find this article helpful? Check out our other articles from Social Expat:

Related News

Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI) in Cisarua, Bogor, has welcomed the birth of its first giant panda cub. The male cub, born on 27 November 2025, is the first giant panda ever born in Indonesia and a significant result of long-term cooperation with China. The cub was officially named Satrio, or Rio, by Indonesian President Prabowo […]

A large fire destroyed the Waru Wora Traditional Village in Patiala Bawa Village, Lamboya District, West Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), on Friday (5 December 2025). The incident caused significant damage to the cultural site and left dozens of families without shelter. Local residents attempted to extinguish the fire using basic tools, but the […]

ART SG will return on 23–25 January 2026 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Now in its fourth edition, this international art fair returns with an expanded format. Notably, for the first time, ART SG will feature S.E.A. Focus as part of its main programme. The result? 106 galleries from […]

A series of sperm whale sightings has drawn attention in the waters of North Bali, particularly in the Pemuteran area, Gerokgak District, Buleleng Regency. A local resident and tour guide, Abdul Rohim, recorded one of the encounters while taking tourists out to sea. The footage shows the back and tail of a large whale surfacing […]

Expat Events

Indonesia Visas

Expat Event

Social Networking
150,000
Luminor Hotel Legian Seminyak Bali
Social Networking Event
150,000
Aubree Bistro & Bar
Business Networking
150,000
Afterglow Rooftop Bar & Kitchen

Indonesia Guide

Just For Fun

Write For Us

Exclusive Promotions

Event Gallery