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

South Korean K-pop group BIGBANG has officially announced the schedule for its upcoming reunion world tour, marking the group’s return to the stage as a trio consisting of G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung. The tour will begin in Goyang, South Korea, on 21 August 2026 before travelling to several cities across Asia, including Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala […]

A unique conservation event in Japan has attracted widespread attention online after Tobe Zoo in Ehime Prefecture officially introduced two Bornean orangutans, Jennifer and Hayato, as a breeding pair. The occasion, which took place on 6 June 2026, was shared by the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo through its official Instagram account and quickly drew interest […]

A 24-year-old man from West Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has reported being assaulted and extorted after meeting individuals through the dating application Tinder in Bali. The case has drawn public attention after photographs showing injuries to the victim’s face and head circulated widely on social media. The victim, identified by his initials YKB […]

Norwegian folk duo Kings of Convenience are set to return to Indonesia as part of their Asia Tour 2026, with two performances scheduled in Jakarta later this year. The concert, titled Kings of Convenience Live in Jakarta, will take place on 28 and 29 November 2026 at the JIEXPO Convention Center & Theater in Central […]

Expat Events

Indonesia Visas

Indonesia Guide

Just For Fun

Write For Us

Exclusive Promotions

Event Gallery