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

The Jakarta Provincial Government (Pemprov) has announced a Car-Free Night (CFN) to mark Takbiran, the eve of Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijri. This initiative aims to transform the city centre into a safe, pedestrian-friendly space for residents to celebrate the “night of victory” without the noise and danger of heavy traffic. Vehicle Restrictions: Private cars and […]

A fire broke out in the popular tourist destination of Gili Trawangan, North Lombok, on Thursday morning, 12 March 2026, destroying several well-known bars, restaurants, and local businesses in the area. The incident occurred in Gili Indah Village, shocking residents and tourism workers in one of Indonesia’s most visited island destinations. Authorities suspect the fire […]

President Prabowo Subianto has suggested that Indonesia consider implementing work-from-home arrangements as part of a broader strategy to conserve fuel consumption amid global economic uncertainty. Speaking during a Plenary Cabinet Meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta on Friday (13 March 2026), the president emphasised the need for proactive measures to mitigate the potential impact […]

The Denpasar District Court in Bali has sentenced two Australian men to 16 years in prison for the murder of a Melbourne father who was shot at a villa last year. The defendants, Mevlut Coskun, 22, and Paea Imiddlemore Tupou, 26, were found guilty of the killing of 32-year-old Zivan Radmanovic. The verdict was delivered […]

Indonesia Guide

Just For Fun

Write For Us

Exclusive Promotions

Event Gallery