Critically endangered elephant found dead in Bali river / Photo: © AFP.
By AFP - Agence France Presse
Critically endangered elephant found dead in Bali river
A critically endangered elephant living in a zoo on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali was found dead in a river on Tuesday after being swept away by strong currents following days of torrential rain, officials said.
Molly, a 45-year-old female elephant, was found lifeless in a rocky river on Tuesday morning, Bali Zoo spokeswoman Emma Chandra said in a statement.
The elephant was being led by a keeper on Monday to a waiting area, as part of her daily routine of playing and exploring, when a sudden surge of water washed her away, the statement said.
“Due to heavy rains, the water level of the river suddenly rose, creating a very strong current. In this situation, Molly lost her balance and was carried away by the current,” Chandra said in the statement.
She confirmed to AFP that Molly was a Sumatran elephant and was crossing a river that runs through the zoo.
The zoo began an overnight search with the help of locals before Molly's body was found at around 6.30 am local time.
“We at Bali Zoo are deeply saddened and mourning the loss of Molly. She was a precious member of our family and had been with us since 2013,” Chandra said in the statement.
Bali Zoo management said it would focus on evacuating Molly's body and preparing for her burial in the zoo grounds.
Torrential rains have hit several regions of Indonesia over the past month, causing widespread flooding and landslides.
According to the conservation group WWF, Sumatran elephants are on the verge of extinction, with only around 2,400 to 2,800 left in the world.
In the wild, the elephant population is also threatened by rampant poaching of their tusks, which are valued in the illegal wildlife trade.
Rampant deforestation has reduced the natural habitat of the critically endangered elephants and brought them into increasing conflict with humans.
str-agn/jfx/mtp
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