A video showing an elephant drifting in the swollen waters of a Bali river has gone viral. The footage, shared by onlookers, claimed that the animal had been swept away from the Bali Zoo after heavy and prolonged rainfall caused the river to overflow. However, in the murky current, not all viewers could spot the elephant, leading some to doubt the story. Unfortunately, the worst fears were confirmed—the deceased elephant was found three kilometers from the Bali Zoo.
The victim was Molly, a 45-year-old elephant. There are several theories about how she ended up in the river. Witnesses say the current caught her while she was bathing in her usual spot in the zoo’s western section. Others believe Molly lost her footing while crossing the river on her way to her enclosure.
Zoo staff were unable to assist Molly immediately due to her massive weight. All they could do was report the incident to the police.
Around 7 p.m. on Monday, the first videos from witnesses surfaced, showing the elephant being carried by the river’s current. The footage quickly went viral, but even then, a rescue attempt was impossible. Heavy equipment would have been required to lift such a large animal, so specialists had to wait for the elephant to drift closer to the shore.
Finally, on Tuesday, local residents reported finding the deceased elephant three kilometers from the zoo. Molly was lying on rocks, covered with a blue tarp.
One villager recounted seeing the drifting elephant collide with a coconut tree. She speculated that Molly might have still been alive at that point but ultimately succumbed after hitting larger rocks. Heavy machinery had to be brought in to recover the animal’s body from the site.
The zoo, where Molly had lived since 2013, released an official statement mourning her loss. The statement described her as kind, intelligent, and a source of joy for everyone who knew her.
Sadly, Molly is not the first victim of Bali’s extreme weather. Earlier, a tree fell onto a tourist path in the Monkey Forest, killing two foreign visitors. Additionally, a ten-year-old Indonesian boy was swept away by floodwaters. These heavy rains and the resulting floods are proving to be extremely dangerous. Tourists are urged to exercise caution during bad weather, especially when planning volcano hikes or sea excursions.
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