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A Zoo Elephant Dies in Indonesia after Being Swept Away in a River

The carcass of an elephant is covered with a blue tarp after it was found dead on a riverbank after being swept away by the river's current the previous evening, in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, 17 December 2024. (EPA)
The carcass of an elephant is covered with a blue tarp after it was found dead on a riverbank after being swept away by the river's current the previous evening, in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, 17 December 2024. (EPA)
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A Zoo Elephant Dies in Indonesia after Being Swept Away in a River

The carcass of an elephant is covered with a blue tarp after it was found dead on a riverbank after being swept away by the river's current the previous evening, in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, 17 December 2024. (EPA)
The carcass of an elephant is covered with a blue tarp after it was found dead on a riverbank after being swept away by the river's current the previous evening, in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, 17 December 2024. (EPA)

An elephant that lived at the zoo on Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali was found dead on Tuesday after being swept away by a strong river current.

Molly, a 45-year-old female Sumatran elephant was one of two being guided by a mahout to a holding area outside of the zoo grounds through a river on Monday afternoon. The activity was part of their daily routine of mental and physical stimulation.

The first elephant had made it across and Molly was in the river when the current suddenly increased due to heavy rain upstream, the zoo said in a statement.

"In this situation, Molly lost her balance and was swept away by the current," it said. The mahout was uninjured.

A team from Bali Zoo and Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency conducted an intensive search. The dead elephant was found Tuesday morning in Cengceng river in Sukawati subdistrict in Gianyar district, Bali.

"The entire team at Bali Zoo is deeply saddened by the loss of Molly, a female elephant who has been an important part of our extended family. Molly was known to be a kind and friendly elephant," the zoo said.

"This was an unavoidable event, but we are committed to conducting a thorough evaluation of our operational procedures and risk mitigation measures, especially during the rainy season, to ensure the safety of all our animals in the future," said Emma Chandra, the zoo's head of public relations.

Seasonal rains from around October through to March frequently cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands.

Sumatran elephants are a critically endangered species and fewer than 700 remain on Sumatra island. This subspecies of the Asian elephant, one of two species of the largest mammal in the world, is protected under an Indonesian law on the conservation of biological natural resources and their ecosystems.

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Varieties

Libya Farmer Breaks New Ground with Outlier Date Variety

A worker arranges a box of Mejhoul dates harvested from palm trees at fields of the Akmam Al Nakhil company, in the coastal city of Misrata, east of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on September 28, 2024. (AFP)
A worker arranges a box of Mejhoul dates harvested from palm trees at fields of the Akmam Al Nakhil company, in the coastal city of Misrata, east of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on September 28, 2024. (AFP)
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Libya Farmer Breaks New Ground with Outlier Date Variety

A worker arranges a box of Mejhoul dates harvested from palm trees at fields of the Akmam Al Nakhil company, in the coastal city of Misrata, east of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on September 28, 2024. (AFP)
A worker arranges a box of Mejhoul dates harvested from palm trees at fields of the Akmam Al Nakhil company, in the coastal city of Misrata, east of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on September 28, 2024. (AFP)

In the Libyan countryside, farmer Ismail Ben Saoud has launched an agricultural experiment, banking on Mejhoul dates -- a premium variety cherished across the Arab world but untested in such a humid coastal climate.

Ben Saoud's five-hectare (12-acre) farm in Misrata, western Libya, stands out in the landscape that is dotted by olive and citrus trees.

Eight years after taking the leap, he says his 700 palm trees now produce high-quality Mejhoul dates which he hopes will reach international markets soon.

"People have claimed that these palms couldn't survive here, especially near the sea," said Ben Saoud, 42.

"But with persistence and careful experimentation, we are proving them wrong."

Mejhoul dates, native to Morocco's semi-arid regions, are famed for their large size, tender texture and rich sweetness.

Traditionally thought unsuitable for Mediterranean climates, the variety has exceeded Ben Saoud's expectations.

Using organic fertilizers and refining techniques over time, Ben Saoud now anticipates reaching full production capacity in just two years.

"The harvest has been very satisfactory," he said about this year's output.

"Another year or two and it will be optimal. We improve from year to year."

For Libyans and others across the Arab world, dates are a treasured food.

A staple sweet during festivities, they hold cultural as well as religious value, traditionally eaten to break the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Mejhoul dates go for up to 80 Libyan dinars (around $16) per kilogram in local markets, far more than the price tag attached to other varieties, as low as six and up to 20 dinars.

But for many customers, Mejhoul prices match their quality, with an unwavering demand among Libyans preferring locally produced goods.

- 'Growing interest' -

The country has faced a host of woes since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising overthrew and killed longtime ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi, plunging Libya into instability and conflict.

Even before that, decades of near-exclusive reliance on oil revenue left many of Libya's sectors underdeveloped.

But many have been striving to bring around Libyan agriculture.

In Misrata, a major port city and commercial hub about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the capital Tripoli, supermarkets are stocked with a variety of date products.

They run the gamut from molasses and pastes used in traditional pastries like makroudhs, to novel concoctions such as stuffed dates smothered in chocolate.

"The quality of Libyan dates has improved noticeably since the 2011 war," said Najwa, an Egyptian nurse on vacation, shopping for her favorite varieties.

"There's more care put into growing and preparing them now."

Salah Shagan, a Libyan agriculture expert, said that "more Libyans are turning to farming in recent years", with a "growing interest" in olives, vegetables and dates.

"These efforts not only bring income, but also revive our connection to the land."

Libya now has over 10 million date palms, producing more than 50,000 tons of fruit annually, according to the agriculture ministry.

Much of this production satisfies local demand, but farmers also aim to make it to international markets.

For Ben Saoud, exporting Mejhoul is his next major bet.

"Our local demand is already strong, so we must ensure we can meet that before expanding further," he said, walking through his orchard with his two young daughters, their mouths full of fresh dates.