Sumatran elephants: a critically endangered species in Bali's care

Two figures circulate. A WWF report on the uplisting said that an estimated 2,400 to 2,800 Sumatran elephants remained in the wild, about 50 per cent fewer than in the 1985 estimate.⁷ WWF-UK, in its current species pages, says fewer than 1,400 individuals are estimated.²

These are not competing facts so much as estimates from different times and methods. The first comes from a report written when the subspecies was uplisted; the second is on a page that WWF-UK keeps up to date. When a source gives a number, look for its date, and when you cannot find one, say so, as we do here.

What all the estimates agree on is the direction. Whatever the exact count, it is small, it is lower than it was, and the pressures that reduced it have not gone away, which is why zoos and parks that keep the animals draw so much scrutiny.

Elephants in Bali all trace back to Sumatra. Mason says its elephants were rescued from Sumatran containment camps in 3 missions, the last in 2004, and carried more than 1,700 km by truck and ferry to Bali.⁹ It says none was taken directly from the wild, and that 6 calves have been born at the park since 2009.^10,11

Bali Zoo counts 14 elephants in its herd, and it reports the birth of two male calves.^4,12 Its own program text calls them Sumatran and puts them in the hands of experienced mahout handlers.¹³

Mason adds an aspiration: if the situation in Sumatra were stabilised, it would look at gradually returning its herd to the regions the elephants once called home.¹⁴ That is a stated hope, not a plan with a date, and we report it as one.

Be realistic. A day at Bali Zoo does not add a single elephant to Sumatra's forests. What it can do is give visitors an accurate picture of the species, and fund the care of animals that live in Bali. The care day is built around a mahout who explains behavior, daily care and the welfare rules.

Pick programs that keep a respectful distance and put the elephant's willingness first. The Explorer listing is strictly observation only, and the care day lets close viewing happen only when the mahout approves. Avoid any seller who offers a ride, which both main Bali venues ended in January.^18,19

If you want to help the wild animals directly, look at organisations that protect habitat in Sumatra and give to them. A ticket to a zoo is a reasonable way to learn and a poor way to conserve, and both statements can be true at once.

A short list serves for Bali and for anywhere else. Where did the elephants come from, and can the operator say so? Who audits the care, and how recently? What does a typical day look like for an animal outside visitor hours? What happens to the elephants when it rains, when the zoo is closed or when visitor numbers fall?

A good operator answers without hurry and gives specifics. The Bali Zoo listing, for instance, states that elephant activities depend on the animals' comfort and willingness, and that orangutan contact and feeding are not permitted, which are the kinds of rules that can be checked on the day.

A poor answer is vague, changes the subject or claims a certificate that you cannot find. Keep your own notes and compare what you were told with what you saw, and share the difference in a review so the next visitor can use it.