Rescued Sumatran elephants find peace, protection at Bali island sanctuary

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - Famed for its tropical beaches, terraced rice fields, colorful temples, and atmospheric forests, Indonesia's island of Bali can also call itself home to nearly 30 rescued Sumatran elephants.

"The park was started 26 years ago to save a number of already captured elephants that were languishing in government camps in Sumatra that were dying," Nigel Mason, founder and proprietor of the Mason Adventures tour agency, told Anadolu Agency.

Saying that "the park has also brought awareness to the critically endangered species," Mason added that the park further "allowed for a successful breeding program to be established here in Bali."

"Our park currently holds a total of 29 elephants that are healthy and in good hands," he said, mentioning that the facility recently had its "annual audit by ACES (Asian Captive Elephant Standards) and for the fourth year in a row, passed with flying colors and received once more a Gold Standard."

- Tuskers’ paradise

Wayan Lenny, a senior representative at Mason Elephant Park, a short drive from the town of Ubud, told Anadolu Agency that far from being a fly-by-night operation, the park was founded in 1997 by Mason and his family.

The four-hectare (9.9-acre) facility is home to "critically endangered Sumatran elephants, six of which were naturally born here," she said.

Once visitors enter the park, she added, they can see that the environment is "carefully landscaped to mimic the original habitat of the elephant’s native home in Sumatra," an Indonesian island also famous for its coffee.

With thousands of trees in the facility, Lenny said there are at least 30 different species of palm trees and also a roaming area for the elephant couples to breed.

Both native and imported orchids welcome guests at the park as soon as they enter.

Noting that elephants have a lifespan similar to humans, Lenny said they can live as long as 70 or 80 years old.

On the gentle giants’ morning routine, she said they begin their day with a shower and then move on to breakfast.

"They consume about 250 kilograms (551 pounds) of food each day," Lenny said, laughing.

Later these friendly pachyderms have an exercise routine, as their trainers take them for a stroll within the facility right before dinner.

After their walkies, Lenny said the elephants then shower in their big pond located at the center of the facility and then go to their meal.

- Haven for endangered species

Asked about criticisms by animal rights activists, Mason said: “There will always be comments from animal activists due to both misinformation and imagination, and of course emotion."

Stressing that the facility is Asia's first-ever park to earn a gold standard from the ACES, Mason said: "This is a rescue park that has saved the lives of numerous elephants that would otherwise have died. Up to now they’ve had three babies and helped educate thousands of people about their plight."

The Asian Captive Elephant Standards group is known as an "independent, reliable and transparent link between the tourism industry and captive elephant welfare," according to its website.

"We are currently the only elephant facility in all of Indonesia that meets these standards," Mason said, emphasizing that "without parks like us, there’s little hope for the critically endangered Sumatran elephant with its declining population of less than 800 left in the wild."

"Emotion and unfounded complaints do nothing for the elephants, only action can help the situation," he added.

- During COVID closure, bills pile up

Tourism accounts for more than 50% of the resort island of Bali's economy, and due to the pandemic closing the park for more than two years, it unavoidably faced an economic squeeze.

"Throughout the two-and-a-half-year COVID closure, I personally put in all my savings and put myself into debt to the bank for the next three to four years," Mason explained.

Telling how the cost of feeding and looking after the elephants tops $35,000 a month, Mason stressed that what the park needs most is "cash, as the park receives no government or business support and is entirely funded by our family and visitors to the park. We had no visitors or income for the two-and-a-half years of COVID closure."

According to the park's website, one of the elephants rescued, Ramona, turned out "to be a very accomplished painter, with some of her artwork sold by Christie’s (auction house) in New York."

In October 2004, Mason and his team rescued and brought 10 elephants from Sumatra to Bali, and their journey was filmed by an Australian film company under the name "Operation Jumbo," the website said.

The park has been visited by numerous notable figures, from Hollywood stars to politicians, and athletes to businesspeople.

The nearby town of Ubud is also home to the popular Monkey Forest, which is a sanctuary and natural habitat of Balinese long-tailed macaque monkeys.

The 12.5-hectare (31-acre) forest also includes three Hindu temples believed to have been built in the 14th century.