Statement from the Mason Elephant Park & Lodge

It was recently reported that an American woman was ‘bitten’ by an elephant at the Mason Elephant Park in Bali. THIS IS NOT TRUE.

Why? Because it is anatomically and physically impossible to be bitten by an elephant, due to its outer mouth having no teeth and it is soft and pliable with a large spongy tongue.

The molar grinding teeth are actually located far back inside the rear of the elephant’s mouth.

Here is the true story of what actually took place:

On April 29^th 2023, a tourist was posing for a photo with a male elephant and in her enthusiasm, accidentally placed her arm over the elephant’s tusk, while its trunk was raised. The elephant’s trunk then came down and her arm was fractured after being pinched between them with the weight of the trunk. Mason staff instantly transferred her to Kenak Medika Hospital, where they waited for surgery to be completed before transferring her back to her hotel, as no hospitalization after was required.

The company paid for the hospital, even though the woman had signed a no liability waiver when she entered the park. Mason management agreed to help cover some of the other costs to help the couple out.

The company regrets that this incident occurred, which is the first of its type ever since the park’s founding in 1997. It was accepted by all, including the injured guest involved, that the elephant did not cause this accident on purpose and showed no signs of aggression. There is always a slight danger with any animal encounter, however this was classed as a freak accident. Mason has since changed procedures to make sure that this kind of accident can never be repeated.

The Mason Elephant Park was started 26 years ago to rescue the critically-endangered Sumatran Elephant and is a successful breeding facility sat amongst 4 hectares of tropical landscaped gardens. It is the first animal welfare certified elephant park in the world by ACES (Asian Captive Elephant Standards) and is renowned as an ethically and sustainably run tourist destination in Bali.

The Park has been praised for being able to look after this large herd of elephants through the recent 3-year closure of Bali due to covid.