photo courtesy of WMUR
An American tourist ruined her Bali trip after posing for a photo with an Elephant at a popular resort. Beth Bogar suddenly had her arm broken by the animal after it suddenly bit her, according to a May 7 report.
Bogar told WMUR that while visiting the Mason Elephant Park and Lodge from New Hampshire, one of the animals took her arm into its powerful mouth while trying to get a photo to post on Instagram with it. She said, “I couldn’t get my arm out, I could just hear cracking, and I started to panic,”
Both Bogar’s husband, Les, and an elephant trainer were present at the time of the incident, and she admitted that she was just following the latters’ directions on how to pose when she was bitten.
“I just feel like the guide was guiding me, and he let my arm get too close to his mouth, and I didn’t know how close too close was.”
Bogar was quickly rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery for the severe break. She told the outlet that she had to get screwed plates inserted into her arm to reset it, and she ended up with a $10,000 medical bill. The couple continued to explain that immediately after the surgery, the Park and Lodge kept in close contact with her and claimed they would investigate the causes of the brutal incident and even help by paying half of her total medical bills. However, Bogar said they ghosted her and stopped replying.
Les said, “They were assuring us all the while, ‘Don’t worry, we have insurance. We can handle this situation; we’ll get you taken care of.”
Bogar added that although she knew the risks of getting so close to the elephant, she did not blame the animal for what happened but rather wished that the Park and Lodge had handled the situation better.
“I just wish that they [the resort] could have been a little more helpful. In a split second, your entire trip can really be changed, and not just your trip but your life can really be changed.”
Since the incident, Bogar told WMUR that the Bali Park and Lodge paid her $4,800 to assist in covering the costs of her injuries.