A permanent replacement limb was placed on Saturday for an elephant who stepped on a land mine ten years ago. As a result of her injury, Motola came to represent the predicament of today’s elephants, and she received support and donations from all over the world. The 48-year-old pachyderm’s broken left front leg was being cast by specialists in Thailand for a plastic prosthetic limb that would be installed later on Saturday.
She might accept the new limb, I hope. It would be fantastic to see Motola and Baby Mosha strolling side by side, declared Soraida Salwala, secretary general of the non-governmental organization Friends of the Asian Elephant.
World’s First Elephant With An Artificial Leg
In 2007, Mosha, a land mine victim as well, became the first elephant in history to have an artificial leg installed. Mosha is doing well, according to Soraida, and has outgrown three of her prosthetics.
At the Elephant Hospital, which Soraida’s group founded in 1993, both elephants have received medical attention. The hospital, which was the first of its kind in the world, has tended to thousands of elephants with conditions ranging from eye infections to gunshot wounds.
How Was Matola Injured?
In 1999, Motola suffered an injury while working in a logging camp near Myanmar–Thailand border, an area that was strewn with land mines due to the region’s 50-year history of conflict. She had her injured foot amputated, and for two years she struggled on three feet until being given a temporary canvas shoe-like device.
In his inaugural procedure, Motola used 70 people’s worth of anesthesia, setting a record that was cataloged in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2000.
Motola’s once-bony frame now weighs more than 3 tonnes, according to Soraida, who said that the rest of her health has been excellent.
Who Constructed The Artificial Leg?
The Prostheses Foundation, which also creates affordable mechanical limbs for amputees in humans, built the artificial leg.
Land mines have injured a number of elephants. The domesticated giant, whose population has decreased from 13,400 in 1950 to an estimated 2,500 now, is nevertheless plagued by a number of other issues. Elephants that roam free are now far less common.
The elephant, who was formerly Thailand’s truck, taxi, and logging worker, has lost the majority of its jobs due to modernity. The tourist sector, which employs many people for activities like elephant trekking, has been a saving grace.