Prosthetic for Elephants

I watched a TV program yesterday morning regarding Motala, a 50-year-old elephant in Thailand. I was so touched by her story I became obsessed and have read several articles about her decade long plight.

She was a working elephant who moved trees for a living. While on a break, she was foraging for food when she stepped on a land mine. Her owners tried to save the leg, but couldn’t. It had to be amputated. Motala isn’t the first elephant to lose a leg, so they had some experience in helping her cope without a leg, and to get her into a prosthetic. They had to give her 70 shots of anesthetic, just to get her numbed and able to take the pain of losing the leg. After the leg was removed it took close to ten years to heal, meaning she would not be ready for her prosthetic for some time.

It took several tries just to get the prosthetic fitted and specifically made for her. It was exhausting to her, but she was so patient while her people helped her through the process. Until she became used to her new leg, you could see the mechanical material, but once she was ready to begin using it daily it had the appearance of an elephants leg, even with nails on her hoof. Unfortunately, she can only wear it for three hours a day, due to the weight she puts on it with each step.

This story warms my heart because Motala needed help and she found comfort at a sanctuary with loving people to care for her.