In Thailand, an elephant is walking again thanks to a custom-made prosthesis. The pachyderm had been the victim of an accident linked to a mine.
The Asian Elephant Friends Foundation is a somewhat special hospital: it treats elephants injured by mines. This is the case of Mosha, a young elephant from Thailand .
After stepping on a mine, the seven-month-old pachyderm lost one of its front legs. Following this accident, the mammal was taken care of by the association.
On site, an orthopedic surgeon made him a prosthesis capable of supporting his weight. This artificial paw is made of plastic, sawdust and metal.
The baby elephant will receive new prostheses throughout its growth until the age of 20 years. Thanks to this device, the young Mosha can move almost as before.
Since its creation (1993), the Foundation has cared for thousands of elephants across Asia free of charge. In Cambodia, a baby elephant, named Chhouk, also wears a custom-made prosthesis.
You may not know it, but Asian elephants are endangered. These mammals, found in India, China and Thailand, are threatened by habitat loss, poaching and proximity to humans.
Today, there are no more than 50,000 individuals. Most of them serve as tourist attractions or are locked up in zoos.
Unsurprisingly, their living conditions are inhuman: abuse, malnutrition, lack of care. For their part, wild Asian elephants are exposed to mine-related accidents.
According to Futura Planète, Thailand is home to several thousand weapons of this type on its territory. The magazine specifies that the mines were “established between 1970 and 1990 along the border between Burma and Cambodia” .