Mosha and Motola (pictured), who live at the Asian Elephant Foundation
in northern Thailand, have been fitted with prosthetic limbs after
losing their legs in landmine accidents more than a decade ago
Mosha received her ninth prosthetic leg on Wednesday.
She was just seven-months when she stepped on a landmine along the Thai-Myanmar border 10 years ago.
She was rushed to a hospital associated with the Asian Elephant Foundation and has been cared for by them ever since.
Two
years after her accident, surgeon Therdchai Jivacate gave her a new leg
and a new life. As she has grown, he has designed new, longer and
stronger legs for her.
As they grow larger, surgeons have to
design new and stronger legs for them and Mosha (pictured) received her
ninth prosthetic on Wednesday
Motala, who was pictured being fitted
for her prosthetic leg on Wednesday, stepped on a landmine 16 years ago
near the Thai-Myanmar border
As elephants grow larger, surgeons at
the Asian Elephant Foundation in northern Thailand have to design new
and stronger legs for them
Motala (pictured) stepped on a
landmine 16 years ago and has been cared for by the Asian Elephant
Foundation since. She became the second elephant to be fitted with a
prosthetic leg after Mosha
Mosha was first fitted with her
prosthetic eight years ago by surgeon Therdchai Jivacate. As she has
grown, he has designed new, longer and stronger legs for her
'The
way she walked was unbalanced and her spine was going to bend,'
Therdchai, 72, said of Mosha before receiving her latest leg. 'She would
have died.'
Mosha, who weighed only 600 kg when she was given her first artificial limb, now weighs over 2,000 kg.
Motala stepped on a landmine 16 years ago. She became the second elephant to be fitted with a prosthetic leg after Mosha.
The
nature of her injury and growth means she isn't as comfortable with her
prosthetic, according to the Asian Elephant Foundation hospital.
Founded in 1993, the facility was the world's first elephant hospital and currently has 17 patients.
The
Thai-Myanmar border is still dotted with landmines left over from
clashes between ethnic-minority rebels and the Myanmar army dating back
decades.
Mosha , who weighed only 600 kg when she was given her first artificial limb, now weighs over 2,000 kg
Engineer Boonyu Thippaya (left) and a member of his team work to adjust a prosthetic leg for an elephant injured by a landmine
Engineer Boonyu Thippaya works on
building a new prosthetic leg for one of the animals at the Asian
Elephant Foundation in northern Thailand
Founded in 1993, the facility was the world's first elephant hospital and currently has 17 patients
Mosha and Motola, who live at the
Asian Elephant Foundation in northern Thailand, both lost legs more than
a decade ago when they were just calfs
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