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Our Curious World

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August 19, 2009

Thailand Thailand  |  Aug 19, 2009
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 Prosthetics and Pachyderms 

Today we return to Thailand for another look at the Asian elephant in SE Asia.  10 years after tragically stepping on a landmine near the Thai border with Burma, Motola the elephant was fitted with a new prosthetic leg yesterday.  The 48 year old elephant is learning how to return to life as a four legged animal.  At the moment, it is a tentative process.  She is unsure of the leg, but doctors hope that in time she will begin to walk on it confidently, treating it as a natural extension of her body.  Surprisingly, this is not the first prosthetic limb Thailand has fit onto an elephant.  Mosha, a three year old received a new leg last year.  As Mosha has grown, she has had to fit onto a more sturdy limb to support her body.  Doctors are excited by this prospect however, as before the limb, Mosha lost lots of weight due to her complete lack of desire to eat and interact with others her age.  Since, she has fully taken on the leg and, though she probably could not survive in the wild, is thriving in an elephant sanctuary in Eastern Thailand.  For many elephants in Thailand, logging is a full time job, and unfortunately past wars and conflicts have left many of the border regions littered with landmines and other dangerous conditions.  The true desire to respect the elephant and to honor them is deeply rooted in Thai tradition, and the development of this advanced prosthetic technology is just a modern way of accomplishing an ancient idea.

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