Guest guest Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Mosha the elephant has been fitted with an prosthetic leg in Lampang, Thailand, after losing a limb when she stepped on a landmine. Last Updated: 10:16AM GMT 10 Mar 2009 Mosha the elephant walks on her new prosthetic leg, at the FAE Elephant Hospital in Thailand Photo: BARCROFT She was rescued when she was seven-months-old and brought to the Friends of the Asian Elephant hospital where she became the first elephant in the world to be fitted with an artificial leg in 2007. Now aged three, Mosha is growing at such a rate she has now been fitted with a second prosthetic leg. Her home in the tropical jungle of northern Thailand, near the Cambodian border, is an orphanage for elephants. Stumbling around on three limbs at the world's first elephant hospital, she refused to mix with other elephants and shunned food. Doctors had feared the worst until she had a chance meeting with Dr. Therdchai Jivacate, who runs a foundation for human amputees. Jivacate knew that Mosha would not survive as she grew heavier with age. "When she cannot walk, she is going to die," he said. Jivacate's foundation has made prosthetic limbs for over 16,000 humans. But it had never fitted an elephant until Mosha caught Jivacate's eye. Fashioned out of plastic, sawdust and metal, doctors at his Prostheses Foundation successfully fitted an artificial leg for Mosha sturdy enough to carry her weight. One of many patients treated at the unique £1m animal hospital, with fellow elephants suffering infections, broken bones and knife wounds, Mosha soon became the most famous. Almost a year after her operation, Mosha eats 200 pounds of food a day and is growing so fast that doctors recently fitted her with a second, larger prosthesis. After her daily exercises, Mosha takes a nap. The prosthesis is only removed when she sleeps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 How ingenious, I hope they manage to develop similar prosthetics for more species. Its always so sad when a creature healthy in all other ways has to be put down because of losing a limb. jo.heartwork wrote: > > > > > > Mosha the elephant has been fitted with an prosthetic leg in > Lampang, Thailand, after losing a limb when she stepped on a > landmine. > > > > Last Updated: 10:16AM GMT 10 Mar 2009 > > Mosha the elephant with a prosthetic leg: Mosha the elephant gets > prosthetic leg > Mosha the elephant walks on her new prosthetic leg, at the FAE > Elephant Hospital in Thailand Photo: BARCROFT > > She was rescued when she was seven-months-old and brought to the > Friends of the Asian Elephant hospital where she became the first > elephant in the world to be fitted with an artificial leg in 2007. > > Now aged three, Mosha is growing at such a rate she has now been > fitted with a second prosthetic leg. > > Her home in the tropical jungle of northern Thailand, near the > Cambodian border, is an orphanage for elephants. > > Stumbling around on three limbs at the world's first elephant > hospital, she refused to mix with other elephants and shunned food. > > Doctors had feared the worst until she had a chance meeting with Dr. > Therdchai Jivacate, who runs a foundation for human amputees. > > Jivacate knew that Mosha would not survive as she grew heavier with age. > > " When she cannot walk, she is going to die, " he said. > > Jivacate's foundation has made prosthetic limbs for over 16,000 > humans. But it had never fitted an elephant until Mosha caught > Jivacate's eye. > > Fashioned out of plastic, sawdust and metal, doctors at his Prostheses > Foundation successfully fitted an artificial leg for Mosha sturdy > enough to carry her weight. > > One of many patients treated at the unique £1m animal hospital, with > fellow elephants suffering infections, broken bones and knife wounds, > Mosha soon became the most famous. > > Almost a year after her operation, Mosha eats 200 pounds of food a day > and is growing so fast that doctors recently fitted her with a second, > larger prosthesis. > > After her daily exercises, Mosha takes a nap. The prosthesis is only > removed when she sleeps. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 It certainly has made a difference to her. Jo , Alicia Armstrong <alicia.armstrong88 wrote: > > How ingenious, I hope they manage to develop similar prosthetics for > more species. Its always so sad when a creature healthy in all other > ways has to be put down because of losing a limb. > > jo.heartwork wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Mosha the elephant has been fitted with an prosthetic leg in > > Lampang, Thailand, after losing a limb when she stepped on a > > landmine. > > > > > > > > Last Updated: 10:16AM GMT 10 Mar 2009 > > > > Mosha the elephant with a prosthetic leg: Mosha the elephant gets > > prosthetic leg > > Mosha the elephant walks on her new prosthetic leg, at the FAE > > Elephant Hospital in Thailand Photo: BARCROFT > > > > She was rescued when she was seven-months-old and brought to the > > Friends of the Asian Elephant hospital where she became the first > > elephant in the world to be fitted with an artificial leg in 2007. > > > > Now aged three, Mosha is growing at such a rate she has now been > > fitted with a second prosthetic leg. > > > > Her home in the tropical jungle of northern Thailand, near the > > Cambodian border, is an orphanage for elephants. > > > > Stumbling around on three limbs at the world's first elephant > > hospital, she refused to mix with other elephants and shunned food. > > > > Doctors had feared the worst until she had a chance meeting with Dr. > > Therdchai Jivacate, who runs a foundation for human amputees. > > > > Jivacate knew that Mosha would not survive as she grew heavier with age. > > > > " When she cannot walk, she is going to die, " he said. > > > > Jivacate's foundation has made prosthetic limbs for over 16,000 > > humans. But it had never fitted an elephant until Mosha caught > > Jivacate's eye. > > > > Fashioned out of plastic, sawdust and metal, doctors at his Prostheses > > Foundation successfully fitted an artificial leg for Mosha sturdy > > enough to carry her weight. > > > > One of many patients treated at the unique £1m animal hospital, with > > fellow elephants suffering infections, broken bones and knife wounds, > > Mosha soon became the most famous. > > > > Almost a year after her operation, Mosha eats 200 pounds of food a day > > and is growing so fast that doctors recently fitted her with a second, > > larger prosthesis. > > > > After her daily exercises, Mosha takes a nap. The prosthesis is only > > removed when she sleeps. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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