How Amputee Elephant Was Able to Walk Again - as part of the news series by GeoBeats.
An elephant in Thailand has received a cutting edge leg prosthesis to help it walk again. Back in 1999, Motala the elephant was working to move trees in the jungles of Thailand. While going to forage for a snack on her lunch break, Motala stumbled upon an unfortunate surprise. A land mine left over from the Burmese-Thai war blew off one of her front legs.
Her owners tried to salvage what was left of her leg, but it had to be amputated below her knee. A temporary prosthetic leg was devised in 2006, to get her ready for a more permanent replacement. Friends of the Asian Elephant, a conservationist group, reported that Motala is using the leg, and is being nurtured to a healthy recovery.
Many animals have successfully been able to utilize artificial means to live a better life after an accident or medical problem. In another remarkable example, Washington State University's medical experts made it possible for an injured tortoise to move using a wheel.
