Prosthetic limbs aren’t just for people. They can be for elephants, too.
Mosha the elephant, a permanent resident of the hospital run by the Friends of the Asian Elephant foundation in Thailand, is the first elephant ever to receive an effective and functional prosthetic leg.
Mosha was just 7 months old when she lost her leg to a landmine on the Burmese border, according to the FAE’s website.
As she continued to grow, her missing leg put tremendous pressure on her remaining three limbs and her spine. Luckily, the FAE was able to give Mosha a prosthetic leg, and the organization is continuously designing and creating new molds to accommodate the growing elephant. At the time of her injury, Mosha weighed about 1,300 pounds. Now, she weighs over 4,400 pounds.
When Mosha waits for a new prosthetic leg, she is able to do things like lean against rails in order to relieve some of the pressure, the site says. Designing and constructing her new prosthetic is a very complex process.
Fellow FAE hospital resident, Motola, also has a prosthetic leg. She was right behind Mosha as the second elephant to receive one. Unfortunately, Matola is not quite as comfortable in her new leg as Mosha is due to her growth patterns.
Read: ‘GMA’ In Africa: How You Can Help Wild Animal Conservation EffortsFAE recently added a prosthesis factory to its facility, which will make the process more affordable and efficient, according to the website.