Elephant Who Lost Leg In Land Mine Blast Gets New Prosthetic Limb

Mosha, a three-legged elephant, uses a custom-made prosthetic leg to walk.

Mosha, an elephant who lost her leg when she was just 7 months old in a land mine blast at the Myanmar-Thailand border, now uses a prosthetic leg to walk around.

The Friends of the Asian Elephant Foundation in Lampang, Thailand, where Mosha lives, said the loss of her leg led to severe strain on her other legs and back, so they created a prosthetic leg for her.

As Mosha grows bigger, new molds for her prosthetic leg have needed to be designed. She's now been fitted with her ninth prosthetic leg, according to Reuters.

When she was injured, Mosha weighed about 1,300 pounds. She now weighs over 4,400 pounds, Reuters reported.

Another elephant, Motola, who is also a land mine victim and lives at the animal hospital, also received a prosthetic leg.

Motola has not been as receptive to the leg because the nature of her injury makes it uncomfortable, and she risks getting bedsores, the FAE foundation said.

The borders of Thailand and Myanmar are still filled with unexploded land mines, after decades of conflict.

The FAE said many elephants are injured by land mines, especially those used in logging, because they work in remote forests close to the borders.

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