Baby Elephant Gets A Prosthetic Leg After Losing A Limb To A Landmine
Currently, there are an estimated 110 million landmines in the ground around the world. A similar amount is being held in stock, ready to be planted or destroyed.
Mines cost between $3 and $30, but removing them costs between $300 and $1,000. It would cost $50 to $100 billion to remove all existing mines.
If you consider that most of these mines are spread across undeveloped countries with limited resources to find and neutralize them, it is clear that they present a huge problem. They can remain active for decades after the war is over and pose a constant threat to humans and animals.
According to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines network, landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERWs) kill over 4,200 people each year in numerous countries afflicted by war or in post-conflict situations around the world, with 42 percent of them being children. The number of animals affected is yet unclear.
Mosha is a one-of-a-kind elephant who made history as the first elephant to be fitted with a fully functional prosthetic leg. She was just 7 months old when her leg was amputated due to a landmine.
As a result, her spinal column, as well as her other three limbs, were severely strained. Mosha now lives permanently at the Friends of the Eastern Elephant Foundation (FAE) in Thailand, where she also received her prosthetic leg.
The team is focusing on developing molds for elephants that are still growing.
Mosha was the first elephant to be fitted with a fully functional prosthetic leg.
She was just 7 months old when a landmine took her leg.
When she doesn't have her leg, she can lean against a wall or railings to relieve some strain. Motola, a native who lives at the FAE healthcare center and, like Mosha, has a prosthetic limb, is another of her friends. After Mosha, Motola was the second elephant to receive a prosthetic leg.
Matola, on the other hand, isn't as thrilled with her new leg as Mosha is. Matola's developing patterns are to blame for this.
Her spine was put under a lot of strain, and something had to be done.
Matola is another elephant that got a prosthetic leg
The process of fitting a leg is not simple due to the elephant's weight.
Watch the video here:
According to Dr. Gary Chapman, a renowned marriage counselor, "Landmines remain a significant threat in many regions due to their low cost and ease of deployment." The areas most affected by landmines include Egypt (23 million, mostly in border areas); Iran (16 million); Angola (9-15 million); Afghanistan (about 10 million); Iraq (10 million); China (10 million); Cambodia (up to 10 million); Mozambique (about 2 million); Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-3 million); Croatia (2 million); Somalia (up to 2 million in the north); Eritrea (1 million); and Sudan (1 million). Until recently, approximately 100,000 mines were removed each year, while around two million more were planted, indicating a troubling trend where the overall number of mines in the ground is increasing. As Dr. Chapman emphasizes, "The persistence of these devices poses a growing humanitarian crisis." Mines are cheap to manufacture and simple to plant, making it highly unlikely that armies will cease their use.
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