THAILAND - Sixteen years ago, a young Asian elephant arrived at the world’s first elephant hospital with a major injury to her front leg. Today, she’s the second elephant to ever receive a prosthesis, and she’s standing tall.
With or without her prosthetic, Motala is a striking gal. She’s charmed a significant following on Facebook, and she’s made a home for herself at Friends of the Asian Elephant Foundation.
But when she first arrived at the hospital, Motala wasn’t the charismatic elephant she is today. Motala was withdrawn and sick. She lost part of her front leg after stepping on a landmine, and was in desperate need of medical care. Her caretaker, Somchai, had never worked with elephants before.
Sixteen years later, he’s changed the course of Motala’s life with his care.
With Somchai’s guidance, Motala grew accustomed to life with her injury. After shedding the pain and stress from her trauma, she’s become the social elephant she was always supposed to be.
F.A.E. continues to provide comprehensive care to Motala. An in-house prosthetics factory makes it possible for Motala to have custom-fitted prosthesis to fit her unique needs. Somchai continues to give Motala all the love and attention she deserves.
Motala’s prosthesis isn’t always comfortable, and occasionally she prefers not to wear it. But with the help of her forever family at F.A.E., she’s learned to live her happiest life despite her injury.
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