Asian Elephant Receives Prosthetic Limb After Losing Foot in Snare Trap

An Asian elephant got into a snare and lost its limb. It was barely surviving but was rescued. Today, the gentle giant is living a normal life again.

Elephant Receives a Prosthetic Limb

An Asian elephant in Cambodia has touched viewers online after a video of him getting a new prosthetic limb on social media went viral.

British TV program host and wildlife photographer Cameron Whitnall published a video on TikTok showcasing the prosthesis for the elephant. The touching clip has received over 3.7 million views.

Whitnall told Newsweek Chhouk [the elephant] was discovered in 2007 when he was less than a year old. He was lost in a forest in northeast Cambodia.

Chhouk was terribly starved, gravely unwell from the infected wound, and had lost his foot to a poacher's snare.

Nick Marx, the director of the Wildlife Alliance in Cambodia, saved Chhouk, and he has since resided at the facility.

According to Whitnall, animals rarely receive prosthetic limbs. However, he witnessed the use of prosthetics on other elephants, vultures, toucans, and animals.

He was saddened by how snares generally result in the animal's death. However, he was thankful that Wildlife Alliance could save Chhouk before the situation got out of hand and construct a prosthetic for him.

He acknowledged the amazing veterinarians, conservation organizations, good zoos, and people for allowing animals like Chhouk to live a normal life again with their prosthetic limbs.

The Paradise Wildlife Park, a family-owned zoo in Hertfordshire, England, provided funding for designing and constructing Chhouk's replaceable feet, created by the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics.

For Chhouk's comfort, the prothetic lim was made from recycled tires, plastics, and foam. The foot must be incredibly powerful to carry the weight of the 15-year-old elephant, who is nearly 9 feet tall and 20 meters long. The foot weighs about 44 pounds, roughly equivalent to a young bison.

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Animal and Prosthetic Devices

For injured animals, orthoses (braces) and prostheses are becoming more widespread. Any medical device fastened to the body and used to support, align, position, immobilize, prevent or correct deformity, help weak muscles, or enhance function is known as an orthosis, according to Tamarack Habilitation Technologies, Inc.

Prostheses are medical devices used to replace a leg segment that has been severed or lost. When only the lower portion of the leg is hurt, it is no longer required to amputate the entire leg; instead, a partial amputation, known as an elective level sub-total amputation, is often viable.

After a complete examination that includes a gait analysis, muscle, skeleton, and nerve assessment, a veterinarian must prescribe an orthosis or prosthesis. An orthotics and prosthetics fabrication facility (V-OP) specializing in veterinary care produces the device after receiving a prescription. To achieve the goal of getting an animal back on all fours, fit and function are essential! The veterinary patient can take the next step safely and effectively with the help of a V-OP specialist.