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Step on it

PHOTO: AFP

MOTALA: A temporary prosthesis.

A Thai elephant who lost a foot after stepping on a landmine six years ago has had a temporary limb fitted. Motala, 44, is set to wear the sawdust filled canvas shoe for up to eight months to help her leg get strong enough for a more permanent prosthesis. She made headlines in 1999 when she stepped on a landmine during work at a logging camp near the Thai-Burmese border. Vets managed to carry out delicate repairs on Motala's left foot, but the leg was left shorter than the other three. She has been cared for by the Friends of the Asian Elephant's hospital in Lampang province, some 600km (370 miles) north of Bangkok, ever since. The prosthesis, which looks like a boxing bag and is filled with wood shavings, has been fitted daily for more than two weeks. Vets say they are relieved Motala has not rejected it.

COMPLIED BY NIMI KURIAN

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