Mosha & Palahdee
Mosha’s Story
Mosha suffered a landmine injury while walking near the Burmese border when she was just seven months old. This severe injury led to the loss of her leg under her knee which, unfortunately, puts extreme strain on the other three limbs and her spine as she continues to grow. Given the extent of her injury, Mosha will remain at FAE Elephant Hospital as a permanent resident.
Given our generous donors and supporters, Mosha is the first elephant ever to receive and use a prosthetic leg functionally.
With the help of the prosthetic leg, she is able to relieve some of the pressure, but is in constant need of new molds as she hits her normal growth spurts. These new fittings are a large effort and expense as they require continued pioneering in a new area of elephant and veterinary medicine. Right now, while she awaits her new prosthetic leg, Mosha does a lot of leaning against the rails of her pen as well as climbing on some of the smaller bars to rest her front legs, the same way a person does when putting their arms on a table. As you can imagine, it’s not the most comfortable for Mosha. Fortunately, the new prosthesis factory at FAE will help alleviate some of the expenses and expedite the development of her leg and overall comfort.
Mosha’s Keeper
Palahdee has been caring for Mosha since she was just two years old, and despite her hardships and trials, knows her to be as sweet and loving as ever. Mosha is extremely attached to Palahdee – he can’t even take lunch without her crying for him!
A large part of Palahdee’s day is to make Mosha feel as comfortable as possible. He knows how much Mosha loves taking naps on her cushioned mats, so he ensures that they are clean and laid out flat for her. He also fits and adjusts her old prosthetic leg as much as possible to relieve some of the stress in her spine.
Palahdee works closely with the vets to continually watch over Mosha and ensures there is no further injury to her as she tries to compensate for her missing leg. With our staff’s expertise and the help of people’s generous donations, Mosha will be in the process of receiving a new state-of-the-art prosthetic leg from FAE’s new prosthesis factory.