Crippled Baby Elephant Chhouk: Now Walking and Running on Prosthetic Foot
Several years ago, orphaned baby Chhouk was found wandering alone in the forest without a foot. The endangered Asian baby elephant apparently lost his left front foot due to injuries sustained from a poacher’s snare.
Rescued in a remote area of northeastern Cambodia, the injured elephant was transported by truck to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center in what turned out to be a very difficult and treacherous 26-hour journey. Besides being severely malnourished, his stump was badly infected and nearly 5 inches of infected tissue was removed. Balance issues and severe strain made walking on three feet nearly impossible.
