ANIMALS

Disabled Elephant That Had Suffered from Abuse Was Able To Take Her First Steps After Receiving a Prosthetic Leg

A female elephant in Thailand has received a gift of new hope. Despite being large and heavy, elephants can be friendly and helpful. They have been used to assist with heavy chores in many Asian countries. While forming genuine connections with wild animals can be rewarding, it is important to remember that they can become dangerous if they are hungry or feel threatened. Unfortunately, sometimes things can go wrong.

Medo, a female elephant, started working at the age of 8, hauling logs in the mountains that stretch across the border region for four years. Unfortunately, she suffered a severe injury when a heavy log fell on her, causing a fracture in her left rear ankle. As her injuries were never treated properly, her contract with the logging company was terminated.

The situation for Medo took a turn for the worse when she was compelled to mate with a large and violent tusker. Instead of merely mating with her, he viciously assaulted her, impaling her on the ground with his tusk. Despite her cries of anguish, no one dared approach the raging bull to aid her, and she was left alone, bleeding and wailing in agony.

Medo’s injuries were so severe that her life was in jeopardy, and she struggled to survive for three years. Over the next 15 years, she was forced to work in isolation and tedium, her owners trying to keep her hidden in shame, until Elephant Nature Park finally rescued her in June 2006.

Upon arriving at the foster home, the veterinarian diagnosed Medo with a dislocated backbone and found that the untreated injuries on her leg had exacerbated her back pain. Despite her limited mobility, Medo quickly formed a strong bond with Mae Lanna, another rescued elephant who was blind. Medo has since received exceptional care and attention.

Thanks to advancements in medical and physical treatments, Medo received a prosthetic leg from Bionic Gentle Giants and the association in July 2022. Her heartwarming response to the prosthetic, which went viral on the internet, garnered a great deal of attention and well-wishes from people all around the world.

Despite initial confusion, Medo quickly adapted to her new prosthetic leg and began walking beautifully. The caretaker is hopeful that it will become a natural part of her routine and alleviate all of her pains permanently. A recent video of Medo shows significant improvement in her health and her enjoyment of life with her best friend.

Image sources: Elephant Nature Park

ANIMALS

Amazing Video of Unseen Ocean Creatures in the Ningaloo Canyons

The Schmidt Ocean Institute recently explored the Ningaloo Canyons on the western coast of Australia using a robotic underwater vehicle called the ROV Sebastian. Check out the amazing video of what they discovered in the deep parts of the Indian Ocean.

More info: Youtube

ANIMALS

These Pics Are Art and the Artists Are Insects

Flying insects move so quickly that they are hard to follow, but new technology and some smart ideas have helped Spanish photographer Xavi Bou do just that. After spending 10 years focusing on birds in flight for his Ornithographies project, he turned his attention to insects.

For Entomographies, he uses high-speed video footage taken by Adrian Smith, an insect expert at North Carolina State University, to study and record how insects move. Bou then picks multiple frames and combines them into single images that show the fast movements of one or more insects through space and time.

With Smith’s help, Bou has captured the aerial tricks of wasps, the jumps of leafhoppers, and the fluttering of butterflies in amazing detail. He hopes that by doing this, he can make people more aware of the decline in important insect populations around the world.

1. Zebra longwing

This butterfly, which is common in many areas of the Americas, really fits its name. It can fly very high with just a few flaps of its large wings.