Big Foot Solution

Chhouk, is an 11-year-old Asian elephant living at the Wildlife Alliance conservation in Cambodia. Unfortunately, his foot had to be amputated after it was caught in a poacher’s snare, but his carers have been able to fit him with a prosthetic foot, which they say allows him to walk, run and even swim without difficulty.

Made from recycled car tyres and tow truck strapping, the prosthetic foot weights about 20kgs, and has to be replaced every 6 months as the young elephant grows.

The keepers use a little contraption to isolate his leg in order to attach the prosthetic, however Chhouk helps the process along as if he were a human putting on a shoe, and gets rewarded afterwards with a big juicy coconut.

27-year-old Cam who runs the Paradise Wildlife Park and Big Cat Sanctuary with his family, says, “The level of care that he gets is brilliant and he has a great life now. There’s no better feeling”