This is Moti. He is a 35-year-old bull who lived his life as a begging elephant, was made to give countless rides, and is now in a very poor condition. Our veterinary team travelled to his location to evaluate his health. If they feel that they can get him on his feet, then the Elephant Ambulance will be sent to bring him to the Wildlife SOS Hospital for emergency care.
As he had been fast asleep, some of the diagnostics like x-rays had to be postponed until later. However, the preliminary veterinary evaluation confirmed some serious problems.
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His foot pad is separating from the foot base and there is severe avulsion on the right foot’s 3rd and 4th toenails. There seems to be a fracture there as well, but until the veterinary team can use the portable x-ray, the exact location and the extent of the fracture will remain unknown. Blood tests also show that Moti’s kidney and liver functions are compromised.
Moti hadn’t been eating due to the intense pain that he was in. We were able to make a special mixture for him of soft-cooked grain, which he ate a bit of. As of now, he still isn’t able to stand and because of the positioning of his leg, the team is unable to get the x-rays they need to determine what the situation is with potential fractures. They have been giving him strong painkiller medicines and antibiotics. We hope we can get him standing and strong enough to bring him to the hospital!
From what we know at the moment, it seems that his foot pad has torn away from the base of his foot and the excruciating pain he was experiencing likely caused him to collapse. However, attempts to get his x-rays are still in process to understand what underlying skeletal issues he might be suffering from.
Foot problems tend to be the biggest problems we see with captive elephants. They are forced to walk on hot tarmac roads, which leads to foreign objects like glass getting embedded in their feet. It also can create burns from the hot surfaces.
After a while, the team was able to get Moti standing with the use of a crane. While up, the vets attempted to get an x-ray of the elbow region of his right front leg as it had been swollen. Unfortunately, because of the extreme swelling, they were unable to do so. He is also unable to bear weight on his left leg where he has the torn foot pad. One happy occurrence was that Moti was drinking water on his own and his appetite had improved.
There is still a lot we do not know about his situation and we can not tell if he will be able to make a recovery. But we are able to make him more comfortable and give him love as we work with him to get stronger. We are committed to stay by his side.
The team decided to help Moti lie down for the night. A soft bed with straw was put down for him and he was covered with blankets and a tarp to keep him warm.
When our team first arrived a few days ago, Moti hadn’t been eating. However, on 24th January, he showed the most progress in terms of his appetite. He ate about 25 kgs of sugarcane and 25 kgs of fruit. It is far from what a normal elephant his size would normally consume in a day. However, we were thrilled to see his appetite increase.
We still don’t know the extent of his injuries because we are unable to get clear x-rays of his inflamed leg. That said, the vet team felt encouraged to see a reduction in swelling in that area. Regular circumference measurements show a reduction of an inch. The elephant care team is staying with him and giving him medicine, treatments, food and love.
Our veterinary team has been using all the latest technology to diagnose Moti’s injuries and illnesses. This thermal imaging machine has been helpful in detecting all the areas where he has inflammation, and could be the source of pain. Beyond his leg injuries, the vet team has started treating him for parasites. He has intestinal worms that are likely impacting his overall health and strength.
With the passage of time, Moti’s appetite continues to improve. Yesterday he ate 50 kgs of food. Today he ate 10 kgs of papaya, 8 kgs of bananas, 10 kgs of apples and 50 kgs of sugarcane. In all, today’s total reached 78 kgs of food. His appetite has been steadily increasing.
There was another reduction of 1 inch of inflammation in his right front leg. In the last 48 hours, the inflammation has been subsiding. A portable laser machine is being used to help reduce pain and inflammation. It is also being used to promote tissue healing.
Though Moti needs to stand on his feet, it is a difficult predicament. Getting him on his feet takes a lot out of him and can result in further injury if he is still too weak to attempt it.
Although his situation remains very serious, we are encouraged by the progress we are seeing with him.
Cleaning Moti’s foot wounds is an important part of his daily care. A natural antiseptic solution of neem and turmeric is used for regular cleaning of his wounds. This is followed by applying medication to reduce inflammation. Finally, the exposed foot ulcer is covered. Additionally, he is being given supplements like amino acids and energy supplements to boost his own immunity levels.
Many of our supporters have asked about his detached foot pad and what can be done to fix it. Eventually, the vets want to remove the detached part. However, Moti is not ready for this at the moment because this would increase his sensitivity in the area and expose him to even more infections.
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Moti was able to lift himself up high enough for the team to at least freshen the mud bed below him and have a look at the skin on the side he is lying on. However, he did not have the energy to stand up. The team has been worried about him developing pressure sores on his side from remaining in one position for too long, and it is confirmed that he is beginning to develop them. The team will attempt to reposition him onto his other side.
Moti drank about 40 litres of water and received some additional fluids through IV. He is continuing to show daily progress with the inflammation in his right leg. There was a reduction of another inch in the last 24 hours, which means that there has been a reduction of 3 inches in the last 72 hours.
Although his prognosis is very serious and he faces an uncertain outcome, we continue to stay by his side and provide him with love, care and affection. These are all the things he has been deprived of in his life. We are grateful to you for your compassion for Moti, and for standing with us in our efforts to save him!
The veterinary team will attempt to see if Moti can stand, even briefly, so that they can try to get an x-ray of that right swollen leg. Several people have asked if he has bruises on his right leg. That patch is actually hot fomentation that is being used in that area, and the discoloration is not from an injury.
Though Moti was not able to stand today, he was comfortably repositioned on his right side. He has a couple of mattresses that have been placed under his head. Moti’s appetite continues to increase and our team is happy to pamper him with lots of fruits and vegetables. All his other treatments are continuing to reduce swelling, control pain, clean his wounds and fight infections. The team is worried that this may not be enough to pull him through, but nobody is giving up hope.
Today, Moti ate lots of fruits and vegetables. Moti can easily gulp down 5 bananas at once!
The elephant care team is happy to report that at the moment, he has no issues with his bodily functions of digestion and excretion. The nights have been cool, so a shopping trip was made to buy more blankets to tuck him in with after the sun sets.
He still is not standing, but as we wait for him to get his strength back, we continue to administer treatments to reduce his inflammation, fight infections, treat his wounds and control his pain.
It has been one week since we were called in to help Moti. All of us at Wildlife SOS have fallen in love with him, as we know thousands of you have as well. We don’t know what this next week will bring, but we are grateful to have you by our side every single day as we work to heal him with care and compassion.
Wound care and foot care are critical components of the daily treatment that Moti is receiving for his feet. Our team is applying the antiseptic wash and medication to the foot with the torn foot pad. Moti is given fruits and other delicious treats during these treatments to make him feel more comfortable.
Our team is by Moti’s side, making him comfortable and managing his pain. After a week rendering emergency roadside care, we’re still hoping for the best. Our veterinarians had wished Moti would be standing by now, so we are all very concerned for his future.
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