Meet the Australian ‘Jungle Doctor’ working to fit prosthetic legs to elephants who have wandered into landmines on the Thai border
Dr Chloe Buiting started her rewarding work in 2018 when she shadowed a vet team in Chiang Mai, helping helping treat elephant’s abscesses caused by landmines on the Thailand-Myanmar border.
‘The hospital does groundbreaking work that helps elephants who have lost their legs from landmines,’ she told 7 News.
Despite the heartbreak of seeing elephants writhe in pain, Dr Buiting said it’s been incredibly rewarding to give them the quality of life they wouldn’t otherwise have.
The doctors would remove the protheses at night and re-fit them on the elephants in the morning.
Dr Buiting said this was done by coating the leg in talcum powder before putting on a protective sock.
‘Then, the padded prosthetic is fitted to the site, adjusted and tightened with a ratchet system,’ she said.
Dr Buiting said some of her career’s most ‘eye-opening’ moments came from her time spent treating elephants and rhinos in Africa.
‘Sadly, a lot of animals there are facing severe pressures. From habitat loss to wildlife crime and animals being sold on the black market, Africa can truly be a brutal place,’ she said.
The Aussie vet worked in South Africa, taking care of elephants from areas frequented by poachers.
She spent time along the South Africa-Mozambique border, relocating elephants that were in danger of being killed for their tusks.
Dr Buiting said everyday Australians can make small changes in their day-to-day lives to pitch in and help endangered animals.
She said knowing what you’re buying, where it came from, and what the environmental consequences of it are is a good place to start.
