MOTALA THE ELEPHANT UNDERGOES SURGERY TO FIX LEG DAMAGED BY A LANDMINE, 1999-08-29 (photo)

Motala, a 38-year-old elephant who stepped on a landmine in Myamar August 15, has her left foreleg operated on by veterinarians at a makeshift surgery in the northern Thailand town of Lampang August 28. About 30 vets spents more than three hours removing infected tissue after she was hoisted onto an operating table with a crane. Motala will spend the next two weeks suspended on a steel structure to prevent her legs from touching the floor, during which her wounds will continue to be treated. Motala who weighs more than four tonnes received enough anesthetic to knock out 70 human beings. JIR/PB