Vet in Pakistan gives camel new leg

A young camel in Pakistan is learning to walk once more with the help of a prosthetic leg. The animal, who's named Cammie, got into trouble when she was searching for food. A furious farmer chopped her leg off after spotting her on his land in search of food.

After a video was posted on social media, the government took immediate action. Cammie was sent to an animal shelter, more than 250 km away in Karachi. Her injuries were well taken care of, but the greatest issue was her mental state, according to manager Sheema Khan.

Sheema Khan: "The main challenge for us was to treat her mental trauma. At first she was afraid of men being near her. She used to scream whenever someone wearing shalwar kameez tried to get close to her. I cannot tell you in words how much she screamed."

Cammie spent five long months sitting in her enclosure until the team introduced her to another camel, Callie. At that point, Cammie finally got up onto her three legs.

To allow her to move properly, the shelter vet Dr Babar Hussain ordered a prosthetic leg from an American company, which was adapted especially for Cammie. Since then, the team has been encouraging her to use her fourth leg.

Dr Babar Hussain, senior vet: "We don't force her to walk. We wait for about 15 to 20 minutes after attaching the prosthetic leg. She stands up by herself and walks slowly."

Treating such a large creature with a false leg has been a first for Pakistan. Sheema was in tears when she first saw Cammie using all four legs.

Sheema Khan: "I started weeping when I saw her walking with the prosthetic leg. It was a dream come true. Everyone here is happy now."

Now Cammie's permanent home will be at the shelter, where she'll remain in the team's good hands forever. Weniger anzeigen