Sat, Sep 30, 2000 page11

• The elephant's new shoes

  An infected foot has led to an outpouring of attention for one of the star attractions at the Taipei City Zoo

  • By Ian Bartholomew / STAFF REPORTER
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  Having a problem with your foot may not seem like a big deal ... unless you happen to be an elephant, that is, and a cantankerous one too. Malan (馬蘭) the elephant is a resident of the Taipei Zoo and, at a seasoned 52 years old, she is not used to having so much attention.

  How to treat Malan's infected foot had zoo veterinarians stumped. As soon as a wrap was put on the sore foot, Malan deftly shifted her three-and-a half tonnes and with a flick of her trunk, the bandage was history.

  The answer finally came with a little creative thinking on the part of KS Shoes (凱欣特舒鞋), a specialty shoemaker.

  

  KS Shoes, left, ant the Ah-Shou shoe company both weighed in with a design fit for a 3.5-tonne client.

  PHOTO: COURTESY OF TAIPEI CITY ZOO

  They produced a shoe that may fit Malan and her vet is monitoring the developments.

  A cranky patient

  According to Tina Chen (陳芝婷), the chief curator of the zoo's Asiatic Rainforest District, Malan had been showing signs of ill health since late last year. But is was no easy task to give an elephant a medical checkup, especially one of Malan's size and temperament.

  

  With the new bootie snug, zookeepers help Malan back to her feet. So far things are going well, but the elephant isn't out of the woods yet.

  PHOTO: COURTESY OF TAIPEI CITY ZOO

  "Malan has not had any training in obeying simple commands [as many younger elephants have]," Chen said. "Trained elephants can lift their leg on command to facilitate examination. We don't have that option with Malan."

  To conduct an examination requires the application of a general anesthetic, something that zoo authorities did not undertake lightly. An operation to clean the wound was conducted in April, involving scores of medics and keepers.

  "She is afraid of injections," Chen said, "and when Malan tries to avoid the needle, things can get pretty scary.

  

  During the first operation in April, vets had to work fast to clean the infection because an elephant isn't built to lay on its side.

  PHOTO: COURTESY OF TAIPEI CITY ZOO

  "The rate of death and serious injury [among zookeepers around the world] is highest where they are working in an elephant enclosure," Chen said. "We have noticed that Malan will bully keepers if they are alone. We don't allow keepers to enter the enclosure alone anymore, for this reason," she added.

  But with Malan's delicate medical condition, the risks of being in close contact with her can't be avoided.

  As an elephant walks, its weight is transferred to base of its feet and the foot actually spreads with each step under the enormous weight.

  The doctor watching over Malan is chief of the veterinary department of the Taipei City Zoo (台北市立動物園), Chin Shih-chien (金仕謙), and his grumpy female patient is one of four pachyderms kept at the zoo.

  "It's like trying to heal a wound on a knee or elbow," Chin said. "You must reduce stress on the joint for it to heal."

  According to Lin Hui-chen (林惠珍), the zoo's media coordinator, the wound on the right foot has placed additional pressure on the left, which has since also become infected.

  In the lead-up to the first full-scale inspection, Malan's wounded foot had been treated with medicine and bandages. "But within minutes of dressing the wound, she would tear the bandages off with her trunk, and would even dig out ointments," Lin said.

  Chin said the idea of making a shoe for Malan began to take shape in early June. "It is the first time we've tried anything like this," he said. "We experimented with ways to make a mold of Malan's foot. Researchers tried various methods, even practicing on their own feet."

  Treating Malan has been no simple matter. In addition to the danger that the keepers face from the temperamental elephant, Malan is also a danger to herself when drugged.

  "We have to pull her down onto a bed of inner tubes so she doesn't hurt herself," Chen said. "The medical teams must work fast, because an elephant is not designed to lie down. There can be injury to internal organs because of their weight."

  After the wound was first thoroughly cleaned of puss and putrescent flesh in April, a hole the size of a clenched fist remained.

  Cinderella story

  In July, Malan was again drugged so that a mold of her foot could be made. Ah-Shou (阿瘦皮鞋) and KS Shoes both sent designers to work on creating a shoe that met the demanding specifications of Malan's medics.

  Yang Shu-mei (楊淑美), the retail manager with KS Shoes, said that the design process took around 20 days and required three attempts to come up with the shoe currently worn by Malan.

  Made from thick PVC sheeting, synthetic leather, cowhide and fitted with non-slip panels in the sole, the boot is designed to allow observation of the foot, treatment of the wound, adequate drainage and ventilation, and above all, a very high degree of abrasion resistance. Woven steel cable takes the place of shoelaces.

  "We make shoes for people with deformities and certain medical conditions," Yang said, "but this is the first time we have done anything like this."

  After being approached by the zoo, KS offered its services free of charge "as a community service." Ah-Shou did the same. With this kind of support, Malan is likely to find a shoe that fits.

  But for the moment, "We have to see how things go," Chin said. "The shoe is already wearing heavily."

  "It has lasted over 10 days," Chen said. "That's pretty good." And Malan still has the extra shoe from Ah-Shou to try on if things take a turn for the worse.
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