Press Photo Orthopedic Technologist Thomas Byrbe, Elephant Surgery

Back with the pack after an elephantine operation: When a 7,000 pound adult elephant breaks a leg it can be fatal. In the wild a stricken elephant may not fall prey to anything, but probably it can't reach food or water. But when Mandavu, a 12 yer old female African bush elephant in the San Diego wild Animal park in California, fell into a most last September and fractured her right rear leg she also fell into good hands. After an extremely risky 3 1/2 hour operation in which her leg was pinned together with a special one inch diameter pin, Mandavu is now strong enough to return to her fellow seven elephants in the herd. A special Fibreglass wrap was used to encase the injured leg. Surgical equipment used included handsaws andpower drills. Mandavu is the first elephant leg to be successfully healed through a bone pinning method. Picture shows Orthopedic technologist Thomas Byrbe examines the fitting of the 1 foot long stainless steel pin in Mandavu's leg.

Photo measures 10 x 8 inches.

Photo is dated --0000.

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