The Gazelle That Received a Prosthetic Leg in Iran

A female gazelle in Pardisan Park, which lost part of its leg due to severe infection, has received a prosthesis that allows it to move more easily and continue its life. Gazelles are a type of deer; however, female gazelles do not have antlers, while both male and female gazelles have antlers, but they differ in shape. The female gazelle was transferred to the Pardisan Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Tehran in January 2016. The gazelle had suffered a leg injury and infection for unspecified reasons. Due to the infection, part of the leg bone was amputated, but the infection persisted. Alireza Shahrami-Panah, the assistant veterinarian at the Pardisan Center, told Radio Farda, "Since the gazelle was brought here, treatment began, and under the supervision of Dr. Iman Memarian, it took nearly four months to stop the infection. X-rays showed that the bone marrow was damaged and the animal had developed gangrene." With continued treatment and the removal of bone fragments, the gazelle gradually moved away from the risk of infection, but it had lost part of its leg. Mr. Shahrami-Panah mentioned that to protect the amputated leg, he constantly bandaged it to prevent wounds and bleeding from rubbing against the ground. A visual report: The stages of measuring, creating, and installing the prosthesis for the gazelle. "Since the gazelle was brought here, treatment began, and under the supervision of Dr. Iman Memarian, it took nearly four months to stop the infection. X-rays showed that the bone marrow was damaged and the animal had developed gangrene." - Alireza Shahrami-Panah, assistant veterinarian. The prosthesis came about by chance. About three months ago, while Alireza Shahrami-Panah was discussing with Dr. Iman Memarian, a wildlife veterinarian, and a friend named Masoud Mokhtari, the topic of the prosthesis arose. Mr. Mokhtari, a nature enthusiast and wildlife lover, owns a workshop called the "Water Lily Documentary Group." This group is not limited to documentary filmmaking; it is a workshop for creating special or durable parts. Mr. Mokhtari suggested that if there was any work in Pardisan or help needed for creating a supportive piece, he would be willing to assist, even if it was for a broken beak of an animal. This led to discussions about the possibility of creating a prosthesis for the female gazelle's leg. Since there had been no model for this before, discussions and exchanges of ideas continued, and they ultimately decided to take a mold with fiberglass and create a prosthesis with durable materials. The prosthesis was tested and measured multiple times, and finally, on September 11, it was installed. Alireza Shahrami-Panah said, "After the prosthesis was installed, the gazelle initially had trouble with it and even wanted to remove it for a few minutes. But after half an hour, it realized it was comfortable with it and has now accepted it well and moves with it." The problem with this prosthesis is that it cannot be kept on the animal's leg for long periods. Following Dr. Memarian's advice, the prosthesis is removed every two days to inspect the animal's leg. Creating the prosthesis for this gazelle has both difficult and easy aspects. The difficult part is that this animal is not domesticated, so it cannot be closely monitored regularly. It does not approach humans like a domesticated animal. On the other hand, this animal has been raised in captivity since childhood and is accustomed to the presence of humans around it. However, each time for inspection, the animal must be restrained and held very carefully to allow for examination. The captivity of this animal has made it use the prosthesis better. A gazelle in the wild can jump about three meters, but this animal in captivity does not jump or run quickly. Alireza Shahrami-Panah noted that in these three days, the animal has been better able to control its body weight, is calmer, and moves much better. The gazelle is considered an endangered species based on evidence in the book "Mammals of Iran" by Hooshang Rezaei. There are no accurate statistics on how many gazelles exist in Iran. Some of these gazelles have been transferred to islands like Hengam Island in Qeshm to survive and reproduce in the absence of natural predators. The place where this female gazelle was injured and developed an infection was a protected area for keeping these animals in Bushehr.