A team of 30 veterinarians spent over three hours operating on the injured leg of Motala, a 3 ton cow elephant that stepped on a landmine on the Thai-Burma border. The operation involved cutting away 30 centimeters of shattered bone and flesh from her foreleg. Her veterinarians hope to fit her with a prosthetic device once the wound has healed.

After playing a significant role in Thailand's history and economy for centuries, the elephants, revered as a national symbol, are under threat from all sides. In an effort to save scores of injured elephants, all too often victims of overwork, drugging,...