Jaipur, Nov 10 (PTI) From a bull in Telangana to a cow injured during Operation Sindoor in Jammu and Kashmir, hundreds of disabled animals have been given a chance to walk again due to a Jaipur-based veterinarian who has developed artificial limbs for them.
Dr Tapesh Mathur, a veterinary officer in the Rajasthan government, has fitted artificial limbs to more than 700 animals across 23 states over the past 12 years through his initiative, 'Krishna Limb'.
The animals include cows, calves, horses, dogs, rabbits, goats and camels.
The artificial limbs are provided free of cost to farmers and animal owners who cannot afford them, Mathur said.
Among the animals that have benefited from his initiative are Prabha, a cow from Mavli in Udaipur district, and Laxman, a bull from Karimnagar in Telangana. Both are now able to walk using artificial limbs, he said.
Mathur began the initiative in 2013 after being posted at a polyclinic in a cow rehabilitation centre in Jaipur, where animals injured in road accidents were regularly brought for treatment.
He said he decided to experiment with an artificial limb on a three-year-old calf that had lost a leg.
"It took considerable effort, but eventually the calf started running. The calf was black in colour, and people began calling it Krishna when they saw it running with the artificial limb. That is how the name Krishna Limb came about," Mathur told PTI.
What began as an experiment gradually became a mission. Mathur started travelling to remote villages and difficult terrain across the country to treat injured animals and fit them with artificial limbs.
One such case emerged during Operation Sindoor, when shelling affected villages along the India-Pakistan border.
A tea stall owner from Jammu and Kashmir, Rajesh, contacted Mathur after his cow, Gauri, was injured in firing that also left several bullet marks on the walls of his house.
Mathur initially guided him on treatment and care until the animal recovered sufficiently. He later fitted Gauri with a Krishna Limb, helping her walk again.
Mathur claims that he has also fitted artificial limbs to a disabled horse in Assam and a cow in Uttar Pradesh, besides several other animals.
According to Mathur, fitting an artificial limb is only one part of the rehabilitation process. Helping the animal become accustomed to it is equally important.
"We are trying to reduce the suffering of disabled animals through Krishna Limb. The role of animal owners is very important in helping them adjust to artificial limbs. I hope this work will expand further in the coming years," he said.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)