Thai elephant fitted with artificial limb, and more

Thai elephant fitted with artificial limb

In 1999, while working at a logging camp near the Myanmar border, a Thai elephant named Motola lost her left front foot and part of the leg when she stepped on a land mine. But this week, she began wearing an artificial limb that was made by the Prostheses Foundation, which also makes artificial human appendages. For 10 minutes, the 48-year-old Motola walked outside of her enclosure, the new leg easily supporting her. “She has not put her whole weight on it yet,” said Soraida Salwala of Friends of the Asian Elephant, “but she’s okay.”

Usain Bolt shatters his own world record

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Usain Bolt of Jamaica has shattered his own world record for the men’s 100-meter dash by covering the distance in only 9.58 seconds this week in Berlin. Bolt’s time was eleven-hundredths of a second faster than the record he’d set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics; it’s also the biggest leap forward in the 100-meter record since electronic timekeeping began, in 1968. Before setting off, the 6-foot-5 Bolt, 22, struck a lightning-bolt pose; when he crossed the finish line, he slapped his chest in triumph. Already the world’s fastest man, he thinks he can go even faster. “I know I said 9.4,” he said, grinning. “You never know. I’ll just keep on working.”