Customised shoes give camel 'new lease of life'

The shoes have given Timujin a "new lease of life", Mr Moss said

A camel has been given a "new lease of life" after a cobbler was tasked to make shoes for him.

Earlier this year, Stuart Moss from Mossy's Shoe Repairs in Salisbury, Wiltshire, received a phone call asking him to make shoes for one of Lady Chichester's camels.

Timujin, the 27-year-old camel, could barely walk after suffering a stretched tendon in the back of one of his legs.

"I’ve never been asked to make a pair of shoes for a camel before and I don’t think I ever will again," Mr Moss said.

Timujin could barely walk before he was given his new shoes

Mr Moss said he initially thought the phone call was a prank, but once he began talking to Lady Chichester, he realised it was a serious request.

He went to visit Timujin at the grounds of Little Durnford Manor, which is owned by the Earl of Chichester.

Other animals at the manor including alpacas, goats and horses.

Mr Moss said meeting Timujin was a "harrowing" experience.

"His tendons in the back of his legs had stretched, so rather than walking on his pad, he was walking on the actual backs of his legs. He was in quite a lot and pain and could barely walk.

"It's not nice to see anybody or anything in pain like that - I didn't quite know what to do to be honest," Mr Moss said.

Stuart Moss used his skills as a cobbler to create the special shoes

To make the shoes, Mr Moss filled two washing up bowls with kinetic sand to take an imprint of Timujin's feet which he could later fill with plaster.

When the shape was ready, Mr Moss and his colleague Michelle made boots using leather, memory foam and a rubber sole.

"Once I actually put the shoes on him, he started walking and it was unbelievable," Mr Moss said.

"I went to see him a couple of weeks ago to make sure everything is okay. It’s brilliant - it’s given him a new lease of life," Mr Moss added.

“He’s now strutting around with the rest of the camels, proud as punch.”