Bandhavgarh reserve posts video of elephant calf enjoying mud bath, netizens love it

A video of an elephant calf enjoying the mud bath at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh has delighted the internet. Shared by the National Park on its official Twitter handle, the 12-second clip shows the little tusker playing by showering the mud on his body from the trunk, in an apparent thermoregulatory behaviour often noticed in the Asian elephants. The park wrote in the caption that the activity soothes the insect bites and acts a sunscreen for the mammal. 

With 11.3k views, the clip has caused the viewers to chuckle at the “cute behaviour” of the elephant who can be seen engrossed in his presumably new favourite activity. The calf could be seen smiling as he digs the mud with its feet, then sprinkles it all over his body—loving the experience as can be made out of the expressions. Meanwhile, a caretaker can be seen watching over the calf as he relishes in the mud therapy at the mud pool.  

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Fond of a mud wallow

The playful behaviour of the elephant calf or in general the adult elephants or a herd is quite common according to several instances cited by the national parks worldwide. Fond of a mud wallow or some water source, elephants usually love to take bath in or spray themselves with sand to get rid of parasites and ticks, as per wildlife reports. Some herd of elephants even prefer to enjoy the joyful mud wallowing in the wet sandpits to build a natural defence on their skin against the sun. The Asian elephants are often witnessed throwing water at each other as a form of playing and the sign of affection.  

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