Adorable elephant clears out his ears with his trunk

This is the adorable moment an elephant was captured using its trunk to clean its ears.

The friendly mammal looked like it had a smile on its face as it reached behind to scratch its large soft ears.

A pair of elephants were later captured while taking a romantic walk by a waterhole at the Pilanesberg Game Reserve in Pretoria, South Africa.

These lovely pictures were taken by photographer Ilna Booyena, 50, from Johannesburg.

Ilna said: “I visit the game reserve to escape the busy world and enjoy the peace of nature.”

I got to spend time with the elephants while they were bathing and playing in the water for about half an hour – before they started rubbing against trees and cleaning their ears!

Soon, they gathered together and walked away into the bushes.

Elephants only have one trunk, but they use it for everything. Drinking water, bathing themselves with sand, eating, smelling, touching – and even cleaning their ears with a toothpick.

Elephants are lovely creatures, and it’s fun to watch them behave.

This is the adorable moment an elephant was captured cleaning out his ears using his trunk, with what looks like a smile on his face.

The friendly mammal was pictured cleaning out his ears after bathing at the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, in Pretoria, South Africa.

A close-up shows how the cute elephant reached back to scratch inside his large floppy ear using his trunk.

The lovely pictures were taken by photographer Ilna Booyena, 50, from Johannesburg, who visits the reserve to get peace and quiet.

Elephants only have one trunk, but they use it for everything from drinking water and bathing to dusting themselves.

Elephants only have one trunk, but they use it for everything from drinking water and bathing to dusting themselves.