This elephant is showing that you’re never too big to splash around in the muddy water as it tries to cover itself entirely.
He doesn’t let the size of his 13ft height stop him from rolling and playing happily in the mud – as a photographer in South Africa captured the incredible scene in a game reserve on camera.
The adult bull used his full weight to create huge splashes almost as big as himself in a bid to completely cover itself.
But it’s more important than just having fun. Elephants cool themselves by rolling in the mud and protecting themselves from parasites and the sun’s UV rays.
Photographer Anette Mossbach said the elephant spent around a half hour languishing in the muddy water before wiping its ears and eyes with its trunk.
The 52-year-old German man who lives in Bergdietikön, Switzerland, saw two male elephants heading for a mud hole in Madikwe and followed them.
She said: ‘It was so much fun to watch this elephant enjoying his mud bath.
When I saw him enjoying it, I thought if he weren’t so big, I could enjoy it too. If it’s suitable for an elephant, it might be good for us too.
There were huge splashes nearly reaching his body. He splashed with his four legs, one after another, to get his belly covered as best as he could.
“The elephant was making a mumbling noise but was busy with getting mud all over himself.”
‘The elephant looked really happy though, and he even had a big smile. Or at least we can call that one a smile.’
After he stopped, he suddenly realized that we were there watching, and he charged us for some meters but then decided to walk over to another friend who was still enjoying his swim – sadly behind the bushes where we couldn’t see him.
