Elephant takes the brush from his keeper to enjoy a good scratch on his head

Sometimes you feel itchy… and there’s nothing anyone else can do to help.

And when that killer tickle resists, you’ll do whatever it takes to make it stop, as this impatient elephant will tell you.

The cheeky pachyderm was being groomed daily by keepers at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas when he suffered from an annoying itch in the middle of his forehead.

But instead of patiently waiting for someone to strike, he snatched the broom from his hand and shoved it hard on his head.

The scratch in time made him refuse to return the broom and bring it to the enclosure.

In August, the Fort Worth Zoo welcomed its second baby elephant in 30 days.

Bluebonnet, Zoo’s 14-year-old Asian elephant, gave birth to Bowie, her first calf, after nearly 22 months of pregnancy.

A zoo spokesman said at the time: ‘Listed as endangered since 1976, the Asian elephant is threatened by severe habitat change.
The species’ ability to reproduce in the wild to offset mortality rates is also questioned due to po.ac.hing of male elephants for their tusks.

In zoos across North America, fertility rates are a major concern, as the birth rate of Asian elephants has not kept pace with the mortality rate of elephants.

‘With elephant populations facing so many risks, the breeding of Asian elephants by zoos is very important for the conservation of the species in the future.

‘The Fort Worth Zoo staff were delighted in 1998 after the arrival of the Bluebonnet. With a successful third birth, the Zoo continues to establish itself as a leader in elephant breeding and conservation.’