This is the amusing moment when elephants decided to frolic in a mud puddle.
A local photographer and nature guide in Botswana, Aubrey Tseleng, captured the African elephants bathing in the muddy water at the Mashatu Game Reserve.
They lie down flat and then stand up to flick each other with the muddy water.
One of the elephants makes loud splashing noises as it smacks the water with its trunk in the video.
The two large animals pause to lie down in the water before being joined by another elephant.
Then they splash water at each other with their trunks while playing with the rest of the herd.
‘I’m fortunate to work in a nature reserve, where I get to see these amazing creatures in their natural surroundings,’ said Mr. Tseleng, 47.
For over half an hour, this herd of elephants played in the filthy water.
‘The elephants stomp the surface of the water to mix it with the soil and then roll around in it to cool down.
When the mud dries and clings to their skin, it forms a barrier against biting insects and suffocating parasites like ticks.
‘I was thinking about how crucial it is for us to consider our environmental effect; we must work hard to preserve nature like this,’ she added.
Mashatu Game Reserve is privately owned land in the wilderness area known as the Northern Tuli Game Reserve. It’s in the eastern portion of Botswana, near Limpopo and the Shashe River.
