Mom! I took a shower yesterday! Elephants splash around in the mud to cool down

These baby elephants get their swimming trunks as they enjoy the splash in a mud bath – with little help from their elders.

The herd of African elephants soaked in the muddy water for a quarter of an hour to cool down.

In particular, two baby elephants – believed to be only 4 months old – were completely submerged themselves in the waterhole.

And at one point, an elderly elephant in a herd of 50 healthy animals helped one of the young and bathed it in the mud with its trunk.

At just over 30 degrees Celsius, the elephants find the mud helps cool them down and protects their skin from the sun’s rays.

Furthermore, once the mud dries on their bodies, it also acts as a layer of protection from insect bites.

Wildlife photographer Mike Dexter, who works for a safari company, spotted herds of elephants in the Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana.

He was leading a few South African tourists through the reserve and managed to get within five meters of the giant animals.

Mike, 27, who lives in the Mashatu Sanctuary, said: ‘I had been waiting patiently for the elephants for more than two hours before seeing them arrive.

‘The herd made lots of shrill trumpeting noises as they splashed in the mud bath.

‘After a particularly enthusiastic trunk snap, a rain of mud sprayed on two South Africans I was traveling with and wet their belongings.

‘Thankfully, I stood a bit aside from them and was able to get out of the shower.

‘I was quietly chuckling because you have to try to stay quiet around these big animals.

‘Luckily, the two people traveling with me thought it was cool and laughed too – it’s not every day you get sprayed with mud by a wild elephant.’

Wild snapper added: ‘I’m really pleased with how the pictures came out and I was delighted to show everyone the amazing experience I’ve had.

‘My favorite is the one that has both female and youngster with their trunks in the air and mud going everywhere.

‘I’ve never seen an elephant image like that, and I love how it looks like they’re doing a kind of synchronized dance.’