Baby Elephant at Rescue Park Nearly Does the Splits and Loves It

Quick Take

• Slipping and nearly doing the splits sounds like a disaster, but for this baby elephant it actually made the whole experience better. See the playful slip →
• What looks like pure chaos in a water tub is actually doing something critical for a baby elephant's future survival. See why it matters →
• Water does far more for elephants than simply cool them down, and one of its roles might genuinely surprise you. Discover water's many roles →
• There's a reason rescue parks make water access a non-negotiable, and that reason has nothing to do with thirst. See the survival reasons →

Nothing brings a smile quicker than the antics of a baby animal. A rescued baby elephant was captured on camera enjoying playtime in the water. Its frolicking and splashing about has stolen the internet’s heart. The little one’s face seems to express pure joy!

Baby Elephant’s Water Play Glee

Playing in the water is about as good as it gets for baby elephants. While splashing and rolling around, these big babies seem to be without a care in the world.

At Elephant Rescue Park, the unnamed baby and, presumably, its mother, were given an opportunity to cool off and play in a tub of water. While the older elephant threw the water around, the baby had other plans.

At the start of the video, the baby appears to be smiling while standing in the tub. Next, the young elephant begins running around and traipsing through the water at high speeds. With water splashing out of the tub, the baby slips multiple times.

Slipping and sliding did not deter the youngster. Even nearly doing the splits was not a deal-breaker. In fact, it seems to make the experience that much more fun. The baby radiates happiness and its joy is contagious.

Is Water Play Important for Baby Elephants?

Water play is not only fun for baby elephants, but it is also important for their physical and cognitive development. Skills learned in the water can be translated into real-life survival strategies, which are necessary to reach adulthood.

The reasons why water play is necessary for the overall development of a baby elephant are as follows:

• Cognitive skills: Problem-solving skills and spatial awareness
• Motor development: Builds strength and agility
• Physical development: Increases muscle tone and cardiovascular fitness
• Socialization: Water time is a very social time for elephants. Baby elephants interact with other babies and family members, building bonds that last a lifetime.

It may all look like pure playtime, but when baby elephants are in the water, they are learning from their environment and those around them.

Why Water Plays a Huge Role in Elephants’ Lives

It’s not just baby elephants that enjoy time in the water and rely on it for survival. Water is essential for the health and well-being of adult elephants as well, which is why they must always have access to it, whether in captivity or the wild.

The reasons water is so important for elephants include:

• Hygiene and skin care: Water, in combination with mud, helps elephants keep pests off of their skin. It also protects against sunburns and keeps skin from drying out.
• Regulating temperature: When the temperatures soar, elephants have a hard time cooling off. By stepping into a pool of water and spraying themselves, they can regulate their body temperature, cool off, and remain comfortable in hot climates.
• Hydration: Elephants require large volumes of water to remain hydrated.
• Swimming: Swimming helps elephants take pressure off their joints, allowing them to feel weightless in the water.
• Learning: Younger elephants learn from older elephants while in the water, helping babies develop survival instincts as they age.

While cooling off, socializing, and learning from other elephants are important, playtime is clearly all the young elephant in the video cares about!