Elephants, Pisa, Timisa, Fishan & Mambo Rule the Mud Bath! While Khanyisa Rolls on the Mound

Many followers have asked to see more of independent young elephant, Pisa, well here she commands the mud wallow alongside big bull Fishan, little Timisa and mischievous Mambo!

Baby albino elephant, Khanyisa is close by and joins the herd at the wallow with Timisa by her side before finding a patch of earth to roll on all by her self. Timisa and Pisa tuck into the mud, using their smaller tusks to dig up the soil. The elephants either use this soil and mud to throw over their bodies as a skin protectant, from the sun and insects, or to cool themselves down, or they will eat some of the soil and mud. This earth is particularly nutritious, often providing a source of calcium, sodium and iron, which supports energy production and other vital biological processes. READ more: https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...

Eating dirt helps in other ways too... it is thought to help eliminate toxins or pathogens and to act as an abrasive helping elephants to digest their food better. Elephants don't have good digestive systems but it seems a little soil can help the process. Too much, however, is thought to cause diarrhea.

The many functions aside, elephants also just seem to thoroughly enjoy some time in a mud bath!

Fishan shows his affinity for it too, and even with his now healed leg, from his 2018 accident, he manages the slippery soft mud perfectly. Later in the video he even bends down his four tonne weight onto his wrists to dig into the soil with his tusks like the other elephants., before getting up with seeming ease.

Mambo joins in and takes over Timisa's place in the wallow, digging his wide-apart tusks into the wall of the wallow with force. Timisa leaves to look after Khanyisa but once Kumbura takes over babysitting, Timisa is right back alongside Mambo. Pisa stands right up against Fishan's rear, refusing to give up her spot, and feeling safe with the older bull beside her.

Zindoga and mother Bubi, as well as Klaserie and mother, Setombe join on the outskirts later, with Zindoga curiously inspecting Pisa's downward elephant pose in the mud and joining her in the cool earth.

It's a real pleasure and learning experience to watch the rescued herd and orphans engaging in this age-old elephant past time, comfortable in their wilderness surroundings and enjoying the stimulation nature provides. Adine and carers, George and Israel get a few trunkfuls of mud themselves while standing on the sidelines! But we know the benefits of a mud mask and happily soak up the adventure!