We all like to relax by the swimming pool. While many people like to be swimming all day, there will be others who prefer to bask in the sun and forget about their worries. Regardless of how you do it, it is something very relaxing which helps you recharge your internal batteries. Summertime also means vacation. The chance to change your scenery every now and then. Other people prefer to go to the beach because it gives them the chance to experience the full dose of relaxation.
It turns out that we are not the only ones who enjoy this type of hobby. There are many animals who also like to soak up their worries away. One of the most known animals for this are elephants. You would normally associate elephants with the African savannah.
That doesn’t mean they don’t love playing in the water when they have the chance. If you go to any zoo in the summer, you will probably find more than one of them playing around in their pools. Elephants are very agile in the water. Not many people know this but they are very good swimmers. This may seem surprising to you considering their massive size.
How can anything that big and that heavy even swim? If they swim, how can they be any good at it? In fact, nothing makes an elephant happier than some water aerobics. They usually start swimming from a very young age. By the time they are adults, they already have a lot of swimming hours under their huge belts.
Since the time they are very young, elephants see water as more than just a way of refreshing themselves. This also provides a way for them to socialize and learn new communication skills. It strengthens bonds and helps them define hierarchy. On top of that, they can also get clean. That’s why when an elephant sees a body of water, they will go straight for it. If it’s a pool, it will probably have to be a very large one.
Whenever elephants cannot have easy access to a lake, they will go out of their ways to find a place where they can cool down. This next video features a family of elephants who do just that. As soon as they reach a feasible spot to cool down, they don’t hesitate in taking down the fence and dipping right in! Very fun to watch!
