x-posting: Oklahoma City Zoo's elephant calf learns all about bath time
As one of the Oklahoma City Zoo’s keepers gently sprayed her with warm water, the zoo’s newborn Asian elephant seemed to love every drop of it.
She bent down and rolled over on her side and then got back up again. She shook the water off and then came back for a little more while her mother stood by. The bath’s purpose is to keep her clean, but also to get her accustomed to working with zoo staff.
Eventually, the calf will learn all of the cues the zoo’s other elephants have learned. Those include standing up, lying down and presenting their feet for inspection. The familiarity also helps zoo staff take blood and assess other health related issues. But for now, it’s just a bath and a chance to get to know those taking care of her.
“She loves water,” mammal curator Laura Bottaro said. “That’s typical of Asian elephants, more so than African elephants. She wasn’t thrilled about it the first day, but after the second day, she was all about it.”
http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-zoos-elephant-calf-learns-all-about-bath-time/article/5382337
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