KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Whether you walk on two legs or four, have a tusk or not, or live at the zoo — everyone wants to go for a dip in a pool right now.
That's exactly what some African elephants at Zoo Knoxville did on Friday. Jana, Edie and Tonka went for a swim to cool down and get some exercise, and staff posted about them on the zoo's social media pages. They sprayed the elephants down with a hose, playing with them as they enjoyed the water.
After going for a swim the elephants usually start mudding themselves in the enclosure's wallows before dusting themselves in the yard's sands. However, the mud and the sand can tend to make them itchy.
So, the elephants may start rubbing against different objects to exfoliate themselves. It can be a sight to see for Zoo Knoxville visitors.
African elephants are used to the heat since their natural habitat is in the grasslands of Africa. They are a vulnerable species, according to zoo officials. Zookeepers give talks about them seasonally from Memorial Day through Labor Day.