Cheeky Elephants Wrestle in Pond During Record-Breaking Heatwave

Two Asian elephants were captured playing in the water at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, New South Wales, on Tuesday, January 15, as a majority of the country experienced a heatwave.

In this video, shared by the zoo, the young bulls, named Luk Chai and Pathi Harn, can be seen rolling around in the water and engaging in some friendly wrestling.

“This is one way elephants cool off as they only have a small sweat gland above their toenails so they don’t regulate their body temperature like humans,” a spokesperson for the zoo told Storyful.

“Both are young bulls and enjoy playing and interacting with each other on a daily basis. It’s not uncommon to see them playing together in the water especially on a hot day. They have access to a pool and mud wallow in their paddock.”

Temperatures in Dubbo peaked above 40 degrees on Tuesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, and were predicted to remain in the low to mid-40s for the rest of the week.

New South Wales police issued a warning advising residents to follow health and safety tips to avoid heatstress.

Other states also experienced the heatwave, including Western Australia and South Australia.

Temperatures reached 49.0 degrees Celsius in the South Australian town of Tarcoola – the community’s hottest day since records began in 1903, BoM said. Credit: Taronga Western Plains Zoo via Storyful