As Melbourne basked in a continuous heatwave, this baby elephant was delighted to go swimming.
The unnamed Asian baby elephant was born at Melbourne Zoo last week.
Once the seven-day-old baby seemed to be standing, the owners decided it was time to refill the pool in the elephant enclosure with water.
Oh baby: Num-Oi checks her calf is all right when he loses his footing to receive a full dunking
New experience: The calf stays close to mum as they venture into the water
And with city temperatures going through 35°C, the boy – not to mention his mom Num-Oi – were grateful to go canoeing to cool off.
While Num-Oi had no trouble with shallow water, her little son seemed to have a few problems – at one point he lost his footing and was completely submerged.
The young man’s arrival last week was something of a draw – after Num-Oi was 22 months pregnant, she was in labor for 4 days.
However, her complete joy of 131kg was born safely and on his feet in just a few minutes.
Cool dude: The calf looks as though he is smiling as he confidently strides through the water
Going down: The calf is heading for full submersion as he cools off in the extreme heat
Touching base: The calf’s feet are aloft as he rolls over during the hottest heatwave on record for Australia
Down but not out: The calf gets to grips with a new medium as he goes to stand up, trunk outstretched
According to keepers, the first-timer Num-Oi is proving to be a natural and very attentive mother to her calf.
Although not officially named, the baby has been nicknamed ‘Dougie’ after his favorite pastime is digging in the dirt in the enclosure.
The Australian city of Sydney experienced its hottest day on record this month.
Thousands of people flocked to the beaches as temperatures hit 45.8°C, 0.5°C higher than the previous hottest day in 1939.
At Sydney airport, the temperature was even higher – 46.4°C.
Time to play: The elephants set off for the pool side-by-side, their tails swishing
He’s on his way: The calf makes a splash as he loses his footing in the enclosure’s pond
Fruity snack: Mother keeps her strength up with a watermelon as she shades her calf
Knee deep: Chance to cool off in the heat