Video: Rhino Thandi and Calf Thembi Wallow in the Mud
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On a sunny day rhino love to get dirty in a mud bath. This video shows rhino poaching survivor Thandi and her female white rhino calf Thembi having fun in the mud together at Kariega. Thembi was born on 13 January 2015 and is eight months old today.
Read more about this tragic rhino poaching that thankfully had a happy ending.
African Animals that Enjoy a Mud Wallow
Quite a few African animals enjoy wallowing in the mud including warthogs, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos. There are two main reasons for this behaviour. One is to cool down on hot days. Elephants spray mud and water on themselves to regulate their body temperatures. They often spray water behind their ears as this is where most of their body temperature regulation occurs.
The other main reason that these animals cake their their bodies in mud is to help to remove parasites. Animals like rhino and elephant don’t have hands to pick off parasites (like ticks) so they put the layer of mud on to suffocate the parasites as the mud dries. These animals then scratch themselves on trees and termite mounds to remove the dried mud and parasites.
Where you fortunate enough to spot Thandi and Thembi while on safari at Kariega? We would love to see your pictures. You can share them with us by posting them onto our Facebook page.
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