Elephants get their trunks on for new mud bath!

A mud bath created with 40 tonnes of clay has been added to the elephants’ enclosure, as one of the zoo’s ways to pamper its pachyderms.

The new mud bath is one of many ways that Belfast Zoo has adapted to ensure the best possible care is given to resident elephants - Jenny, Yhetto, Dhunja and Tina.

The elephants already receive regular pedicures and their skin is often moisturised. Classical music is also a regular feature in the elephant house, as a recent study by Queen’s University found this genre of music to be relaxing for them.

Belfast Zoo curator Alyn Cairns is delighted with the elephants’ responses to the mud bath.

“Our four elephants absolutely love the new addition to their enclosure. On hot days they often lie and play in it to cool themselves down. Yhetto especially loves throwing the mud around! We recently added 100 tonnes of sand to their enclosure too, to make it easier and more comfortable for them to sleep.”

The IUCN believes that the Asian elephant faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild, and there are only around 350 in zoos around the world. Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants, and are the rarer of the two species.

Meanwhile, you can help support the care of Belfast Zoo’s Asian elephants by adopting an elephant. Call 028 9078 2085 for more information.

Belfast Zoo is looking forward to seeing the reactions of visitors to these very special elephants in their new mud bath.