Can you help name Whipsnade Zoo’s elephant calf captured on camera ‘dust bathing’ in bid to keep cool
Whipsnade Zoo is calling on animal-lovers to help name its three-week old Asian elephant calf, who has been seen dust bathing in a bid to keep cool during the extreme heat.
Photos taken by Whipsnade Zoo member Chris Ballard show the young elephant calf being bathed in dust by his mum Donna.
The process provides a natural suncream to protect an elephant’s skin from the sun’s rays, while helping to regulate its body temperature.
A zoo spokesperson said: “The newest addition to the herd proved himself to be a quick learner and was seen kicking up the dust himself, and while not quite as deft as mum yet, his self-applied sandy headband demonstrates how elephants work together to share knowledge, skills and in this case, even hot-weather hacks.”
In response to this week’s weather warnings for the extreme heat, Whipsnade Zoo closed early on June 24, 25 and 26 to support the wellbeing of animals, visitors and staff.
To submit a name for the elephant calf, you must enter the zoo’s crowdfunder prize draw, and choose a name from a shortlist chosen by the Zoological Society of London.
If you enter the draw with a donation of £5 or more, you can win a prize which includes a morning with Whipsnade Zoo’s elephant keepers, where you can help to care for the elephant herd, as well as an overnight stay in a Whipsnade Zoo lookout lodge.
The crowdfunding page has currently raised £4,590, with entries closing at 11.55pm on July 13.