The calf seems to really enjoy the water, getting under the hose as much as possible and playing.

Bath time has been a very positive time for him which will help in the future when he starts having his own bath on a daily basis.

All of the elephants get a bath every day at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

It’s a very important time for keepers and elephants to build a strong relationship with each other.

It also gives keepers the opportunity to get a closer look at the elephants.

They inspect every part of the body to ensure they are in good health.

Thong Dee's calf will start to learn this bath routine as he gets older but the first stage will be for him to get to know the keepers and start building a rapport with them. 

Thong Dee’s daily routine has been kept as close as possible to before the calf was born.

Thong Dee will get distracted from time to time if the calf wanders off or makes a sound, but with the strong relationship keepers have with her, and also with the help of the calf's aunty, Porntip, she trusts that he is alright while she completes her daily routine. 

Keepers are enjoying watching the calf at bath time and are looking forward to starting to work with the calf and see him grow and develop.

The elephant calf is now on exhibit with mother, Thong Dee and aunty, Porntip. Visit our elephant calf from 10am–2:30pm daily.

The calf is very inquisitive and can be seen exploring the exhibit with mum and aunty as they forage for food. The yet to be named calf has been playing in the sand and mud in the paddock but doesn’t venture too far from Thong Dee or Porntip’s side. Visitors may notice that the calf spends time with both mother and aunty separately on exhibit. This is because the herd is very family orientated and all adults in the herd help to raise calves. Aunty Porntip is being very attentive and caring towards the calf and often gives Thong Dee the opportunity to eat on her own while she looks after the calf.