A rescued black bear joined in Songkran festival water fights with a cool shower in its cage.

Amusing footage shows Tono the black bear frolicking in its pool at the Wildlife Rescue Centre 1 in Nakhon Nayok, Thailand, on April 9.

Staff hosed it down to provide relief from the hot weather, with the animal happily scrubbing itself down.

Its caretakers said Tono had been 'feeling lonely and playing in the water by himself', so they invited tourists to visit the centre.

Tono is an orphaned bear separated from its mum during a forest fire in 2020.

The Buddhist festival Songran, which takes place every year from April 13 to April 15, sees the country's businesses close down while inhabitants splash each other with water to bring prosperity for the coming year.

It's also a way to cool off during the hottest month of the year when temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius.