This is the adorable moment a wild elephant soaked contentedly in a mud pit in Thailand.

Footage shows the pachyderm lying on its side on the wet earth amid rainfall at the Thap Lan National Park in Prachin Buri province, on August 23.

The calf then sat up and used its trunk to shower itself with muddy water.

Prawat Chanthep, head of the Thap Lan National Park, said: 'The baby elephant's ability to live a truly natural life is due to the care of officials and the network of local villagers who work together to protect the forest. We particularly appreciate the elephant's use of the artificial salt lick, which the team created as a 'personal mineral pool' providing essential minerals for its body.'

Wildlife officers said the salt licks were made by mixing prefabricated mineral blocks, sea or table salt, and dicalcium phosphate in appropriate ratios. When it rains or when there is dew, the salt dissolves and seeps into the soil.

Wild animals then gather at the site to consume the essential minerals they need for growth and health.

Yotsawat Thiansawat, director of Protected Areas Regional Office 1, said: 'The Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai World Heritage Forest Complex is not just a treasure of Thailand, but a valuable global heritage that we must all work together to care for and preserve for future generations.'

As of 2024, there are an estimated 4,013–4,422 wild elephants in Thailand. The population has been increasing in recent years, but it is still a fraction of the estimated 300,000 wild elephants that lived in Thailand at the beginning of the 20th century. The main threats to wild elephants in Thailand are habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and conflict with humans.