During winter months, Elephants may venture to slightly higher slopes in search of juicy bamboo and other favourite food items that grow in such places. However, when it starts getting warm and the water sources on the slopes dry up, they congregate in the low-lying river valleys, forest streams and near water sources where they can bath every day to cool their large bodies and drink water to rehydrate themselves. An average Asian Elephant may drink 70-100 litres of water in a day’s time but a large male can consume upto 200 litres, when he is really thirsty.
The jungles around Jim’s Jungle Retreat have ample low-lying forest streams and waterholes and on our safaris during summer months we regularly come across herds of elephants enjoying bathing, splashing and sprinkling water on themselves. Here we can see a baby elephant enjoying a bathing and drinking session under the protection of its mother and other members of the herd.