Baby Rhino Gets a Mud Wallow at San Diego Zoo Safari Park

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has given its new baby rhino a chance to do what all kids love: play in the mud.

The zoo says Edward, a 14-day-old southern white rhino, got his first chance Friday to experience a wallow in the mud — something rhinos do to keep cool and protect themselves from sun and bugs. Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Keepers created the wallow. They say Edward watched his mother, Victoria, roll in the mud and quickly figured out what to do.

“It’s so exciting to see these instinctive behaviors—just days after he entered this world,” said Jonnie Capiro, lead keeper, San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

After his mud bath Edward was able to practice some chute training needed to make it possible for keepers to provide routine care using protected contact, San Diego Zoo Safar