Baby rhino demands space to relax next to mom

Seeing baby animals in the wild while on safari is always an exciting and heart-warming experience. Watching how this adorable baby rhino attempts to let his mother know that he also wants a little space to cool off in a mud wallow was incredibly entertaining to watch. During a very hot afternoon safari in the Kruger National Park, we decided to visit the watering holes in search of animals. During the heat of the day, various animals gather around the water for a drink while certain animals turn to the mud for a cool-down session afterward. It was not long before we came across the first watering hole.Show more

There was a small herd of buffalo at the water on our arrival. We decided to spend some time at the watering hole to see what other animals could potentially arrive. A large female white rhino and her most adorable male calf arrived at the water to our amazement. The rhinos looked thirsty and enjoyed a drink of water. After the two rhinos had their fill of water, the real entertainment was to follow. On the edge of the watering hole was a small mud wallow.

The mother rhino decided it was time to cool down in the mud and comfortably went to lie down in the cool mud for a rest. The baby rhino clearly felt left out and wanted to do the same as his mother. The only problem was that pretty much the whole mud wallow was occupied by his mother. The male baby rhino did not let this problem stand in his way, and the behavior that followed was hilarious to watch.

The baby rhino was adamant about joining his mother and hilariously turned around to push his mother in the face with his backside, leaving a patch of mud on the one side of her face. The baby rhino sent his mother a clear message that he demanded some space in the mud wallow. The sleepy mother rhino quickly got the message and went to lie on her side to make space for her busy youngster. The restless baby rhino prepared his comfortable spot before finally coming to rest next to his mother. In the end, the mother rhino and her calf both looked comfortable and happy in the mud for quite some time thereafter, while a few nearby buffalo just stared at them, looking rather confused.