Bull Elk Thinks No One Is Watching And Takes A Luxurious Mud Bath

This video gives a whole new meaning to going for a midnight swim. This bull elk felt like the best time to go was at night. This could be for various reasons, such as it’s cooler at night, no other animals are around, or he was just bored and looking for something to do at night.

Bull Elk Vs. Mud Bath

This Instagram reel clip shown at the bottom of this blog post is of a large bull elk taking a mud bath in the middle of the night. This video was shared by the piegeur_en_serie Instagram page. This page shares a lot of footage of elk, hogs, deer, and others, to name a few.

We see that this night’s security trail camera has been set up right near a mud hole. This bull elk is taking full advantage and is taking this midnight swim. We see him rolling around in this mud. He is ensuring his whole body will be covered.

Why Do Animals Take Mud Baths?

Our idea of a bath is to get clean, right? So, why would an animal wish to take a mud bath? After all, wouldn’t that get them all dirty and defeat the purpose of wanting to get clean? Well, when animals take mud baths, they aren’t trying to get clean. They are trying to cool off.

And while your next thought might be, “well, can’t they cool off in water?” And the answer is, yes, they can. However, they will be hot again as soon as they get out and the sun dries the water off. This isn’t the case with mud.

According to African Safaris, “The mud not only cools them down but provides a protective layer on their body to shield them from insect bites and the sun.” And this is the case for many other animals than just elephants.

Where do Elk Live?

Elk (Cervus canadensis) of the family Cervidae are a member of the deer family. According to the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, “Elk are members of the deer family and share many physical traits with deer, moose, and caribou. They are much larger than deer, but not as large as a moose.”

Elk can be found living in Asia, Eurasia, and in North America. Their population is estimated to be two million worldwide. Their conservation status is of the least concern. Of all states in the United States, Colorado is said to have the most elk. It is estimated that they have approximately 300,000 just in Colorado alone.

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