Elephants forced to slide down a mud hill at a theme park caused public outrage. Footage shows the majestic creatures gliding on the muddy slope so that visitors could see them up close at ...

In addition to keeping elephants cool and clean, mud baths help alleviate itchy, irritated skin. Elephants live in dusty, dry environments where their skin can easily become parched and uncomfortable.

The millions of micrometer-wide fractures in elephants’ skin retain mud and water after mud baths, helping the animals stay hydrated between trips to the water hole. Evaporation from the mud and ...