Having gone thrice to the zoo area in the course of a week, I was able to see the camp elephants being brought back from their foraging trips in the periphery of the Bannerghatta forest area.

I must say, I am very impressed with the health of these camp elephants, and their excellent relationships with their mahouts.

</a> They are helped by their mahouts...the second one is just about settling down! Look at the little one nuzzling up! The amount of dust that a female human being would instantly set about cleaning, seems welcome to a female elephant! A young one comes along curiously (she's called Roopa): There's work to be done...this wood has to be carried inside the zoo, but neither youngster is doing to do that (just like humans!) The little one, indeed, roots along happily: They start walking towards the rear entrance of the zoo: Here's a short video of their gait: It's left to the adults to bring the baled wood: The elephant's trunk and mouth are such amazing things! Obediently, El Nino follows his mother and aunts: Now, it is the turn of the tusker (in India, only male elephants have tusks) to come and settle down: Not an appealing sight, the rear of an elephant? I found it quite interesting... Because, as the mahout dusted him down, I saw a part of an elephant I've never seen before (no, not THAT, you dirty-minded lot!) The soles of an elephant's feet! This tusker is called "Vanaraja" (King of the Forest): After his dust bath, he headed in the opposite direction, back into the forest periphery: Here's the tusker getting up: We watched him as he swayed off, majestically: After being brought back into the Zoo, they seemed to be very happy in their enclosure: Throwing dust over themselves, or dusty stuff, seems to be a way of relaxing:

The unnamed baby was especially happy, lolling about in the fodder: