2011, Day 272 - Bath time

This photo was taken at the Elephant Nature Park outside of Chiang Mai.  It is primarily a rehabilitation center for elephants that have been injured, abused or neglected although there are some foundling elephants as well as those that are surrendered when their keeper can no longer afford to meet their expenses.  The park a permanent staff whose efforts are supplemented by volunteers and it really is a sanctuary in every sense of the word.  After lunch the elephants are led to the river where the eagerly cool off in the swift-moving currents after which they apply a health protective layer of dirt.  I always knew I was right about the virtues of dirt when I was a kid...

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 24-70/f2.8L
54mm, f5.6, 1/500 sec @ 400 ISO