Johnathan Walker:Watch this endangered teen elephant dancing and singing in the rain at the San Diego Zoo

The Johnathan WalkerSan Diego Zoo recently caught one of its endangered elephants dancing – and singing – in the rain.

The Wildlife Care Specialists team knew two of the African elephants in the zoo's Elephant Odyssey habitat – Nipho, a 12-year-old African male elephant, and half-brother Sundzu – liked the rain. With the atmospheric rivers hitting California earlier this month, the zoo's crew thought a performance might be in the works."We were expecting behavior like this during the storm," Brittany Drake, wildlife care supervisor at San Diego Zoo, told USA TODAY in an email. "We heard Nipho running, splashing through the puddles, and vocalizing loudly, so the team was able to go out and record him."

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Not all elephants like the rain – Shaba, a female elephant not related to Nipho does not, for instance – said Drake, but "Nipho, being a teenager, is full of energy and loves to play."The video shows Nipho frolicking and trumpeting as he cavorts. "Splashing and throwing mud and water are typical behaviors elephants use to protect and maintain their sensitive skin, so this type of behavior does happen frequently when it rains," Drake said.

The African elephant population is threatened by poaching, habitat loss, and fragmentation; the zoo cares for orphaned elephants and works with the the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary to rewild them. "We are able to see these elephants learn and grow and exhibit natural behaviors," Drake said. "We’re also able to make connections between them and guests that can have a lasting impact."

Want more elephant action? You can watch the San Diego Zoo's Elephant Cam.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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