Sutton packs his trunks for pool
Baby elephant Sutton has really taken to the water since the weather started picking up – so much so he has been bought his very own paddling pool.
The three-month-old received the special treat after staff at West Midland Safari Park noticed how much he enjoyed his daily bath.
Now Sutton can enjoy a cool dip or chase a beach ball around any time he pleases, while his mother Five keeps an eye on proceedings from a safe distance.
Angela Potter, deputy director of wildlife at the park, said the new pool was proving a real hit with Sutton, who was named in memory of inspirational Burntwood teenager Stephen Sutton who lost his battle with cancer just days after the elephant's birth.
She said: "At three months old, Sutton really is proving to be a real water baby. Once the weather warmed up and we saw how much he enjoyed his bath time, we thought that a paddling pool would be the ideal treat for him.
"Once in place, it wasn't long before he took to it 'like a duck to water', often rolling around until the pool was almost capsized and enjoying every minute."
Sutton was the first elephant to be born at the park and was born after a 22-month pregnancy and weighed 15st 7lb.
This month he will be able to play for longer than usual as the park has extended its opening hours as part of its Summer Nights season.
More than 4,000 suggestions for names out of 5,000 submitted via social media were for either Stephen or Sutton.
Stephen, who raised £4.2m for Teenage Cancer Trust, was pictured hugging the baby's mother in January.
