Baby elephants are great at making playtime fun. They’re a lot like human toddlers—they love to get dirty, splash in puddles, and turn any stick they find into the perfect toy. These giant, majestic animals truly live life to the fullest, and we’re so lucky to get a front-row view thanks to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and their amazing keepers!

In their recent Instagram video, we’re introduced to Arthi as he confidently leads the baby elephant herd down a path. From the angle of the camera, he looks enormous and mature—but the second half of the video shows his adorably silly side as he plays with his new favorite stick. He twirls it like a baton, drops it, picks it up again, and generally is just thrilled the stick exists.

Playful Arthi was rescued earlier this year and is a little over a year old. He was found alone, which is dangerous for a baby elephant since they are herd animals that stay close together as a family.

This sweet little pachyderm didn’t take long to adjust to his new family among other young elephants in the Nairobi Nursery. He has quickly demonstrated his confidence in leading the herd, but he also has a softer, playful side that we just can’t get enough of.

Related: Tired Baby Elephant Hitches a Jumbo-Sized Piggyback Ride From His Friend

What an amazing glimpse of both sides of Arthi’s story. One day, he’ll grow into a large, powerful elephant and likely a leader among his peers—but for now, his softer toddler phase is the sweetest view we could ever have.

Viewers’ Reactions to Arthi Are So Thoughtful

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has done it again and wowed us with their amazing elephant content on Instagram. Viewers shared their reactions, including:

“Brilliant! 😂 ‘Baton’ twirling, rubbing his eye and snacking—multi-tasking!” 🤩

“Just doing his thing. Stick, no stick. It’s all good.”

“’Careful… you’ll poke your eye out!’ — said by many a mother!”

“He is happy as a clam playing with that stick. It’s like giving a human toddler a box—happy and content for hours!”

Arthi’s journey is just beginning and watching him grow is an amazing privilege. We can’t wait to see what he discovers next!

This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Dec 6, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.