Mothers everywhere can probably relate to this rhino mom whose parental downtime was interrupted by a pushy youngster insistent on joining her for a lie-down.

Filmed in South Africa's Kruger National Park, the rhino mom and calf wandered over to a popular waterhole to quench their thirst and cool off during the heat of the day. After drinking their fill, the duo turned to a small mud wallow at the water's edge. The mother rhino promptly plonked down in the cool mud, leaving little space for the calf to join her. Undeterred, the youngster initiated a somewhat inelegant reversing manoeuvre, backing butt-first into its mom's head in an effort to secure a comfy spot.

"The baby rhino sent his mother a clear message that he demanded some space in the mud wallow," the videographer wrote in a YouTube description. The plan worked and mama rhino lazily rolled onto her side to make room for the pushy calf.

Unlike their Asian cousins, rhinos in Africa are weak swimmers and prefer to make use of shallow mud pools to cool off. Rolling in the mud also helps control parasites, providing the rhino with a thick coating that shields against biting insects. A "mud bath" is often followed by a good rubbing on a stump, boulder, or bush which likely serves to scratch off any pesky parasites. Rhinos may reuse the same rubbing post on a regular basis resulting in a stump or rock becoming worn smooth after many months of usage.

Top header image: Ray Muzyka/Flickr