With Melbourne basking in a continued heatwave this baby elephant was more than happy to go for a swim.

The as-yet-unnamed Asian elephant calf was born at Melbourne Zoo last week.

Once the seven-day-old seemed to be steady on his feet, the keepers thought it was time to refill the pool in the elephant enclosure.

Oh baby: Num-Oi checks her calf is all right when he loses his footing to receive a full dunking

New experience: The calf stays close to mum as they venture into the water***

The youngster’s arrival last week was something of a drawn-out affair – after Num-Oi’s 22-month pregnancy, she was in labour for four days. 

However, her 131kg bundle of joy was born safely and on his feet in minutes.

Cool dude: The calf looks as though he is smiling as he confidently strides through the water

Going down: The calf is heading for full submersion as he cools off in the extreme heat

Touching base: The calf’s feet are aloft as he rolls over during the the hottest heatwave on record for Australia

Down but not out: The calf gets to grips with a new medium as he goes to stand up, trunk outstretched

According to keepers, first timer Num-Oi is proving to be a natural mother and is very attentive to her calf.

Though he hasn’t been officially named yet, the baby has been nicknamed ‘Dougie’ after his favourite pastime of digging in the dirt of the enclosure.

Australian city Sydney experienced its hottest day on record this month.

Thousands rushed to the beaches as temperatures hit 45.8°C, 0.5°C above the previous hottest day in 1939.

At Sydney airport, the temperature was even higher – 46.4°C.

Time to play: The elephants set off for the pool side-by-side, their tails swishing

He’s on his way: The calf makes a splash as he loses his footing in the enclosure’s pond

Fruity snack: Mother keeps her strength up with a watermelon as she shades her calf