Ten-month-old baby Tupelo, a mischievous elephant, loves nothing more than to cool herself by splashing around in her inflatable big kiddie pool. You can catch Tupelo and her elepant buddy — 16-month-old Baylor — cannon-balling right into the water, happily unapologetic of anyone they may spray while doing so.

Sibindi, a five-year old white rhinoceros, prefers to tip over and wallow in his mud pit and do wheelies with his pals Annie and Lynn. In the summer, sludge is rhino-chic.

Astro the sea lion gets ice blocks with frozen fish in his 65-degree pool. Willie the chimp gets hosed down and bears eagerly await their bucket-sized ice pops.

These are some of the many enrichment activities animals enjoy during the summer months at the Houston Zoo, helping turn the sizzling hot to cool and refreshed.

The heat doesn’t keep the zoo's animals from getting out and playing and giving guests a gratifying demo of what it’s like to be them.

And there’s lots going on everyday.

We have a lot we can learn from animals. Agree?

Courtesy of “TXU Energy Presents Chill Out at the Houston Zoo,” staying comfortable while perusing the zoo’s exhibits is also relatively easy for us humans as well. As a challenge, I paid a zoo visit to see if I could stay summer fresh, indoors and outdoors.

Mission Chill Out. No sweat.

It was hot as Houston should be: 101 degrees, full humidity with an omnipresent sun. Armed with a hat, sunscreen and a water bottle, the zoo gave me everything else I needed to maneuver the day, including a helpful bookmark of all 13 air-conditioned Chill Zones.

My educational route took me to five animal-watching spots beginning with the KIPP Aquarium, moving on to the Allen H. Carruth Natural Encounters Building, the chimp indoor viewing area in the newly built African Forest and the Tropical Bird House, and ending at the Reptile House.

Along the way, the myriad of mature shade trees sheltered my pleasant promenade. When things were just starting to heat up, one of the four TXU Energy Chill Zone misting stations added a sparkle of relief.

A stop at the brand-new state-of-the-art 4-D Experience in The African Forest took me on a delightful journey with Nickelodeon’s Dora & Diego. What’s 4-D? Think of it as 3-D on steroids with added effects like smells, mists, bubbles, lights even a vibrating seat to simulate soaring through the rainforest, flying through waterfalls and splashing on lakes and rivers.

Planet Earth: From Pole to Pole 4-D Experience takes you on a 360-degree trek of the world exploring the oceans, sun and the rain and their effect on natural history with footage and high-definition photography from BBC Earth.

And you don’t have to be a kid to thrill in the ride.

Then, there are three restaurants, a cornucopia of Blue Bell Ice Cream flavors at The African Forest Trading Post — it's hard to choose between Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Rocky Road and Pistachio — two gift shops (can’t leave without some zoo swag) and two education centers.

But the zoo isn’t done with its frosty improvements. There is more on the way.

“We have a future children’s water play area and more interactive exhibits planned,” said David Brady, Houston Zoo’s chief marketing officer. “In the second phase of The African Forest, you will see more animals like gorillas and red river hogs, in addition to more indoor facilities.”

And how is TXU Energy involved?

“We wanted to help people learn how to beat the heat,” Donna Egen, TXU Energy’s manager of brand and promotions, explained. “Your TXU Energy Chill Out bookmark also has tips to help you chill out and conserve energy at home.”

That’s what TXU Energy and Houston Zoo have in common.

“We sought out ways to partner with organizations with like-minded missions statements,” Egen continued. “The zoo is the perfect partner as its mission is all about education and conservation. We try to help businesses and residents learn about energy consumption and learn to control its impact.”

All and all, mission accomplished. Will you chill out at the zoo?