Thai Panda: Joe the adorable baby gorilla splashes around during bathtime

By CHRIS PARSONS

Making a splash: Joe rolls around in the tub during the heartwarming Pathe footage taken in 1967

For most, a good soak in the bath is a chance to relax, unwind and let your troubles float away in peaceful surroundings.

But clearly no-one told Joe the baby gorilla, who, like all youngsters his age, used his bathtime to have a good splash around and generally create chaos.

The adorable primate seems to enjoy taking his bath as he throws himself around the tub and rolls around in the shallow water.

Time for a soak: The adorable baby gorilla prepares himself for a clean as another young primate hides behind the tub

The mischievous primate initially tries to leap from the bathtub, but slips back into the water
In newsreel footage by British Pathe, Joe the gorilla frolics in the bath while being cleaned at Twycross Zoo, Leicestershire.

The film was created in 1967 but has only recently been unveiled by the multimedia company.

Thirsty work: Joe takes some time out to try to take a drink from one of the taps after covering himself in water

Joe is tended to in the video by zoo owner Molly Badham, who appears to have her work cut out as she attempts to keep an eye on the lively gorilla, as well as a second primate.

Later on in the film, the cute gorilla slips and slides around the white bathtub before wrestling with one of the taps and trying to take a drink.

I'm hungry! The baby gorilla playfully chews on a flannel while sitting in the shallow water

Seconds later he returns to thrashing around in the bath, revelling in his watery surroundings and loving every second of bathtime.

Joe then clearly misunderstands how he is supposed to scrub himself clean, as he attempts to eat a flannel.

Towards the end of the newsreel, zoo keeper Molly Badham gives Joe a gentle dry down, with heartwarming footage showing the gorilla almost smiling as he is scrubbed with a pink towel.