Raha was full of beans this month. One morning, she trundled out of her stable and darted ahead of her Keeper, insisting on taking the lead. At the mud bath, she trotted confidently along the rope cordon, much to the delight of the visitors. She even got a bit carried away and tried to walk among them! The Keepers took charge and escorted the cheeky girl back to her dust bathing spot.
Raha was full of beans this morning. She trundled out of her stable at first light and darted ahead of her Keeper as they headed out to the forest. Today, she insisted on staying in front, in contrast to other days when she dawdles along behind. Clad in her cherry red blanket, she also knew exactly where she wanted to browse. Later in the morning, Raha paid her daily visit to the mud bath. She toddled confidently along the rope cordon, delighting the visitors until she took a right turn and tried to walk among them. The Keepers immediately took charge and escorted the cheeky little girl back to her dust bathing spot. She lay down and rolled onto her back with stout legs aloft as her Keeper carefully shovelled soil over her body.
A few minutes later, the first group of orphaned elephants padded down the slope for their mid-morning bottles of milk. Mzinga was one of the first to arrive. As soon as she had emptied her bottle, she made a beeline for Raha (who was walking back out to the forest). Trumpeting in pleasure with ears fully flared, Mzinga touched Raha’s head with her trunk. The rhino paused for a moment, enjoying the attention, and then walked on as Mzinga wheeled around and returned to the herd. The two orphans have an unusual, if somewhat one-sided, friendship: Mzinga loves Raha, while Raha tolerates Mzinga. (However, ‘tolerate’ is high praise in Raha’s world — she doesn’t have much time for most elephants!)
Latika got a fright this morning at the mud bath. The oldest elephant in the first group, she is an especially kind and caring nanny to little ones like Mokogodo, Taroha, Mzinga, Nyambeni, Shujaa and Muridjo. As Latika was settling down to browse on the supplementary lucerne, she caught sight of a tortoise scuttling out of a bush and towards the wallow. Trumpeting in alarm, she ran towards the Keepers with several younger elephants in hot pursuit. The babies did not know what had happened, but they did know that their nanny was upset and that was enough for them. One small tortoise caused a great deal of commotion!
As is her habit, little Mzinga stopped off at Maxwell’s gate on her way out to the forest this morning. Rumbling in greeting, she extended her small trunk through the spaces in his gate and laid it along his head. (Maxwell had walked over as he soon as he heard the first rumble.) The large blind rhino stood still on one side of the barrier and the small elephant stood still on the other side. Moments later, Mzinga removed her trunk and padded on to join her friends in the forest and Maxwell began jogging around his large enclosure. After cantering around for some time — he may be blind but he knows his home very well — he rolled around on a pile of dry soil and then used his enormous head to push a pile of greens around. When several warthogs and baboons arrived, he shared the greens and also his pellets with the visitors. Maxwell really was in an exuberant mood today!
Later in the afternoon on a hot sunny day, Maxwell clambered into his mud bath and lay down on his side to cool off. Soon, he was joined by a very small warthog who somehow managed to paddle next to the rhino without being squashed. After the rhino got out of the pool, he stood quietly in the shade. As he did so, his warthog friends scratched themselves against his belly, standing right underneath Maxwell for a family massage.
At first light as the rest of the herd gather for their morning browsing session, Shujaa often prefers to do his own thing. This morning, he clambered onto the platform next to the path leading out to the forest to dine privately on shrubs growing around the platform. Of course, what goes up must come down. At just two years old, Shujaa is a small fry and his squat legs are not made for stairs. Undeterred, he bravely forged ahead with a dramatic trunk flourish to celebrate reaching solid ground. His gluttonous detours always make the Keepers laugh.
Later in the morning, chubby Kitich was on his best behaviour. As usual, he padded down the slope to the mud bath for a milk feed in the first group of younger orphans (Kerrio, Kamili, Latika, Mageno, Kitich, Nyambeni, Mzinga, Shujaa, Talek, Pardamat, Taroha and Mokogodo). The Keepers describe Kitich as an extremely noisy boy and have become used to his indignant trumpeting for more milk the moment he finishes his bottle — a habit he shares with best friend, Mageno, and also with Kitiak, Loldaiga and Kerrio. This morning, he drank his milk at breakneck speed as usual, trunk clasped around the bottle just in case anyone dared to take it away, and then ambled over to the mud bath to see Mageno. He was so quiet that the Keepers wondered where the noisy elephant had gone!
Tingai and Rafiki were misbehaving today. As usual, the bulls had their early morning bottles of milk in the training truck with Ahmed, Taabu, Kitiak and Elerai before joining the herd at the mud bath. After padding down the path, rather than ambling past the younger elephants as they drank their milk, Tingai made a beeline for poor Kitich who was engrossed in finishing his second bottle. The older bull knocked the younger one over as he tried to grab the bottle. A Keeper intervened, ordering Tingai away with a pointed finger and a warning whistle, and Kitich stood up and carried on drinking. A few minutes later, Tingai and Rafiki began chasing the older females and babies around, preventing them from browsing and doing their best to play mount whoever they could catch. The Keepers escorted the naughty boys away and peace was restored.
In the afternoon, the herd returned to the mud bath for another milk feed, jogging down the path in small groups of three or four, drinking their milk and spreading out around the pool. Best buddies Talek and Pardamat are often to be found together during the day and have adjoining stables at night. But sometimes Talek wants more than her fair share of milk — and today was one of those days. She gulped down her bottle, grabbed Pardamat’s and pushed him over. Mini matriarch Kerrio took control, telling off Talek and helping Pardamat onto his feet. To the surprise of the Keepers, rather than returning to his bottle, Pardamat got his own back. First he bit Talek’s tail and then he chased her around the mud bath, pushing her from behind whenever he got close. Talek is likely to think twice before messing with little Pardamat again!
Elerai and Kitiak are two of the strongest bulls in the Nursery and two of the most independent. When the herd headed out to the forest this morning, most remained in a cluster as they browsed quietly. But not Elerai and Kitiak. The young bulls disappeared into the bush when the Keepers’ backs were turned. Two Keepers followed their tracks and, not far away, they came across Elerai and Kitiak browsing peacefully in a clearing in the forest. Lifting their heads, the bulls looked at the Keepers for a moment and then obediently jogged back to the herd.
Meanwhile, Muridjo and Shujaa were having fun playing the pushing game until Mageno barrelled in. On most days, Mageno behaves like a gentle big brother but today he was indulging his inner pest. He made the mistake of trying to catch a ride on the famously self-sufficient Muridjo but she promptly shook off her annoying friend. After two more unsuccessful attempts, Mageno got the message and Muridjo went about her business without a backwards glance.
Later in the morning, Muwingu and Mushuru began trumpeting urgently and loudly. They continued to shout as they charged around with ears fully flared and trunks aloft. Their behaviour was infectious. Others joined in, as babies including Taroha and Mokogodo ran for cover with the Keepers. Investigating the cause of the cacophony, the Keepers found three lions relaxing under a nearby tree. Lions can be a threat to very young elephants and so the Keepers immediately shepherded the herd away from the three cats. It was some time before the orphans settled down to browse again, instead remaining in a cluster with the babies in the centre and older females around the edge.
Not long after midnight, the Keepers gathered outside the stockades to bid farewell to Ahmed, Tingai and Taabu. It was graduation day! The three friends padded into the training truck, the Keepers closed the doors, and they were off. After a peaceful journey, they arrived safely at the Ithumba Reintegration Unit on the next stage of their journey back to wild lives.
Emerging from their stockades after dawn, Talek and Pardamat looked for their favourite nanny but Ahmed was nowhere to be found. Kerrio scooped up little Pardamat and led him off to the forest as Talek trailed along behind a Keeper. In the absence of Ahmed, Pardamat stuck like glue to Kerrio for the morning and Talek to the Keepers. Talek seemed particularly lost without her nanny, although she was back to her playful self in the afternoon.
Many of the orphans enjoyed a wallow in the mud bath on a sunny afternoon. Nyambeni, Shujaa, Kerrio and Pardamat splashed around in the middle of the large puddle. Mushuru and Sholumai paddled happily as Mzinga and Talek rubbed their bellies along the edge. Big boys Elerai and Kitiak were banished to the bush so the little ones could swim in peace.
Soon, the Keepers ushered the orphans back to the forest for a final wander, watching happily as Talek played with Mzinga. The two friends were chasing around a family of warthogs, doing their best to dart in and out of bushes as the pigs trotted ahead of them with ease. Caring Kerrio was also observing their antics – she is especially close to Mzinga and is often found playing in the mud or browsing on greens with her.
After an early morning wander in the forest, Raha had a lovely time at the mud bath today. Her Keeper made a special pile of soil for dust bathing. The little rhino lay down on the mound of dry earth and rolled around on her back and sides as her Keeper shovelled cooling wet mud all over her.
A few minutes later, Raha toddled back to the forest and the first group of 12 younger elephants took her place. The orphans gulped down their milk and headed for the wallow. Some paddled as others submerged their bodies in the middle, waving their trunks as they splashed each other. Except for Taroha and Mokogodo, everyone in the first group went swimming today. The two best friends almost went paddling but then decided to enjoy the supplementary lucerne instead, touching each other affectionately between mouthfuls.
Soon, the second group of older orphans headed down the path for their mid-morning milk feed. Mukutan was the first to arrive at the mud bath. Although it is only one day since dominant bulls Tingai and Taabu left the Nursery, Mukutan is already showing signs of stepping into the role. He drank his milk and enjoyed a brief dust bath on the pile of dry soil. Then, as the Keepers held bottles aloft for the last group of elephants, Mukutan sneaked over to the wheelbarrow to pinch an extra bottle. Finding it empty, he headed straight for Loldaiga who was drinking slowly with his trunk carefully twisted around his bottle. Loldaiga walked away while still drinking. Mukutan chased after him but was intercepted by two Keepers who ordered him away. Shaking his head in annoyance, he thought about disobeying the men but then reluctantly turned tail and did as he was told. Another changing of the guard at the Nursery.
The second group of older orphans graduated from the Nursery soon after midnight, heading off to Ithumba in the translocation truck. Reluctant to leave, Elerai, Kitiak and Rafiki had to be cajoled into the truck with treats of sugar cane and pellets. Eventually, the Keepers succeeded in settling all three in their partitioned-off areas and closed the doors with sighs of relief. They felt proud that three more orphans had graduated and were off on the next stage of their lives.
Choka was awake when they left. He sleeps in the neighbouring stockade to Elerai and was upset by the departure of his friend. Stockade neighbours often play during the night, extending their trunks through gaps in the walls and sharing greens and pellets. Choka would not settle and kept trumpeting loudly as he moved around his bedroom, searching up and down their shared wall for his friend. At dawn when the Keeper opened his gate, he stood in one corner and was reluctant to walk out — until wonderful Sileita took the situation in hand. The mini matriarch walked into the big boy’s stockade to comfort him and calm him down. Rumbling quietly, she trunk touched him in reassurance and led him out to join the herd.
Later in the afternoon, Kamili was being a bit of a ringleader. The independent girl led Choka, Mukutan, Kerrio and Talek on a private adventure, bringing them back to the compound before the rest of the herd. They trotted in early and made the most of having the stockades to themselves by nipping into their friends’ rooms and scooping up the pellets and lucerne that waited inside.
The orphans pottered out of their stockades at first light, greeting their friends as they prepared to head out to the forest. Shujaa was again up to his tricks. The wily young bull desperately wanted to play with Mzinga, his age mate with whom he shares a sibling rivalry. However, he knew that he must first get past Kerrio who is very protective of the younger girl. Acting ever so nonchalant, Shujaa backed around Kerrio, attempting to circle over to Mzinga. Clever Kerrio sussed out the young bull’s intention and pushed him away. Undaunted, Shujaa loitered off to the side looking pensive and began browsing on a small shrub.
Later in the morning at the mud bath, Shujaa was involved in another altercation! Arriving first at the wallow after racing each other down the slope, Nyambeni and Muridjo gulped down their bottles and ambled on. Nyambeni plunged into the pool (she loves being first into the water) and Muridjo lay down for a relaxing dust bath on the pile of dry soil. Shujaa and Mokogodo were next in line for their bottles. Finishing his bottle before the younger girl, Shujaa could not resist giving Mokogodo a small shove, perhaps in the hope that she would drop her bottle, whereupon Mokogodo trumpeted. Immediately, Nyambeni ran towards her from one direction and Muridjo from another. They caught Shujaa in a pincer movement and sent him packing. There was no way that he was standing up to the two feisty girls.
Returning to the forest, Shujaa took refuge with the older boys for several hours. For their part, Nyambeni and Muridjo did not let the much-fussed over Mokogodo out of their sight until the evening, taking turns to be her nanny
It was a chilly night. The youngest elephants wore their cosy blue blankets and Raha went to bed clad in not one but two blankets. Baby rhinos are very fragile and susceptible to the elements. In the wild their mother's body heat would keep them warm, but for the orphans in our care a cosy blanket serves the same purpose. In the morning, the little rhino was in a stubborn mood, possibly in part due to the temperature. Her Keeper opened her door and whistled to her that it was time for a walk. Raha stood in the corner of her stockade and obstinately refused to take even one step in the direction of the door! Baby elephants can be persuaded and tempted with delicious bottles of milk but not baby rhinos, or at least not this baby rhino. Her Keeper was left with no choice but to wait until the young lady deigned to do his bidding and trundle out to the forest behind him.
Out in the forest on a cloudy morning, the elephants browsed quietly in small groups. There is no need to travel far afield, as the stockades are surrounded by lush green vegetation following recent downpours of rain. After filling their bellies, some paddled in shallow puddles of standing water and others played the pushing game. Best friends Kitich and Mageno chased each other through puddles and between shrubs as Sholumai paddled contentedly on her own.
In the early evening, the orphans padded down the path, round the corner and into their stockades for the night. As they settled down to browse on individual piles of lucerne, the Keepers heard a bubbling water sound. Cheeky Loldaiga had stretched his trunk through the gaps in his stockade wall and was blowing bubbles in the trough outside. Blowing bubbles developed into the even better game of making splashes before the young bull decided that it was time for bed!
On another cool overcast morning, the orphans pottered out of their stockades, greeted friends and set out to the forest with their Keepers. Sileita led the herd with the blanket babies in the middle and Kerrio and Mzinga bringing up the rear. The orphans browsed as they ambled around, remaining in a huddle because of the temperature. As the day warmed up, the Keeper loosened the babies’ blankets. Mokogodo’s belly is outgrowing her blanket as she blossoms into a portly little lady! Not far away, two of the oldest bulls in the Nursery were sizing each other up. Mukutan and Choka played several rounds of the pushing game in a good-humoured contest which nonetheless had a serious edge. Tingai has left the Nursery and the role of dominant bull is therefore up for grabs.
Shujaa was once again in trouble. The obedient little boy has turned into a mischievous rascal! He plodded down the path to the mud bath this morning, looking at his cutest and drinking his milk quietly. As he walked on to the pool, he suddenly veered to the right and knocked down little Talek, taking her unawares as she drank from the water trough. Today, it was Latika who told him off, pushing him quite sternly (for her) to the other side of the wallow as Kerrio scooped up Talek.
Growing boys and best friends Mageno and Kitich have been promoted from the first group of younger orphans to the second group of older ones. Gentle Mageno is unsure of the change and keeps nipping back to the baby class. Kitich, however, has embraced the change and trots along confidently with the older bulls. Despite his relatively small size, he is happy to wrestle with older bulls. The small elephant is often found locking heads with quite large friends, in particular Choka!
Little Raha again woke up in a jovial mood. As soon as a Keeper opened her door, out she darted and dashed around, mock-charging the Keepers and almost jumping up and down. What a change from the frail little orphan rescued several months ago. Usually, her Keeper leads her past Maxwell’s stockade, making sure that she keeps her distance. But today, in view of her growing size and strength, he took her closer. It was an interesting if unsuccessful experiment. Raha smelt the ground carefully, became aware that she was next to another rhino’s territory, and slowly turned back in the direction of her stable. Maxwell mock-charged at his gate and then ran up and down the length of his enclosure — he was not able to see the little rhino but could certainly smell her and behaved as if he was defending his territory. Out in the forest, Raha stuck close to her Keeper, even trying to walk through his legs as, back at the stockades, Maxwell calmed down and returned to browsing on pellets with his warthog friends.
There is one elephant who marches to the beat of her own drum in the herd and that elephant is Kamili. While the other orphans congregated for their mid-afternoon milk feed today, Kamili made a speedy exit after finishing her bottle. She could not resist the opportunity to indulge in some solo adventuring on a wet afternoon in a world full of puddles. Meanwhile, most of the herd stood around the wallow, occasionally trunk touching their friends as they picked up pieces of lucerne or drank from the water trough.
Early in the morning as the older females fussed over the babies and others gathered in small groups, Muridjo and Shujaa were squabbling. Muridjo stood in Shujaa’s way and refused to give him the space he wanted. As she blocked the path and turned her backside towards him, he shoved her with his head. The feisty girl whirled around to challenge him and a fight ensued. Shujaa may be a bull but he is not strong enough to subdue Muridjo. Kerrio did her best to separate the squabbling toddlers and, when her attempts were unsuccessful, decided instead to chase away Shujaa and stand by Muridjo. He ran off and turned his attention to plucking branches from a tasty shrub.
Weka is a semi-reformed rascal who is eager to establish herself as a nanny. She has lots of competition as everyone jostles to look after the nursery babies, but she has the advantage of being diligent and very persistent. Out in the forest this morning, Weka was shadowing Sileita while the mini matriarch fussed over Talek. A few minutes later, Sileita generously stepped aside to give the younger girl an opportunity to shine. Talek was not comfortable with this change of leadership and attempted to scoot off but Weka was undeterred. She gave chase and insisted on looking after the baby.
Not far away, Pardamat, who is also a stubborn young orphan, was sticking close to the Keepers. He is spending lots of time with the Keepers and remains wary of the older members of the herd. Sileita soon arrived to scoop him up, rumbling to him as she escorted him away to browse.
Kamili is less of a loner now that she has become physically stronger. The frail baby has grown into a reasonably robust young lady who is more relaxed around her peers, but still nervous of situations where she might be pushed over. Although she shows no signs of mothering the babies, she tolerates them — except when she is enjoying a milk feed. This morning at the mud bath, Pardamat made the mistake of approaching her while the no-nonsense girl was drinking. His punishment was a swift kick, which sent him darting to the Keepers for protection. They told off Kamili and Pardamat walked over to stand next to his friend (and occasional rival) Talek. Noticing the kick, sweet Muwingu came over to console the little boy and draped her trunk along his back.
Soon the first group headed back to the forest and the second group took their places. Mukutan trundled down in the lead again this morning followed by Kitich and Mageno. The older bull was up to his naughty tricks again. As the other orphans drank their milk in groups and spread out around the wallow, he made a beeline for the wheelbarrow to pinch an extra bottle of milk. When he completely ignored an order from a Keeper to turn around, two Keepers pushed the bull away as a third moved the wheelbarrow! This behaviour would not have happened in front of Tingai, Elerai and Rafiki.
Following many days of cloud and rain, it was a beautiful sunny afternoon. A couple of orphans paddled in the wallow but no one went swimming as the forest is still awash with rainwater puddles.
The orphans wandered out in a long line to the forest, feeling playful on a sunny morning. Sileita and Kerrio lay down in separate clearings, massaging their bodies against the soothing soil while inviting the babies to play on them. A few minutes later, Muridjo and Shujaa were clambering all over Sileita as Nyambeni, Mzinga and Mokogodo followed suit with Kerrio. Nyambeni used to be the Keepers’ pet, spending lots of time asking for contact and cuddles as she hovered in their orbit. But Talek is the new Keepers’ pet! On many days, including today, she browses as close to a Keeper as is possible, roaming from one man to the next as her independent friends amble around in the forest. Today, Talek was behaving like a demanding puppy.
Later in the afternoon, the herd spread out to browse in an emerald green clearing. As usual, Taroha and Mokogodo were together, walking in step and maintaining contact almost all of the time. They seemed unaware of the presence of the herd, so engrossed were the two best friends in each other. At one point, they toddled some distance away and Latika padded over to check on them, especially on little Mokogodo. The older females want to mother Mokogodo but she rarely leaves Taroha’s side. If anyone is ever rough with the little girl, several females, including young ones like Mzinga, come running to her rescue.
Mini matriarch Sileita led the herd out to the forest this morning. They did not wander far before settling down to enjoy the abundance of green browse and to play in the many muddy puddles. Pardamat shared a moment with a Keeper and Mzinga ambled over to greet the same Keeper with her trunk lifted in greeting. Mukutan paused on his way past but the big bull was too busy for quiet time, in contrast to little Pardamat who loves spending time with the Keepers.
When a family of warthogs trotted past, Mzinga could not resist the temptation. She sprinted away from the Keeper and gave chase, running all over the place as fast as her little legs could carry her. Of course, she did not succeed in catching up with the speedy pigs, but her noisy efforts did separate the three baby pigs from their mother. The babies squealed in alarm and ran towards the elephant whereupon Mzinga did an abrupt about turn and sprinted back to the Keeper and Pardamat. Only once she had their support did she dare to flare her ears and charge the pigs.
Not far away, Muridjo, Nyambeni and Kerrio were playing in the mud. Kerrio lay down on her side in a large muddy patch and her two little sisters accepted the invitation! Nyambeni rested her forelegs on Kerrio while waving her trunk in circles as Muridjo lay down to rub up against her. Soon, both little girls were clambering onto their nanny while Kerrio, as always, lay patiently on the ground.
Out in the forest this morning, Sholumai and Mushuru browsed peacefully together. The two relative new girls are still somewhat on the fringes of the herd but are interacting more confidently with members of their family. This morning, they greeted several others on emerging from their stables, headed out in the midst of the herd and settled down to browse close to each other.
Later in the morning at the mud bath, Weka was at her most impudent! The naughty girl was standing nonchalantly next to the rope cordon, pretending to browse on greens but really just watching the Keepers. Every time they moved away from her, she nipped under the rope. They brought her back, she stood still looking around innocently, they moved away and she did it again! Eventually, they ushered her to the other side of the mud bath.
Best friends Mageno and Kitich were playing a rowdy version of the pushing game, clashing heads and clinking tiny tusks and twirling around. Losing his footing, Mageno slid into the mud and rolled onto his side whereupon his cheeky friend play mounted him, effectively pinning him on the ground. Mageno cried for help, and Choka came running. Kitich, catching sight of the larger bull bearing down on him, ran for cover with a Keeper. Choka and Mageno then began playing the pushing game until, in turn, their game was interrupted by feisty Mukutan and all turned their attention to eating lucerne.
This morning, the junior boys staged a rebellion with the aim of directing the spotlight onto them, rather than the blanket babies! Most mornings the girls are focused on the babies, emerging from their rooms and heading straight for the babies’ stables. This morning, junior boys Kitich and Mageno decided that enough was enough. In the elephant equivalent of a young boy antagonising his crush at the playground, chubby Kitich first tried to trip up Mzinga, but she only had eyes for baby in blue Mokogodo and did not even spare him a backwards glance. Then equally chubby Mageno came strolling round the corner with a tantalising branch in his mouth. He was hoping that food was the way to Nyambeni’s heart. While this briefly peaked her curiosity, she too was fixated on Mokogodo. Ironically, Mokogodo was really only interested in her best friend Taroha. As they toddled out to the forest, the Keeper adjusted Mokogodo’s blanket while the gentle curled-ears bull walked placidly by her side.
Returning to the mud bath for the mid-morning milk feed, the Keepers sent the orphans down in small groups of three or four as usual. Kamili was in a lone ranger mood today, a not uncommon occurrence. When a Keeper attempted to shepherd her into a group with three friends, she stood slightly apart. When he sent them down the path, she took her own route, arriving calmly at the same destination but refusing to jog down in a trunk to tail line. She drank her milk and walked over to browse on the branches of lucerne scattered around the wallow. Weka and Kerrio then made the mistake of invading Kamili’s personal space, picking up a branch right next to her. Both elephants were rewarded with firm shoves. Respecting their quirky friend, the two girls walked away and left her to feed peacefully by herself.
The sun was shining and the boys were feeling combative. After ambling out to the forest behind their Keepers, they filled their bellies quickly and settled down to play. Loldaiga and Mageno were sizing up, pushing against each other enthusiastically. Mageno may be smaller than Loldaiga but he is a determined little elephant who does not give up. Mukutan, Choka and Kitich were also enjoying wrestling matches, taking it in turns to fight with each other. The contests were good humoured with no injuries but an underlying awareness that the herd lacks a dominant bull. Among the Keepers, Mukutan and Choka are the favoured contenders.
Meanwhile, Taroha and Mokogodo were trundling along behind Sholumai and Mushuru, two big girls who are not yet displaying signs of wanting to look after babies. When the two girls jogged away, the babies were left behind in a clearing in the forest. This situation seemed to upset Sileita more than the two little ones! Abandoning Mzinga, Pardamat, Nyambeni and Talek, she raced over to rescue two small orphans in no need of rescue. They tolerated her fussing while continuing to browse belly to belly, seeming to take for granted Sileita’s wonderfully caring behaviour.
Raha, the baby rhino, and Maxwell, the big blind rhino, had an interesting encounter, albeit separated by a gate, this morning. On her way out to the forest, Raha caught sight of Maxwell in his enclosure and came to a halt (in her decided manner) at his gate. Maxwell could sense her presence and, although he did not come close to the gate, he made a friendly sound, rather like a squeak, in greeting. Raha responded by making a smaller, high-pitched version of the same sound. Full of excitement, she then jogged off to the forest with her Keeper following along behind.
In a clearing in the forest, Kerrio, Sileita, Weka, Latika, Nyambeni, Muridjo and Mzinga were all jostling to look after sweet Mokogodo and to prise her away from Taroha. Their efforts were unrewarded. One of the sweetest things about Mokogodo is her unwavering devotion to Taroha, a slightly older bull. Clad in their matching blue blankets, the unlikely couple were inseparable this morning (as they are most mornings).
Later in the morning at the mud bath, Shujaa was being naughty and Pardamat was following his example. Shujaa gulped down his milk and then trumpeted his demand for another bottle. As a Keeper declined the impish boy’s request, he heard a smaller trumpet. Turning around, the Keeper found tiny Pardamat imitating the older bull and also asking for more! When the two bulls trumpeted in unison, Kerrio stepped in. She separated them and disciplined Shujaa with a firm shove, knowing that he was the instigator!
At first light, the Keepers opened the doors of the orphans’ stockades one by one. This morning, Mukutan and Weka were the first ones out. Mukutan darted over to Choka’s stable and stood waiting to challenge his friend to a wrestling match. As soon as his door was open, the game began with Mukutan on the outside and Choka still inside. A few moments later, cheerful Choka managed to push his way out of his stockade.
Meanwhile, Weka headed down to Mokogodo’s stable, where she also stood waiting. Clever Weka was seizing a possible opportunity to look after the little girl. In recent weeks, competition has grown between Weka, Muwingu, Sileita, Latika and Kerrio for the prize of looking after the babies — in particular, Mokogodo. On her caring, gentle best behaviour, Weka was a girl on a mission. Sadly, before the door was open and she could whisk the baby away, she was joined by Sileita and Muwingu. Realising that the prize was inevitably beyond her reach, Weka about turned and ambled back to hang out with Mushuru. Mokogodo toddled out and the rumbling and trunk touching began. Taroha joined the little group and the two females escorted the pair of babies to the forest.
Out in the lush green forest, Kitich, Loldaiga, Choka, Mukutan and Mushuru spent a short time browsing and a long time playing. Changing partners frequently, the five orphans had a great time pushing and chasing each other in and out of shrubs and trees. Not far away, Kerrio was being very brave, taking it upon herself to chase many impalas and baboons away from the herd. To her (and the Keepers’) surprise, they disappeared when she ran at them with trunk aloft and ears flared.
Later in the morning after the sun came out, the orphans visited the mud bath. After downing their milk, Mushuru, Sholmai and Mageno were the first to plunge into the pool in the second group of orphans. They splashed around in the middle, spraying water in every direction.
Pardamat has seemed a little lost since the six older orphans left for Ithumba earlier in the month. He was especially close to Ahmed but also enjoyed spending time with the older bulls in the forest. Since they left, the little boy has gravitated towards the Keepers, often standing close to one of them in the forest and asking for attention. But Kerrio is stepping into Ahmed’s role and he is growing close to his new big sister. Kerrio is an especially special girl as she is happy to look after anyone and seems to have no favourites. Whoever needs attention will get it from caring Kerrio.
This morning, it was Muwingu’s turn to seize an opportunity. When her door was opened before those of Latika, Kerrio and Sileita, she did not waste a second. Down she sprinted to the babies (who had been let out first today), scooped up Talek, Mzinga, Nyambeni and Mokogodo, and frog marched them out to the forest before one of the other females scuppered her plan. Pardamat was quite happy to be with Kerrio instead, especially as they share a fondness for hanging out with the Keepers. The pair browsed beside a Keeper until Pardamat toddled off to join Muwingu’s mini herd and Mokogodo, in turn, toddled back to take his place with Kerrio and the Keepers.
Self-sufficient Muridjo loves to do her own thing. Her latest habit is to graze on grass next to a pool of water near the mud bath. Almost every other member of the herd drinks their milk and then heads for the mud bath but not Muridjo. Instead, she veers off to the right and stands calmly next to the pool. This morning, as Muridjo headed off, Weka was trumpeting at the Keepers for another bottle and then Choka (usually such a friendly chap) was pushing Sholumai for no good reason. The Keepers had their hands full of mischievous orphans!
As the Keepers opened the doors at dawn this morning, the rain began to fall. The downpour was so heavy that the light was dim. Mukutan has never liked rain and he stood resolutely in the corner of his stockade, refusing even to venture close to the door, let alone out into the downpour. Many of the other orphans including Kerrio, Mageno, Latika, Kitich and Muwingu also refused to set foot outside. The Keepers kept the babies, still clad in their blue blankets, inside. They also allowed the rest of the herd to delay their departure to the forest, waiting for the rain to ease.
Meanwhile, Maxwell was loving the rain. His enclosure had been transformed into an enormous mud bath and he charged around, rolling in the muddy puddles. Soon, the rain stopped and the Keepers escorted the herd out to the forest. Today, rather than sticking like glue to best buddy Mokogodo, Taroha chose to follow big girls Mushuru and Weka deep into the forest.
Returning for their mid-morning milk feed, the orphans spread out around the wallow. Today, Kerrio was the star of the show. As many stood around quietly browsing on lucerne, she rolled around in the mud exuberantly while Nyambeni climbed all over her. The two girls never tire of this game and kept up their antics until it was time to head back out to the bush.
Later in the afternoon, the Keepers sent the orphans back to the stockades in small groups. Shujaa, Nyambeni, Mzinga, Talek and Pardamat raced down the path, past Maxwell’s gate and around the corner to their rooms. Nyambeni was the winner by several lengths today, coming to a halt as she reached her room and strolled in with head held high.
Kerrio padded up to see Maxwell early in the morning. She stood outside his gate, rumbled and extended her trunk through the gaps. He clambered to his feet and walked over to greet her whereupon she draped her trunk on his head. The lovely moment was then interrupted by Loldaiga who had spotted Kerrio on her own. He began chasing her and trying to play mount her, much to her annoyance. Maxwell started running up and down his enclosure, unsure as to what was going on. But then an unlikely friend came to Kerrio’s rescue – Kamili! She popped up from around the corner with her ears spread high and wide. Loldaiga got such a fright, perhaps not even knowing who she was, that he ran for cover, trumpeting in alarm! Meanwhile, sweet Kerrio regained her composure and headed out to the forest with the herd.
Later in the morning at the mud bath, Muwingu and Mageno had an exciting time. As they splashed in the middle of the pool on a sunny day, rubbing their submerged bodies against each other, something small swam past them. There was a tortoise in the water! They backed off in shock as the tortoise slowly crawled out of the pool and set off towards a bush. Regaining their composure, they gave chase, charging out and after the innocent visitor who plodded slowly on as the two elephants trumpeted around him. Muwingu and Mageno did not dare to touch the tortoise but kept trumpeting until the Keepers calmed them down.
Rather than wait until they reached the forest, the orphans were playing in the area outside their stockades this morning. Mukutan was wrestling with Choka (although this morning he waited until Choka had left his room) and Loldaiga was facing off best friends Kitich and Mageno (who had teamed up to take on the older bull). Big girls Latika, Kerrio and Sileita were rolling around on the ground next to Maxwell’s gate as Mzinga, Nyambeni and Shujaa (who can never resist a prone elephant) climbed on top of them and the blanket babies stood watching from the sidelines. Eventually, the games came to an end and Kamili and Weka led the herd out to browse in the forest. They were followed by the wrestling boys with the mini matriarchs and their babies bringing up the rear.
In the afternoon, the orphans padded down the path, drank their milk and spread out around the mud bath. Weka, Choka, Sholumai, Mushuru, Loldaiga and others obediently walked a little way into the bush so the younger, gentler orphans had the area to themselves. Today, they were followed by one of the youngest members of the herd — Pardamat. Pardamat often tags along behind the big boys rather than remaining close to his nannies. Meanwhile, Kamili walked off in a different direction to find her own space. Back at the mud bath, Muridjo could not resist giving Mokogodo a playful shove as the little girl browsed on greens. Her behaviour led to reprimands from Kerrio and Sileita who both pushed her and clustered around to check on their favourite baby. A disgruntled Muridjo strolled away to find some other form of entertainment.
As many orphans were exchanging trunk greetings in the early morning, Mokogodo’s fan club headed down the path to assume their positions outside her door. Sileita, Latika and Kerrio waited patiently for their princess to emerge. A few minutes later, she toddled out and they lavished her with trunk hugs and sandwiched themselves around her. Extricating herself from their embrace, Mokogodo walked over to see Taroha and the pair ambled up the path towards the forest with their nannies in hot pursuit.
The sun came out later in the morning and the mud bath was full of swimming elephants. Mushuru, Sholumai and Choka were the stars of the show today! The three older orphans cavorted in the muddy water, making enormous splashes and spraying mud all over the visitors. Meanwhile, several others lay down on the pile of earth next to the wallow, massaging their bodies against the soothing soil.
In the afternoon, the orphans browsed deep into the forest. As they ambled around quietly, their peace was disturbed by an unlikely candidate. Kamili does not often play with the others or attract attention to herself, preferring to do her own thing unobtrusively. But today she decided to charge around after a troop of baboons, much to the Keepers’ delight. Muridjo, Mageno, Kitich and Weka piled in and soon the baboons had five eager little elephants chasing after them!
The graduation of Elerai, Rafiki, Tingai, Kitiak and Taabu left the position of dominant male up for grabs. This morning, Choka and Mukutan began one of their usual wrestling matches. What started as a light-hearted contest developed into a rough aggressive fight as the two bulls pitted their strength against each other. (Choka and Mukutan are the key contenders for the position with Loldaiga also in the running.) After close to an hour, as neither bull had surrendered, the Keepers took the decision to separate them to avoid the risk of injury.
Weka and Mageno are two cheeky elephants who spur each other on. Their latest habit is to trumpet as loudly as they can while strolling down the path to the mud bath for the mid-morning milk feed. They are well aware that there is no chance of them not being given a bottle of milk but remain determined to make as much of a kerfuffle as possible. This morning, the two arrived separately but attracted an equal amount of attention, so loud was their shouting.
Out in the forest in the afternoon, little Raha toddled along behind her Keeper, sticking as close as she possibly could to him. Trailing along in their wake were a family of warthogs. When the baby pigs dared to get too close (feeling comfortable with another animal of their size), Raha decided that enough was enough. She about turned and chased them away – the pigs did not dare approach the little rhino for the rest of the day.
This morning, it was Pardamat’s turn to step into the role of mischief maker! Out he popped from his stable and down to stand outside Talek’s room. As the Keeper opened up the little girl’s stockade, Pardamat deliberately moved to block the door, positioning his small body squarely in the centre of the space and flaring his ears to make himself as large as possible. Talek approached her friend, expecting him to move away but he stood stock still, holding her hostage in the bedroom. She then called for help and a Keeper ushered the little boy out of her way. Pardamat may be tiny but he is confident and loves walking far afield in the forest behind Choka, Loldaiga, Mushuru, Sholumai, Mukutan and Kitich.
Returning to the bush after a visit to the mud bath, some browsed as others played. Kerrio and Weka found a pleasingly dry patch of soil that was perfect for dust bathing. The two friends lay down together for a roll around and a massage. Predictably, just a few minutes later, a bevy of friends darted over to join them. Mzinga, Nyambeni, Sileita, Muridjo and Talek greeted the two females and joined in the games - Mzinga and Nyambeni had fun clambering all over Kerrio and Weka.
It was a hot afternoon and almost every member of the herd either paddled along the edge or plunged into the mud bath. Taroha and Mokogodo dared to lie down on the edge but went no further into the water – they were wary of being knocked over by one of the big boys or girls or of being mounted by naughty Shujaa. Kamili and Mukutan were the only two orphans who did not put a pad in the muddy pool.
Mageno and Muwingu were playing hide and seek with the Keepers this morning. The two friends were darting in and out of the many stockades, searching for leftovers of tasty lucerne. When a Keeper did his best to shepherd the naughty pair out to join the herd, they pretended to obey him and then nipped back into another stable. And so the game continued! The two elephants were full of delight and excitement but were eventually cajoled into waddling out to the forest with very full bellies.
It was another hot day that was perfect for swimming. The first group of younger orphans downed their bottles of milk and made a beeline for the muddy pool. Everyone went swimming except for cautious Mokogodo, who stood by herself on the edge. Kamili and Latika stole the show today! The two girls were the first into the wallow but were closely followed by the others and soon the wallow was packed with orphans rolling around and sliding onto each other. As Latika struck a pretty pose in the middle, Kamili deliberately and carefully stood up and then squatted on her friend Kamili’s next move was to massage her backside against Latika who continued to lie contentedly in the water.
Shujaa is becoming quite a character. His latest quirk happens during milk feeds. Like the others, he pads down the slope to a Keeper waiting with a bottle held up but, just before he is about to grasp the bottle in his mouth, he comes to a grinding halt and looks around, as if he is pretending that he is not ready to be fed. Seconds later, the little show-off takes a step and grabs the bottle in his mouth!
This morning, all the herd wanted to do was browse — no one was in the mood for playing or for exploring. Big boys like Mukutan, Choka, Kitich, Mageno and Loldaiga did not play the pushing game and orphans like Kamili, Weka, Mushuru, Pardamat, Shujaa and Muwingu did not wander away into the forest. Instead, they stood around quietly in groups or on their own, grazing on delicious greens.
Later in the morning, the first group of orphans settled down to browse on lucerne around the mud wallow. Most stood quietly, touching each other occasionally between picking up branches of lucerne, but not Nyambeni who was not in a mood for sharing. First, she pushed little Talek, who was only trying to browse next to her, and then she chased after Pardamat, trying to pinch his branch. When she was unable to wrest the tasty morsel from his mouth, she headbutted him whereupon he toppled over and fell into the pool. The mischievous girl plunged in after him but was admonished by the Keepers before she reached her quarry. They ordered Nyambeni out and sent her to the naughty corner behind a bush.
In the afternoon, Taroha wandered off into the forest, following along behind some older orphans and leaving his best friend behind. Mokogodo was left browsing with Mzinga and Nyambeni close to the Keepers. She tolerated the separation from her adored big brother for a short time and then started rumbling. The rumble soon grew into a shout for Taroha to return. Noticing her growing agitation, the Keepers took her to the place where Taroha was browsing. Tiny Mokogodo was so happy to be reunited with her very best friend!
When the herd ambled back to the forest after their morning milk feed at the mud bath, Mokogodo loitered along at the end of the line. She could not resist pausing to nibble on some delicious wild fruit, thus separating herself (by a very small distance) from the rest of the herd. She lifted her head, realised that she was not with either her beloved Taroha or a Keeper, and trumpeted once at the top of her voice and then once more. Responding to the first cry, Kerrio sprinted back to scoop her up. Responding to the second cry, Sileita and Latika about turned, charging through shrubs as they too sprinted back. The three protective mini matriarchs then escorted one small happy girl back to join the orphans and their Keepers.
Later in the morning at the mud bath, Muwingu and Choka were at their most mischievous. After enjoying a cooling roll around, they clambered out of the water in search of a game. They decided that it would be fun to kick over the water buckets and nudge them with their heads into the pool! When the Keepers pointed their fingers sternly, Choka checked himself for a second, but Muwingu did not even think about stopping. She was having too much fun! A few minutes later, to the orphans’ evident delight, all three buckets were empty and two of them were floating in the mud wallow! The Keepers whistled up the herd and shepherded them back to the forest, leaving one man behind to rescue the water buckets. The remainder of the day passed off peacefully in the forest before the orphans headed back to the stockades in the early evening.