Predictably, the month began with Ngasha drama — but it was also a nice reminder of how the orphans have each others’ backs! Ngasha pushed Amali away from the mud bath so that he could have lots of space for himself. Faraja and Jasiri were watching from the sidelines and simply couldn’t let this behaviour pass. They chased Ngasha away from the herd while Mwashoti provided comfort to little Amali.
Ngasha pushed Amali away from the mud bath so that he could have lots of space to himself. Faraja and Jasiri were watching from the sidelines and they were upset to see this behaviour from Ngasha. They approached him to find out why he pushed her, then Faraja and Jasiri chased Ngasha away from the herd. Amali had already run over to Mwashoti, in need of comfort after her interaction with the wayward bull.
Once Ngasha was gone, Sonje got into the mud bath. She was showing off all her swimming skills and tricks. Kiasa and Enkesha joined Sonje and they started a swimming competition. They copied Sonje and had a very enjoyable time playing in the mud bath. Kapei joined in. He climbed on Kiasa while she was lying down in the deep water. Kiasa was not too happy about this and stood up, leaving Kapei in the mud.
Lima Lima and the other nannies took Mwana early this morning. They were so enthusiastic that they whisked the baby forward before she had even had a chance to feed from Murera. Mwana protested until Kiasa and Enkesha gave in, they stopped and gave Mwana time to feed. Lima Lima didn’t realise that they had stopped and found herself further down the path without Mwana. The orphan herd moved towards the Umani Spring area to browse and find water.
Jasiri arrived with a wild herd. Quanza was very excited to see four small babies in their midst. Quanza and Faraja had a short conversation then decided to welcome the wild herd to browse with the orphan herd.
Alamaya and Mwashoti started fighting over a stick. Mwashoti got frustrated with Alamaya, so Mwashoti moved away and he pulled up his own stick. He then went over to Murera and rumbled his annoyance to her.
Kiasa, Enkesha and Maktao were browsing together as a group. Kiombo saw them and came over to join in. He started his usual pushing games but Kiasa and Enkesha were not interested. They moved away and left the two boys to their game. Maktao and Kiombo had a lot of energy to burn off.
Sonje and the other night clubbers, Mwashoti, Alamaya, and Jasiri, reported back to the stockades this morning. Sonje was unusually early. Her routine has become that she arrives at the stockades very late; she usually finds the orphan herd has already left and all the pellets have been finished.
The orphan herd headed to the Umani hills. Enkesha and Kiasa walked back to be with Mwana. They wanted her to be in the middle of the herd, so she was more protected. Murera was very calm, she trusted Kiasa and Enkesha to look after her baby. Sonje joined the nannies looking after Mwana, while Alamaya and Mwashoti walked with Murera.
In the afternoon, when it was time to go for their mud bath, the orphans found two big wild bulls already enjoying The bulls were reluctant to move; they mock charged the orphan herd, letting them know that they were not welcome at the mud bath. Eventually the two bulls moved off, leaving it free for the orphans to play in.
Lima Lima did a very good job of protecting the Keepers and Mwana from some buffaloes that invaded the orphan herd while they were browsing. Mwana, not realising her tiny size, tried to charge at the buffaloes with her ears flared. Lima Lima saw that Mwana’s efforts were only irritating the interlopers. In fact, they now looked ready to charge, so Lima Lima acted quickly. She blocked Mwana from getting any closer and she chased the buffaloes away. Lima Lima trumpeted loudly, letting the buffaloes know she was to be taken seriously. Sonje and Quanza heard the loud trumpets and ran over to provide backup. The buffaloes saw the other elephants and ran away into the bushes.
The orphans decided to browse towards the Chyulu area, away from the buffalos of yesterday’s encounter. Two klipspringers crossed the path in front of the orphans. Maktao and Kiombo decided to chase the antelope, but they quickly lost them in the lava rocks.
The two boys decided to start their pushing match instead. Maktao stood on a rock trying to make himself look bigger to intimidate Kiombo, but Kiombo was not put off. He insisted on finishing their pushing match. Mwashoti went over to stop the two boys from fighting, just as Maktao pushed Kiombo hard, letting him know he was not interested in Kiombo’s game anymore.
Alamaya came to the stockades with some wild friends. The wild elephants were very curious about the stockades and the orphan herd. They went round greeting the young elephants. Quanza especially took to them; she followed them around putting her trunk out to touch them. Quanza gave all her new friends hugs. Then one of the bulls started to follow Quanza, which made her uncomfortable and she left in a hurry. Quanza went to join Sonje and Lima Lima, to report back about the wild elephants. After their conversation, the older girls walked off in the opposite direction leaving Alamaya and Mwashoti with their guests.
During the midday bottle feed, Mwana saw the bottles and came running, excited for her milk. She tried to pick up one of the bottles, but her trunk was too little, and she ended up kicking the bottle over. She nursed from her mother, Murera — she doesn’t need a bottle!
The orphans had a wonderful mud bath today. Mwana was the first one in. She walked straight into the water, leaving her nannies all rushing to catch up with her. Kiasa and Enkesha instinctively followed her into the mud, just wanting to keep her happy and safe. Mwana was very lively today and her mood was infectious: The whole orphan herd was having so much fun and no one wanted to get out. They all stayed wallowing in the mud for a long time.
The games in the mud bath got too rough and Mwana rumbled in distress. All the orphans stopped playing and tried to find out what had happened. Once Mwana had calmed down, the orphans finally got out of the mud bath and wandered towards the Chyulu area to browse before heading back to the stockades.
Zongoloni led the orphan herd today. The orphans were let out of the stockades, then they milled around the lucerne pellet corner until she decided to take charge and choose which direction to go in. Unfortunately, she started off on a path that Sonje was not happy with. Sonje tried to block Zongoloni, but she wouldn’t listen and led the orphans to the Umani Springs, where they encountered two crocodiles sunbathing. Luckily, Zongoloni saw the crocodiles and stopped before anyone got too close. She trumpeted loudly, warning the others and simultaneously trying to scare the crocodiles back into the water. It was quite the show.
After encountering the crocodiles, the orphan herd decided to turn around and spend the day browsing in the Umani hills.
Kiombo and Maktao tried to approach Mwana to make friends with her, but Quanza and Enkesha were very suspicious of the two boys. The young bulls are not known for being friendly towards little babies, so Mwana’s nannies did not trust their intentions. Quanza and Enkesha got worried and chased them away from Mwana. The two junior boys escaped onto the bushes.
Jasiri saw Ngasha moving towards Sonje, which he was not pleased with. Jasiri moved to block Ngasha’s path and push him away from Sonje and the older girls. They were grateful to have Jasiri as their protector.
The baboons invaded the lucerne corner while the elephants were still eating their pellets. Mwashoti, who had gone over to the water trough for a drink, noticed that a baby baboon had snuck in between the orphans to get fresh pellets. Mwashoti immediately started chasing the baby baboon, and it wasn’t long before Kiombo joined in. The baby baboon was very clever and gave the elephants the run around, cutting sharp corners so that the much bigger creatures struggled to keep up. Mwashoti and Kiombo only found the baboon again when it was celebrating at the top of the trees. The two orphans trumpeted in frustration at their defeat.
Mwana’s nannies saw a wild herd approaching so they moved Mwana into the middle of the orphan herd. As the wild herd got closer. Lima Lima and Sonje recognised Ziwa and went to greet him. Ziwa came over to say hello to all his orphan friends while his wild family waited for him a few metres away. Once he was finished, Ziwa went back to his family and they moved off.
Sonje arrived back at the stockades with two wild bulls. The wild bulls were quite hostile — they were not happy about being close to the Keepers — but Sonje insisted on bringing them into the orphan herd. One of the bulls got close to a Keeper, but luckily Lima Lima came to the rescue. She stood between the wild elephants and her human family, watching for any signs of aggression.
The orphans had a mud bath very late today. As the orphans were heading home Kiasa, Quanza and Murera walked past the mud bath area, but then Mwana jumped straight into the water. Her nannies followed Mwana into the mud bath. Eventually, the other orphans joined in, and it became a very full and energetic mud bath. Mwana and Kiasa were today’s swimming champions. The orphans finished their mud bath then headed back to the stockades cool and happy.
There were lots of baboons and bushbuck near the stockades this morning. The baby baboons were busy playing in the trees above, while the bushbucks were in the grass underneath. One of the baboons jumped down close to a bushbuck, who then got a fright and ran into the bush. In turn, the darting bushbuck scared Faraja. Faraja started running for safety before realising it was only a little antelope. He charged and trumpeted at the bushbucks and the baboons, embarrassed that he had gotten a fright. Faraja called his friends over for back up, but only Ngasha was interested in his game. Typically, Faraja and Ngasha still do not get along well, but today the baboons and the bushbucks united the two boys.
Zongoloni appeared at the water trough with two wild females and a young calf. The orphan herd welcomed Zongoloni and her visitors. Kiasa was fascinated by the wild calf, perhaps mistaking it for Mwana. She was trying to take the calf back to the orphan herd, but she got blocked by the wild female, who was protecting her baby. Kiasa left the wild calf with its mother and went to find Mwana, who was browsing with Enkesha and Quanza away from the herd.
While the orphan herd was out at the pellet corner enjoying their lucerne, Maktao went over to Kiombo to test if he was in a playful mood. They started their game, but Kiombo slipped and fell to the ground. Maktao took advantage of this and overpowered Kiombo. Mwashoti and Quanza stepped in to separate the young boys, rushing in to help Kiombo and chase Makao away.
The orphans stopped to discuss which direction had the best fresh vegetation. Sonje and Lima Lima decided that they would go towards the Chyulu area. They led the herd in that direction, browsing along the way and celebrating the nice green foliage. Mwana’s nannies were taking their jobs very seriously, as usual. They kept Mwana safely tucked in the middle of the herd.
This morning was very foggy around the Umani Hills, making it difficult for the Keepers to see very far ahead of them. They could hear the orphan herd browsing around them, but they could not see all the elephants. Once they got to the base of the Umani Hills, the Keepers had to call all the orphans back to them to do a head count and make sure everyone was accounted for.
The cold continued until midday when the orphans went for their mud bath. The Keepers thought it was too cold for any of the orphans to go swimming, but to everyone’s surprise, both Lima Lima and Mwana got into the water and enjoyed their time swimming. The orphan herd then moved to the dust bath; the Keepers watched as Mwana joyfully climbed to the top of the dust pile. Zongoloni and Enkesha kept a close eye on her, especially making sure Ngasha didn’t get too close.
The Chyulu Hills were very busy this morning. There were lots of wild elephants and herds of buffaloes all heading towards the Umani area.
Close to the stockades, the orphan herd were pulling down branches to eat. Alamaya and Faraja’s falling branches scared two klipspringers who now found themselves in the middle of the orphan herd, right next to Sonje and Quanza. Both Sonje and Quanza got a fright and trumpeted in alarm. The other orphans rushed over to chase the little intruders back into the forest.
Today was nerve-wracking for the Keepers. The Umani Springs area was invaded by wild elephants from the Chyulu Hills. Most of these elephants were very wary of people, and two wild bulls were aggressive towards the Keepers. They both had their trunks raised, smelling the air, and their ears flared. The presence of these wild elephants made moving around the bush difficult for the orphan herd — not only for the Keeper’s safety but also for the babies; Mwana, Kapei and Amali. The Keepers decided browsing in the thick bush was too risky, so they returned to the stockades, calling all the babies back with them. Lima Lima, Quanza and Kiasa escorted the youngest orphans back to the stockades, keeping them safely tucked in the middle of the herd.
The orphan herd headed towards the Kenzili area to browse in peace after yesterday's disruption. While out browsing, Ngasha started his usual tricks. He tried to block the path the orphans had started down. He separated Sonje, Lima Lima and Quanza, who were leading the herd, from the babies at the back. Luckily, Jasiri was there to put Ngasha in his place and force him out of the way. Jasiri chased Ngasha into the bush. Ngasha chose the wrong day to misbehave; he had forgotten that Jasiri was present in the herd.
Some wild bulls have been showing an interest in Quanza. They came again today, but after seeing Quanza’s disinterest, they moved their attention to Sonje. Sonje also turned them away, clearly uninterested. The bulls then disappeared into the Kibwezi Forest, frustrated at the lack of attention from the girls.
Quanza walked back to the herd to take on her role of looking after Mwana. Sonje joined Kiasa and Enkesha playing on the dust pile.
Lima Lima pulled down a big branch wild browsing. It branch was covered in butterflies that then erupted in a cloud around the elephants. Lima Lima trumpeted and started chasing the butterflies, then the games began. Kiasa and Enkehsa joined in trumpeting and running around. All the orphans joined in and started charging at the bushes trying to catch the butterflies, but the butterflies flew into the trees and out of reach.
The orphans eventually got tired of this game. Kiombo was the first to leave, then his friend Maktao and the others followed into the forest.
Sonje arrived late again this morning. She usually reports back later in the morning when the orphans are already out browsing. The other nightclubbers, Alamaya, Mwashoti and Ngasha, who have been sleeping out for much longer still report back early in the morning, around five o’clock. While Sonje and Quanza, who are the newest nightclubbers, are the last ones to report back every morning.
The girls still report back every day, but Sonje and Quanza start reporting back later and later, until eventually they go a couple of days without coming back to the orphan herd. The two girls are reintegrating back into the wild faster than the other nightclubber boys, Ngasha, Mwashoti and Alamaya. The Keepers think Sonje will bond with wild friends and then she will stop spending every day with the orphan herd.
When Quanza rejoined the herd, she immediately went to look for Mwana. The little girl was with Kiasa, who was not ready to hand Mwana over just yet. Kiasa and Enkesha were very insistent on keeping Mwana; they did not want to let Mwana go with Quanza. Quanza was surprised by this behaviour and didn’t know how to respond.
After standing in confusion for a minute, she decided to join Murera, Mwashoti and Alamaya pulling down some big acacia branches to eat. Ngasha came to join them, but then Murera and Quanza stopped browsing and moved away from Ngasha.
Lots of wild elephant herds invaded the Umani area again today. There was a herd behind the stockades, enjoying the lucerne pellets that were left out for the orphans. The Keepers found Zongoloni and Ziwa amongst the wild herd; they came to the stockades to demand more hay and pellets. The Chyulu area is beginning to get dry, so all the wild elephants are dispersing into the Kibwezi Forest to find more food and water.
Ziwa started a fight with Ngasha. They were both trying to occupy the same space at the pellet corner. Ziwa was very strong, and he overpowered Ngasha easily. Ngasha was surprised at how strong his competitor was and he got worried. He prudently disappeared into the bushes.
Quanza stopped the orphan herd from moving out, as she didn’t want to be with all the big, troublesome bulls. Quanza went to consult with Murera before choosing which direction to walk in. Quanza and Murera took Mwana, her nannies, Amali and Kapei off in one direction, while the bigger bulls went off on their own.
It was cool this morning when the orphans were let out of their stockades. They were all happy to be out browsing peacefully until Kiombo and Maktao started their usual games. Kiasa got upset with the boys sparring too close to her. She trumpeted at them to get them to move away. The young boys refused to respect Kiasa’s personal space — in fact, Kiombo even tried to pull Kiasa’s tail! This made Kiasa furious and she was ready to fight Kiombo and Maktao. Enkesha, the peacemaker, came over and stood between the boys and Kiasa to protect her friend.
Despite the cold weather Mwana, Kiasa and Enkesha went to the mud bath for a swim. Kiombo, Maktao, and Kapei followed them. Sonje, Murera, and Quanza did not feel like wallowing; instead, they went straight to the dust bath. Mwana saw her mother at the dust pile and got out of the water to join her. Mwana climbed to the top of the dust pile so she could be as tall as her friends.
Mwana went round getting hugs from all the older girls this morning: first Sonje, then Zongoloni, and finally Lima Lima. After her rounds, she moved back to Murera to nurse. Once she was full, she walked away with Kiasa and Quanza. Sonje, who was leading the herd today, was already walking out in front showing the orphans where to browse.
The orphan herd was browsing peacefully around the base of the Umani Hills when a herd of buffalo disturbed them. Amali began trumpeting loudly to alert the other orphans. Mwashoti rushed over to protect her. He charged at the two buffaloes that were near Amali, chasing them away. Once she was out of danger, Mwashoti went back to comfort her.
Murera had to discipline little Mwana today. Mwana was playing around with her nannies as normal, but then she went to charge at one of the Keepers. Murera saw what was happening and quickly intervened, warning Mwana not to charge at her family. She didn’t understand why Mwana was chasing those who are helping to raise her — but to Mwana it was all a game; she didn’t realise she could hurt one of the Keepers.
Sonje, Kiasa, and Enkesha came to collect Mwana and take her to the water hole for their mud bath. Zongoloni and Quanza helped round up Kapei, Amali, Kiombo and Maktao to take them to the mud bath. Mwana and Amali were the first ones in the mud bath. They really love swimming.
Mwana is growing up so fast. Although she is the youngest of the Umani herd, she has a very big and playful character. She spends a lot of time with the older females and learns things very quickly from them. She likes to play with them more than she plays with Kapei and Amali.
Today, Mwana commanded the lead. She is so loved by the older girls that they just follow her wherever she goes. A baboon crossed the path in front of Mwana and she trumpeted in alarm. Murera was the first to react: She rushed to her baby very quickly, only to find the baboon had already disappeared into the bush. Once Mwana calmed down, she decided she was hungry and needed to suckle. Murera happily accepted, knowing it is a good way to comfort her little girl.
Amali came to get Mwana so they could play in the mud bath together. Mwana happily accepted and followed the older girl to the waterhole. Kapei tried to join them, but he was stopped by Kiasa and Quanza. They do not trust Kapei; he gets jealous of the little girls getting attention and he is known to push them around.
Zongoloni came back to the orphan herd this morning with the nightclubber boys, Mwashoti, Alamaya, Jasiri and Faraja. They joined Amali, Quanza, and the others eating lucerne at the pellet corner. None of the orphans were in a hurry to walk out for the day, instead they were enjoying catching up with the nightclubbers, and getting all their stories.
Since Murera gave birth to little Mwana, the Keepers are extra vigilant in ensuring that there are enough pellets every morning. The nightclubbers are very happy to take advantage of the extra food. Lima Lima, Quanza and Zongoloni also love coming to see Mwana every morning.
The waterhole was full of wild elephants this afternoon. The nightclubber boys, Jasiri, Faraja, and Alamaya were happy to join the wild elephants. They must have met already as they greeted Jasiri like old friends. Jasiri brought his friends to meet the orphan herd, but Sonje and Lima Lima became fearful and walked away. Only Zongoloni went to greet the wild elephants.
Murera and her baby Mwana came out of the stockades very slowly this morning. Murera always struggles with the cold weather; it makes her much stiffer and slower when walking out. Impatient little Mwana was unaware of Murera’s struggle, and she kept trying to get her mother to move faster. Murera kept her cool and ignored Mwana until Mwana’s petulance became too frustrating. Murera pushed Mwana away gently, sending her a clear signal. Mwana realised she had upset her mother and rushed to Kiasa for comfort. Kiasa took Mwana to walk ahead with her other nannies and leave Murera in peace, so she could walk at her own pace at the back of the herd.
Amali and Kapei were enjoying the lucerne at the pellet corner when Jasiri came over and chased them away. He even tried to kick Kapei. Jasiri must have been in an unusually bad mood, as this was not his normal manners. The Keepers saw Jasiri’s bad behaviour and reprimanded him, pushing him away so the babies could eat in peace. Unfortunately for Amali, she was just standing next to Kapei at the wrong time.
It was very dark and cold this morning. The mist made it very difficult for the Keepers to see. Sonje came unusually early this morning and led the orphan herd out.
Soon after they left the stockades, the Keepers saw Quanza and Lima Lima raise their trunks, signalling that they could smell something close by. Amali was the one who saved the Keepers from walking into a wild herd of elephants. She was the first to see the wild herd and rushed back to the Keepers. Amali running back is what alerted the Keepers to the potential danger.
The wild herd noticed the Keepers. Everyone — the Keepers, the orphans, and the wild herd — scattered in different directions. Only Ngasha, Alamaya and Quanza stayed where they were, oblivious of the commotion. Murera and Mwana’s nannies were very quick to form a protective circle around Mwana. They didn’t want her to get stolen by the wild herd or lost in the confusion.
Once everything had settled, the Keepers had a bit of a struggle getting the orphan herd back together, but they ultimately succeeded.
Ziwa reported back to the stockades this morning. As usual, his wild family patiently waited a few metres away. Ziwa greeted his friends then moved off with his wild family.
Sonje led the herd to browse in the Kenzili area for the morning until it was time to go for their midday milk feed and mud bath. Zongoloni and Kiasa commandeered Mwana for the whole morning, they were very unwilling to share her. Only Murera was allowed access to her baby. Mwana would go and suckle then as soon as she was full Kiasa and Zongoloni took her back. Later Enkesha got jealous and forced her way into Kiasa and Zongoloni’s circle.
Amali and Mwashoti have remained great friends. Mwashoti looks after Amali very well. He protects her from being pushed around by the other orphans, or from buffaloes. Today Amali was very happy as Mwashoti was pulling down small branches for her to eat, then he stood guard to protect her from anyone that tried to steal her branches.
The mud bath was very interesting. Ngasha tried to initiate his rough games, but he was quickly stopped by Jasiri. Ngasha moved towards Kiasa with rough intentions, Jasiri charged in and chased Ngasha away. He was left to watch all his friends having fun in the mud bath without him. Ngasha was only allowed back if he assured Jasiri that he would behave nicely and be gentle with the other orphans.