Is Amali a Lima Lima in the making? We think so! As the month began, two wild bulls joined the herd in the Kenzili area. Amali was the first to notice the visitors. She gathered Kapei, and the two youngsters went to alert the Keepers and the other orphans. Amali has learned this behaviour from watching Lima Lima, who is known as the ‘scout’ of Umani. The Keepers are very impressed with Amali; she shows a lot of promise in warning the herd about potential dangers, especially at such a young age.
Jasiri, Faraja and Alamaya arrived today in the company of a wild herd of females. The keepers were surprised to see Alamaya with them. Accompanying wild elephants is typical for Jasiri and Faraja, but this was a first for Alamaya. He is often with Sonje, Zongoloni, and Lima Lima, but he does not mingle with wild females. Alamaya immediately left the wild herd and joined Sonje, Lima Lima, and Quanza as they happily browsed close by.
After greeting his friends, Alamaya also went to check on Amali and Kapei. Amali was cautious of the wild herd. She moved closer to Kapei and after a short conversation, both youngsters moved away.
Faraja went to greet Sonje, but then he went round and grabbed her tail. Sonje was disturbed by this, so she led the whole herd towards the Chyulu area, leaving Faraja by himself.
The orphans were prepared to depart early this morning. Enkesha and Kiasa led the herd to the Umani springs for a drink. There was a baby crocodile sunbathing on the bank. Quanza hadn't noticed the crocodile and almost stepped on it. Fortunately, the crocodile quickly slipped back into the water just in time.
Quanza panicked, trumpeting loudly, scaring the crocodile, and warning her friends. The other orphans joined in, charging at the bushes and the water while trumpeting loudly. Murera and Mwana stood in the middle of the herd, surrounded by their nannies, all trying to protect little Mwana.
Later, the herd moved to the Umani hills to browse for the day.
Maktao and Kiombo started their daily sparring match. This morning, Kiombo was full of energy, and he initiated their game by pushing Maktao. After his game with Maktao, Kiombo was still full of energy and decided to challenge Faraja. Faraja was clever and tricked Kiombo by hiding in the bushes, then burst out and surprised Kiombo, pushing him to the ground. Kiombo got up and ran to the herd for protection, realising he had underestimated Faraja.
The older females looked around, wondering who had fallen over, and then they saw Kiombo rushing over for help. Quanza and Lima Lima did not show him any sympathy as they knew he liked to play rough.
The orphan herd had their midday milk feed, and then they moved to the waterhole for a mud bath session. Mwana was running out in front, leading the others. Kiasa and Enkesha tried to keep up with her to check if the mud bath was safe before she got in, but Mwana was too impatient.
Murera and Quanza came to join in, and Mwashoti tried to block them. Murera gave Mwashoti a strong warning, and he obliged by moving out of the way. The girls joined in the swimming games, and they had such a nice time that they didn't want to get out. The Keepers had to get involved, ushering all the orphans out of the mud bath and over to the dust pile to dry off. After the orphans dried off, Mwana led the herd to the shade to browse.
While the orphan herd was browsing in the Kenzili area, two wild bulls appeared. Amali was the first to notice the visitors, and then Kapei raised his trunk, smelling the wild bulls. The two babies went to warn the Keepers and the other orphans. Amali has learned this behaviour from watching Lima Lima. The Keepers were very impressed with Amali; she shows a lot of promise in warning the herd about potential dangers, especially at such a young age.
Kapei felt jealous when he saw the Keepers praising Amali, so he went to push her, but Maktao noticed what Kapei was about to do and blocked him.
The orphan herd walked away to the Chyulu hills area. Two male bushbucks came running down the path, chasing each other. Kapei got a fright and had to get out of the way to avoid a collision.
Sonje continues to arrive late every morning, reinforcing the idea that she will soon stay away for days at a time. Quanza spends time away from the herd with Sonje, but Quanza always arrives back at the stockades early every morning.
Sonje arrived at the stockades late in the day, the orphan herd was already out browsing in the Umani hills. When Sonje found no pellets at the pellet corner, she started trumpeting, calling to her friends to find out which direction they had taken. Kiasa and Lima Lima heard Sonje trumpeting and called her to follow them up into the hills.
As soon as Sonje joined the herd, she went looking for Mwana. After being fussed over by Sonje, Mwana went to find her mother and have a milk feed.
Amali found herself in trouble; she approached Mwana while she was suckling. Mwana thought Amali was coming to steal her milk, so she spun round with her ears flared and stopped Amali from coming any closer. Amali did not understand Mwana's warning, so Mwana charged at Amali and pushed her away. The Keepers called Amali away so Mwana could go back to feeding.
Kiombo tripped and fell over, finding himself on the ground without any elephants near him. Both Kiombo and the Keepers were confused as to what had happened since he did not get pushed by anyone.
Sonje and Quanza rushed over to help him up, putting their trunks around him and trying to comfort him. Maktao watched from the sidelines. Once Kiombo was up, he walked away to the bushes, feeling sorry for himself, even after Sonje asked him to stay close.
While browsing in the Chyulu hills, the orphans heard a baboon scream loudly from the treetops. The noise disturbed their peaceful browsing. Jasiri, Lima Lima, and Zongoloni went to investigate the commotion. Alamaya tried to follow them, but Jasiri stopped him. When the baboons saw Jasiri and his group walking towards them, they ran off, leaving the orphan herd to browse in peace again.
Faraja and Kiombo started a sparring match. Kiombo was testing his strength against the older and stronger Faraja. Kiombo wants to be fit and ready to defend himself against older bulls, and today, Faraja was happy to be his coach.
The orphan herd found that some buffaloes had beaten them to the waterhole. The buffaloes were wallowing and looked very content and relaxed, clearly not ready to leave. Additionally, six bushbucks were waiting patiently at the side of the waterhole. The buffaloes realised they were outnumbered when they saw the elephants running over to the mud bath. They decided to get out and moved away into the bushes, and the bushbucks also ran off, leaving the mud bath free for the orphans.
Sonje and Quanza were not interested in getting in the mud bath today; they stayed on the side, watching Murera, Mwana, and her nannies enjoying their swimming games.
Mwashoti, Kiombo, and Maktao were all in a big heap. Maktao accidentally stepped on Kiombo, who then trumpeted in shock. Enkesha and Lima Lima came to rescue Kiombo.
Zongoloni arrived to check on the herd, and, most importantly, little Mwana. She found Mwana with Kiasa and Enkesha. Zongoloni greeted them but didn't feel like fighting for Mwana's attention. Instead, she moved on to catch up with Sonje, Mwashoti, and Alamaya.
The orphans were browsing in the Umani hills when they came across a large rocky outcrop. Quanza decided to climb up the rocks, but Amali and Kapei couldn't find their way up.
However, Mwana somehow managed to find a gap in the rocks and climbed through. It appeared as if she was rubbing her belly on the rocks, but she craftily made it over to join Quanza. Enkesha and Kiasa tried very hard to follow Mwana, as they felt it was their duty to protect her, but they couldn't navigate the route. Mwana raised her trunk, waving at her nannies and celebrating her achievement. Quanza found lots of soft shrubs to eat on top of the rocks, and she was very happy.
The orphans raced to their midday bottle feed. Kapei came in first, as usual, because he is very greedy. Mwana was not far behind him; she enjoys testing her speed and strength by racing with Kapei, even though she knows she doesn't get a bottle. Mwana waited for her mother to arrive before she could feed. After finishing her milk bottle, Amali joined Mwana at the waterhole.
A wild old bull approached the orphan herd, trying to engage with them, but none of the orphans were interested. Most of the younger babies were afraid of the bull and moved away. Kiombo, however, seemed interested in the wild elephant, but Quanza and Alamaya were quick to block his path and move him away, unsure of how friendly the wild bull would be towards a junior bull.
Despite their warnings, Kiombo would not listen and approached the wild elephant. In response, the older and much larger bull pushed Kiombo to the ground with his trunk. Kiombo quickly ran back to Alamaya and Quanza for protection. Perhaps next time, Kiombo will heed their warnings. Amali and Kapei kept their distance from Kiombo, as he was pulling down branches to browse on and didn't feel like sharing.
The Umani hills and the Chyulu area have been frequented by the orphans and other animals, so most of the vegetation has been eaten. The orphan herd moved to the Kenzili area in search of soft, fresh vegetation to browse on. Sonje, Zongoloni, and Lima Lima led the way, while Murera, Mwana, and her nannies walked at the back. Quanza and Sonje periodically stopped the herd so that Murera could catch up. When they reached their destination, they found lots of fresh vegetation, and Zongoloni, Kiasa, and Enkesha were very happy with their feast.
Mwana was spotted trying to eat a big stick, but she was struggling to peel the bark off. Kiasa came over to help, but Mwana declined and ran off with her stick. The Keepers are still impressed with how quickly Mwana learns new things. She is very curious and is good at copying her fellow orphans' step-by-step actions.
Enkesha and Kiasa went to bring Mwana back into the middle of the herd so she wouldn't get lost. She happily obliged, following her good friends. The orphans had stopped to browse when two dik-diks ran through. Sonje and Kiasa got a fright and ran, leaving their branches uneaten, before realising that it was just two little dik-diks.
The morning was very cold, making it difficult for Murera and Sonje to move as fast as normal. The other orphans seemed to be in a rush to get moving. Murera tried her best to keep up because of Mwana, but she was struggling with her stiff hip.
Mwana was well entertained by Amali; they played around rolling in a dust pile. However, Kiasa and Enkesha were nearby, keeping a watchful eye on the babies. Mwana rolled into a funny position that made it harder for her to get up again. Amali, Enkesha, and Kapei tried to help her up, but she started rumbling. Murera heard this and got worried for her baby.
Murera arrived in a panic and chased Enkesha away, not understanding the situation. Lima Lima rescued Enkesha and explained the situation to Murera, who quickly calmed down.
The nightclubbers arrived early this morning, already waiting at the pellet corner when the orphans were released from the stockades. Zongoloni and Kiasa seemed to have plans to go on an adventure without the rest of the herd, and they considered taking Mwana with them. However, Murera sensed their intentions and quickly called her baby to stay with her.
Faraja has taken on the role of sparring trainer for Kiombo and Maktao. Maktao has become much stronger and pushed Faraja with more force than Faraja expected. Maktao was determined to show Faraja what he had learned and put up an impressive fight, even though he is at a disadvantage due to his smaller tusks.
The Keepers believe that Maktao might be ready to join the nightclubbers in the next few years, as he has matured considerably. Despite his smaller tusks, Maktao is a humble and well-mannered elephant, loved and respected by all, and it will be bittersweet for the Keepers when he eventually joins the nightclubbers.
A fight broke out between Faraja and Alamaya when both of them reached for a branch that Sonje had dropped. Faraja, being older and bigger, thought he could intimidate Alamaya into giving up the stick, but his plan didn't work. Alamaya yanked the stick away and fled with it, sparking a chase and a physical altercation involving pushing and tusks clashing. The Keepers observed clouds of dust where the two boys were locked in battle. Faraja eventually emerged as the victor due to his greater strength, and Alamaya dropped the stick, retreating although he had put up a good fight.
Kiombo attempted to follow Alamaya, but Alamaya didn't welcome his company, chasing Kiombo back to the herd.
Zongoloni and Sonje joined Enkesha and Amali, who were playing in the shrubs. When Amali saw Sonje approaching, she went to greet her. Sonje hugged Amali, placing her trunk on Amali's back. They were delighted to be together and had grown closer over the months.
The orphans had moved toward the Chyulu area when Mwashoti spotted two male zebras. Mwashoti began trumpeting and charging at the zebras to scare them away.
This afternoon was very hot. The orphans had a fun time cooling off in the mud bath, and then they immediately went to hide under the shade of some tall trees. Mwana, Amali, and Kapei rested under the same tree, while the older orphans scattered in the shade around the babies.
Once it had cooled down, Lima Lima and Quanza led the herd to the Kibwezi forest to browse for the rest of the afternoon. While in the Kibwezi forest, a wild herd came through, and they tried to get Kiombo and Maktao to follow them. Luckily, Lima Lima saw the two boys and came to the rescue, escorting them back to the orphan herd. Amali moved to be close to Lima Lima, nervous about the wild herd.
The Keepers could hear the wild herd trumpeting and decided it was time to return to the stockades. The younger girls, Amali, Kiasa, and Enkesha, were tasked with leading the herd home.
Murera got angry with Kiasa. Kiasa was supposed to be looking after Mwana; instead, she got distracted and left Mwana chasing baboons. One of the big male baboons threatened Mwana, and she screamed for help. Murera came running to find that Kiasa was not there to protect her baby. Murera chased Kiasa, making her discontent very clear. Murera kept her baby close for the rest of the day. Mwana will learn to avoid such dangers in the future.
When it was time for their midday bottle feed, the orphans came running as usual. Kapei was first, Amali second, and Mwana arrived later with her mother.
Alamaya was being very greedy. He was eating all the pellets and not leaving any for Quanza or the other orphans. Alamaya grabbed a bale of lucerne hay, and Quanza pushed him, hoping he would drop the hay, but instead, he ran away while tightly holding it with his trunk and didn't drop even a tiny bit of it. Lima Lima joined in on Quanza's side, following Alamaya into the bushes. He eventually dropped the hay, fearing punishment from the older girls. Once Alamaya was brave enough to come back, he found the orphans had finished the hay and pellets. They were already at the water trough drinking before heading out to browse.
Before they left, a wild herd came looking for water. They had some babies with them who looked very thirsty. The wild herd drank from the trough, finishing all the water. Then the wild matriarch moved her herd to the Umani springs for more water.
The orphans did not interact with the wild herd. Recently, they have been chased away from the lucerne corner by so many wild herds, so they now keep their distance. The orphans headed towards the Chyulus.
Despite her age and size, Mwana is a feisty little elephant. Amali tried to push Mwana out of the way, but Mwana stood her ground. Amali was shocked by this encounter, and she walked away, leaving Mwana, who was happy with her victory, to feed in peace. While she was still feeding, Enkesha came to get her. Mwana flared her ears, which Enkesha took as a rejection, so she left Mwana with her mother.
Jasiri and Faraja joined Mwashoti and the rest of the herd browsing on the hills. Jasiri heard screaming and went to investigate. Kapei was climbing on Amali and pushing her around. Sonje and Kiombo intervened and punished Kapei, which he did not appreciate. Kapei started calling for help, but the others knew that he was being too rough and did not come to his rescue.
The orphans found the mud bath to be a necessary respite from the afternoon heat. After their milk bottles, the herd rushed over to the mud bath. Kiasa and Sonje paused for a drink at the water trough, and by the time they reached the mud bath, they discovered Quanza, Lima Lima, Faraja, and Mwashoti already wallowing and playing games. They were having so much fun that nobody wanted to leave.
Maktao was rolling around in the deep water, with only his head showing. The others joined him, resembling hippos.
Amali and Kapei had difficulty climbing out of the mud bath as the sides had become very slippery. Zongoloni, Lima Lima, and Enkesha went to help and pulled the babies out.
A wild bull disturbed the orphan herd while they were browsing in the Kibwezi forest. He began chasing the females, especially Sonje, Quanza, and Lima Lima. Luckily, Murera had time to move away with Kiasa, Enkesha, and Mwana. Zongoloni also managed to escape unnoticed and warned Kapei and Amali about the unfriendly interloper.
Faraja, Alamaya, and Quanza had a tough time running from the bull. He chased them almost to the Umani hills before they managed to get away from him.
Sonje and Murera skipped the mud bath today, watching from the side as Mwana swam with her trusted nannies.
Amali accidentally got pushed in all the commotion, and she let out a loud scream. Kiasa rushed over to help, but upon realising it was not Mwana, she was not very sympathetic. Mwashoti stepped in and comforted Amali, taking her out of the mud bath and away from the commotion.
The orphans had a slow start this morning. They were content milling around the pellet corner, eating pellets and relaxing. Everything was calm until Murera joined; she was in an angry mood and directed her frustration towards Alamaya and Zongoloni. She chased them into the bushes, away from the pellets.
The orphan herd slowly moved to the Kenzili area, where they encountered buffaloes along the path. The buffaloes surprised Enkesha and Kapei, who were walking at the front. They blew loud trumpets, trying to scare the buffaloes away. The buffaloes remained unfazed and continued down the path. The Keepers decided to call all the orphans back and gather them as one big herd, as they are more intimidating together. The buffaloes walked past without incident, and the orphans returned to browsing, pulling down acacia branches to feed on.
Mwashoti is a gentle giant. He is especially kind to the babies in the herd, particularly Amali. Today, Mwashoti was pulling down branches for Amali to eat, and when Kapei tried to join them, Mwashoti was not welcoming. He knew that Kapei pushes Amali around, so he denied Kapei access. Kiasa also came to browse with Mwashoti, and she was allowed to feed on the fallen branch for a short time. Then Mwashoti pulled the branch to a more distant spot so that Amali and he could feed on the leaves undisturbed.
The afternoon was scorching, and Kiombo and his good friend Maktao decided to go to the mud bath to cool off. The two boys ended up in a fight over the same prime spot in the water, with Maktao emerging as the victor, forcing Kiombo to relocate to the opposite side of the mud bath.
The rest of the orphan herd joined Kiombo and Maktao. Once everyone had finished wallowing, the older females, Mwana, and her nannies moved to the shade to rest. They skipped the dust pile, deeming it too hot in the sun. They decided to find a cooler dust pile in the shade of the forest.
Lima Lima and Alamaya were busy shaking acacia trees to bring the pods down. A couple of bushbucks tried their luck at stealing the pods, which the orphans didn't appreciate, so they took turns standing guard.
Alamaya chased the bushbuck away while trumpeting loudly. Little Amali and Enkesha heard Alamaya's trumpets and joined in, chasing the bushbuck further away. The bushbuck quickly disappeared, deciding that the pods were not worth the trouble. Alamaya and Lima Lima were left to enjoy their rewards.
Quanza moved through the herd, checking on everyone to ensure the safety of all the babies. She informed everyone of the plans to move for better browsing and then followed Faraja, Sonje, Kiasa, and Enkesha toward the Chyulus.
Quanza emerged from the bushes in the Kibwezi forest and joined the herd, trumpeting loudly to warn them about something. The other elephants started trumpeting too, not understanding what Quanza was trying to convey. She immediately went over to the Keepers, alerting them to some danger, and they saw a bull coming out of the forest. Initially, the Keepers thought the bull might be Jasiri or Faraja, but it turned out to be a wild bull. The Keepers were impressed that Quanza had taken on Lima Lima's duty of protecting the Keepers. The Keepers and the orphans moved away.
While they were relocating, they encountered two zebras that crossed the path in front of the herd, halting their progress. Amali and Kapei surprised the Keepers with their bravery as they stood their ground and attempted to chase the zebras away.
Amali and Kapei started fighting over a stick. Amali had the stick first, and when Kapei saw her with it, she became jealous. Kapei attempted to take the stick from Amali, but Amali held onto it tightly. However, Kapei's strength prevailed, and she called Mwashoti for help. Mwashoti hurried over and chased Kapei away, warning him to leave Amali alone.
Sonje and Kiombo had been spending time together browsing, but when Sonje saw a wild herd with a tiny baby, she left Kiombo to go and see the baby. Sonje adores babies, and lately, Kiasa and Enkesha have been getting much of Mwana's attention, so Sonje was excited to see a new baby.
Kiasa remains dedicated to looking after the precious Mwana, hoping to prove her capabilities and readiness to become a good leader. However, the older females, Lima Lima, Sonje, Zongoloni, and Quanza, have been feeling neglected. They're upset because Kiasa keeps Mwana away from them and they find her behaviour disrespectful. Today, they took action and chased Kiasa away so they could have Mwana to themselves for the day. Murera watched from the sidelines but did not interfere.
Maktao was in a mischievous mood and climbed on Amali. Murera and Quanza came to rescue Amali, so Maktao turned his attention to Kiombo, and the two boys began their usual pushing games.
Quanza led the group to an area with bare soil, and the others followed her, digging for minerals. This area is popular with lots of wildlife, as they come looking for salt and minerals. While the orphan herd was there, some bushbucks came, but Faraja blocked them, acting as security and keeping watch for buffaloes or other animals.
The orphans were in a very playful mood this morning. The babies all came running out of the stockades, trumpeting and ready to play. Kapei and Amali initiated a game with Kiasa, while Kiombo and Maktao began a similar game with Quanza, trying to block her path. However, Quanza proved to be too strong for them, effortlessly pushing through. The two boys then changed their game and started charging and trumpeting at the bushes around the stockades.
Enkesha took a break from looking after Mwana. She had pulled a muscle, and while it was a very minor and temporary setback, it made it difficult for her to run around and keep up with Mwana's tireless antics.
Jasiri appeared with a wild herd from the thickest bush. The wild herd consisted of much older elephants, but Jasiri had convinced them to come and meet the orphans. As the wild herd got closer, they saw the Keepers and took off running back into the bush. They were unaware that there would be humans with the orphan herd. Jasiri stayed with Alamaya and Zongoloni.
Murera was in a grumpy mood today, chasing anyone who came close to her. She only showed respect to Jasiri, who is now the most dominant bull in the orphan herd. Despite his gravitas, Jasiri is gentle and kind. He does not bother Murera.
Murera has been much more relaxed since Ngasha moved to Ithumba. She used to worry about his presence all the time, causing her to keep her distance and remain quiet. Now, she is starting to be more involved in decisions about where to browse, and she is more confident in defending her space.
In the afternoon, the babies started to feel the heat and demanded a mud bath to cool off. Quanza and Sonje were tasked with leading the herd to a waterhole, and the orphans were desperate for relief. As soon as they found a suitable mud bath, everyone got straight in.
Alamaya and Mwashoti watched from the side because the mud bath was very full by the time they arrived. They waited until the babies got out before going in to wallow and cool off.
Murera was very strict again today, keeping order and making sure everyone listened to her. Kapei got into trouble first when he came a little too close to Murera and Mwana at the pellet corner. Kiasa then tried to take Mwana away with her, but Murera refused. Kiasa was confused, as she usually takes good care of Mwana, and she couldn't understand why Murera was keeping Mwana from her.
Sonje, Lima Lima, and Alamaya led the orphans to the top of the Umani hills to browse. The top of the hills is less frequented, and the orphans find fresher vegetation there. Zongoloni found a hanging branch that had been pulled down by wild elephants during the night, with plenty of leaves to eat. She called Enkesha and Lima Lima to join her, and little Amali followed them.
The Keepers heard trumpeting, initially thinking it was one of the orphans, but it turned out to be a wild bull. He was curious about the orphans, but Lima Lima and the other girls were not interested and kept moving away from him. The wild bull left, realising he was not welcome.
Amali tried to spend time with Enkesha today, which was unusual. They had a small interaction in the morning, but then Enkesha became irritated with Amali and chased her away. Amali ran over to Murera and Mwana, feeling sorry for herself. Mwana faced Amali with her ears flared, but Amali has learned that this is a game and was unfazed by Mwana's reaction. Mwana is still a little baby, full of energy and always looking to play games.
Jasiri re-joined the herd today after spending a few days away. He found Faraja playing on a dust pile, and they greeted each other, catching up on all the stories. There was no tension between these two junior bulls, unlike when Ngasha was still part of the Umani herd. Lima Lima joined Jasiri and Faraja at the dust pile. Faraja started to misbehave, attempting to climb on Lima Lima, but she moved to the side, causing Faraja to stumble to the ground.
Sonje and the other nightclubbers returned to the stockades very late today, with Alamaya being the only one who arrived early this morning.
Kiasa, Kiombo, and Kapei began rumbling, facing the same direction with their ears up, sensing their friends coming through the bush. Soon after, the nightclubbers emerged from the bushes. Mwashoti was the first to arrive, bursting through the bushes and rushing to the pellet corner. Quanza followed closely, and Sonje was not far behind. They were welcomed with rumbling and happy trumpets.
Mwana then led the herd to the Umani springs area. However, she froze in her tracks when a bushbuck crossed the path in front of her, becoming scared and deciding it was better for someone else to be in front.
When they reached the springs, two terrapins were sunning themselves on the bank. Initially, the elephants hadn't seen them, so when the terrapins splashed back into the water, the orphans got a fright and hurried back into the forest.