Perhaps the most exciting update to share, since Kiko's move to Sirikoi, is his burgeoning friendship with a wild giraffe. The giraffe stops by most days, and Kiko appears to look forward to his visits. This, in and of itself, is something to celebrate, as Kiko used to run in the opposite direction whenever wild giraffes approached him at the Nursery, so we are happy that he is finally showing interest in his own kind.

There is, of course, one giraffe he has shown an interest in from the very beginning, Nditu. Like Kiko, she is an orphan, and has been hand-raised at Sirikoi since her infancy. While she seems to enjoy being in his orbit, she is a giraffe who appreciates her own space. This is hardly surprising, as she is significantly older than Kiko, and we imagine that she must tire of the young boy’s wily ways. However, when Kiko and his Keeper, Simon, move on to other pastures, Nditu is never far behind them, so she is clearly fond of her new companion.

Kiko remains fast friends with Sirikoi’s horses. They always head out together as the sun rises, forming an eclectic little band of hooved creatures. After spending some hours in each other’s company, Kiko and Nditu leave the horses to graze and amble over to the grove of fever trees, where Kiko happily spends the better part of his day feasting on tasty leaves. There has been lots of different wildlife coming through the area recently and Kiko stares, wide-eyed, as they wander past.

While most wildlife sightings are welcomed, Kiko prudently remains very wary of lions, all too aware from personal experience of the threat they pose. They have been roaring fairly close by, so we have taken additional security measures, putting electric fencing around the giraffes’ stockades to protect them from any marauding lions. Nditu feels confident enough to sleep outside nowadays, but Kiko remains very attached to his stockade. He sees it as his safe place and eagerly puts himself to bed every evening. After Simon bids him goodnight, Kiko snacks on some lucerne pellets and then folds his legs on the soft earth. With his head held aloft and ever-alert, our boy takes in all the nocturnal sights and sounds of Sirikoi before finally calling it a night himself.