July was marred by a great tragedy for our Umani family, and the entire Sheldrick Wildlife Trust team. Before relaying the sad events that unfolded, we will share the rest of the month’s happenings.
Sonje got a break from making all the decisions; she handed over her leadership responsibilities to Lima Lima and Quanza. However, Sonje found it difficult having nothing to do, she stayed at the edge of the Umani herd, standing idly.
Quanza led the herd; she took Mwana with her but left Murera and Mwashoti at the back. After being up front for a while, Mwana decided to go find her mother. Mwana went running back with her ears flared. Murera was happy to take her baby back, she welcomed her with lots of hugs and trumpeting, making Mwana feel loved. Mwana spent the rest of the day with her mother and ignoring her nannies. Kiasa kept herself entertained by hanging out with Zongoloni.
A couple of junior wild bulls joined the orphan herd this morning. One of the bulls tried his luck with Sonje, trying to climb on her, but Jasiri and Ngasha were quick to join forces and chase him off. Then Faraja, Alamaya, and Mwashoti joined in on the chase, making it into a game. The Keepers were glad to see the two rivals, Jasiri and Ngasha, come together and successfully protect their friends. The older girls celebrated and showed their joy after the bull was chased away. The orphans were left in peace to browse undisturbed.
In the afternoon, Kiasa, Enkesha, and Quanza walked up front, leading the herd to the mud bath. Once they got to the mud bath, they decided the water was too cold, and they no longer wanted to go swimming. The other orphans agreed, and the mud bath remained quiet with no activities.
Osama came back for a visit today, after a long time away. While the orphans were having their midday bottle feed, a huge bull appeared from the bush. The Keepers tried to keep the bull away while the orphans finished their milk, but the bull had his own tricks, and he managed to invade the orphan herd while they were still having their bottles. The Keepers then recognised Osama.
Once Enkesha had finished her bottle, she moved over to Mwana and tried to lead her off to the mud bath, but the Keepers and Murera stopped her, worried about how Osama would react. Then Osama started moving to where Mwana was standing. The Keepers decided to move everyone away from Osama so that they were a safe distance away in case he became aggressive. He kept following the herd, trying to get all the smells of the older girls, including Sonje.
Alamaya and Mwashoti decided that they would go and talk to Osama on behalf of the orphan herd. They must have been persuasive, as Osama stopped following the orphan herd. The Keepers were very surprised to see that Mwana had no fear. She wanted to go and greet the huge bull.
Kiasa, Enkesha, and Quanza moved off together, leaving Mwana feeding with her mother. Zongoloni came through the bushes just as the orphan herd was leaving the stockades. Sonje followed closely behind, she came crashing through the bushes, breaking branches, and trumpeting loudly to make sure everyone knew she was coming, and they should wait for her.
Murera stopped Mwana from feeding and started to walk away, to join Enkesha, Kiasa, and Quanza in the Kenzili area. Mwana was not happy about this; she ran along her mother, still trying to feed. Mwana must have hurt Murera, as Murera got angry and forcefully stopped Mwana feeding. Mwana was annoyed about this; she jumped from her mother to Sonje, to Lima Lima, then to Zongoloni, looking for attention.
The orphans had their morning milk bottles and lucerne pellets. Then, they started to head out for the day towards the Umani hills.
A wild bull appeared on the scene. Murera was very cautious of the wild bull; she took Mwana to hide far away from the bull. Kapei walked off, trying to follow the smell of the wild bull, but Quanza blocked his path and brought him back to the rest of the herd. She did not want Kapei to go off with an unknown bull.
Quanza brought Kapei back to the pellet corner, where she picked up Amali. Then Quanza led Kapei and Amali to the Umani hills to browse. They met Alamaya, Mwashoti, Jasiri, and Faraja up on the hills.
The orphan herd came across two buffaloes sleeping in the bushes. There was lots of loud trumpeting and charging as the junior bulls chased the buffaloes away. They cleared the area so the orphan herd could browse in peace without worrying about the buffaloes.
While foraging in the Umani Hills, two dik-diks crossed the path in front of Amali. Amali got a terrible fright and ran off through the bushes to Sonje and Quanza. Sonje and Quanza were browsing peacefully, and they were surprised to see Amali in such a panic. Before Amali could explain what happened, Ngasha came across the dik-diks and chased them away. It was a pleasant change to have him diffusing drama, instead of causing it!
They later moved to the Chyulu area where they found more fresh shrubs for browsing. Mwana and Murera started a game of rolling downhill; they enjoyed it so much that they even slid down from their knees. Murera, Lima Lima, and Quanza were browsing close by, while Zongoloni, Mwashoti, Ngasha, and Jasiri were browsing a bit further behind the others.
There was light rain in the morning, and the orphans happily fed on the wet grass, stretching their trunks up in the air to smell it.
As the orphans were browsing, Alamaya spotted a small wild baby in the long grass. They all gathered around to see it. The baby's mother was browsing nearby and did not seem to be worried about the Keepers and the orphans. Lima Lima and Sonje were very excited; they spent a lot of time with the wild baby and her mother. The baby followed Lima Lima and Sonje everywhere, and they loved taking care of her.
Later, Alamaya and Faraja noticed the wild baby and went to see her. The wild baby's mother let her get close to the orphans, showing that she was comfortable with them.
Sonje went to greet Mwana as she was scratching against the trees, and Mwana raised her ears high up in the air, telling Sonje she was very happy and in a good mood.
Alamaya and Faraja started a game of rolling downhill. The Keepers were worried that they would crash into some big rocks, but they were careful and stopped just in time.
The orphans later moved to the baobab water hole to drink. Zongoloni and Lima Lima decided to have a strength-testing exercise in the water. Zongoloni went into the water and started to charge around, trumpeting. Lima Lima joined her, and they had a great time playing together in the water.
As the orphans were walking back in the evening, Ngasha tried to climb onto Kiasa, but Kiasa was strong and did not let him mount her. Ngasha then walked off to try his luck with someone else.
A baboon walked towards the pellet corner. Mwashoti and Maktao spotted the baboon and charged at him, trumpeting loudly. They did not wish to share any of their pellets. The boys believed they had the baboon cornered, but the primate proved too clever. He was already in the treetops before the elephants reached him. The two boys were left breathing heavily after their chase. Despite the baboon's escape, Maktao continued to charge at the shrubs, just in case a baboon was concealed within. Eventually, they had to concede that the baboon had gotten away.
Zongoloni brought her wild friends back to the stockades early this morning. The Keepers believe she brought them to see little Mwana, so they would understand why she is always drawn back to the orphan herd. Zongoloni faces great competition for Mwana's affection, notably from Kiasa, Enkesha, Sonje, and the others. If Zongoloni wasn’t a frequent visitor, Mwana would not depend on her or trust her. Thus, Zongoloni must be present every day.
Kiasa and Lima Lima allowed Zongoloni to spend some time with Mwana. However, Zongoloni then got greedy and took things too far, taking Mwana away and preventing Kiasa from following. Kiasa was very irritated by Zongoloni's behaviour.
Enkesha knew it was time to intervene. She moved over to where Murera was enjoying the mud bath and informed her of Zongoloni’s behaviour. Murera became very upset and went to retrieve her baby. She kept Mwana close for the remainder of the day.
The orphans chose to head to the Chyulu area for browsing. Amali and Kapei led the herd confidently at the front. They walked briskly without taking breaks, prompting Sonje and Quanza to intervene. Sonje blocked the path, causing Amali and Kapei to halt. They waited for Murera and Mwana to catch up. Mwashoti and Alamaya doubled back to walk with Murera and keep her company.
Murera was scratching herself with a stick when she noticed Kiombo eyeing her stick. However, Murera understood that allowing Kiombo to take her stick could spark a conflict among the junior bulls, so she did not permit him to do so.
Mwana grew very warm and requested to return to the mud bath to cool off. Mwana, known as the swimming star, was the first to enter the water. Kiasa and Enkesha swiftly joined in the wallowing. Kiasa spotted a crocodile at the mud bath's edge, leading the orphans to trumpet and splash water at it. Feeling threatened, the crocodile hastily left the mud bath. The orphans savoured the remainder of their mud bath without the threat of the crocodile.
Osama returned today. He watched the orphan herd from the Umani Hills, focusing on the older girls and trying to gauge their interest without getting into trouble with the Keepers. After some time, Osama came down to join Sonje. She happily accepted his presence and did not run away from him. Quanza, standing next to Sonje, was still unsure of him and she moved away.
Jasiri, Ngasha, Faraja, and Mwashoti were all standing guard, feeling protective of Sonje. They were ready to defend Sonje if needed. Osama felt the tension and walked away towards the Chyulu area. Amali got confused and almost followed the bull away. Enkesha quickly brought her back to the herd, convincing her that she should stay with the orphan herd instead of following Osama and getting lost.
Orphans began their day by following Zongoloni towards the Chyulu Hills. When Zongoloni is with the orphan herd, she loves to be the leader and decides where to go for the day. She usually consults with Murera, but not today. Instead, Zongoloni persuaded Mwana and her nannies to follow her. Murera realised what was happening and moved quickly to stop Zongoloni from taking her baby.
Murera took Mwana away with her. Mwana’s nannies started to protest, but Murera got very upset. She insisted, and the nannies could not deny Murera taking her own baby. Sonje joined Murera where she was browsing at some distance away from the orphan herd. Ngasha and Jasiri also came to find out why Murera was unhappy, as they had missed Zongoloni’s antics.
Ziwa passed through with a wild female. He stopped to greet his friends, but the female was very anxious. They both moved on quickly. They must have been hurrying back to the rest of Ziwa’s wild family.
Kiombo and Maktao were play-fighting and testing each other’s strength. Then the game turned into a serious fight. Maktao pushed Kiombo forcefully, sending him flying backwards onto the ground. Instead of stopping, Maktao went to push Kiombo while he was still down. Mwashoti and Alamaya sympathised with Kiombo, and they stepped in to separate the two young boys and spare a serious fight. Maktao saw the older bulls and left Kiombo alone. Kiombo, feeling sorry for himself, followed Alamaya to browse.
The orphan herd later moved towards the Chyulu area for better forage. Some wild friends moved past the orphans. The wild herd was very friendly; they were not aggressive towards the babies or the Keepers.
After a long day of browsing, the orphans got hot and tired. They were all ready to cool off in the mud bath. Enkesha, Kiasa, and Lima Lima took the lead and brought the herd back to their usual mud bath. The Umani herd had a joyful time wallowing in the mud bath and playing lots of games.
The orphans were peacefully browsing when two bushbucks unexpectedly crossed right in the middle of the orphan herd. The serene environment was disrupted, and the orphans scattered. All the orphans ran in opposite directions; they just kept running and would not listen to the Keepers’ calls. Sonje and the older girls were particularly defiant. The Keepers decided to leave them charging around and trumpeting until they eventually calmed down. The bushbucks were long gone; they had run far away from the hostile herd.
Murera and Mwana had gone off in a separate direction, and now they had lost Sonje and the rest of the herd. Murera started trumpeting, calling for Sonje, Quanza, and Zongoloni. The girls heard Murera and went to find her.
By the time the orphans were eventually back together, the day had become very hot and the orphans were feeling the heat. They were ready for a mud bath. Enkesha and Kiasa led the babies and the rest of the herd to the waterhole. The whole Umani herd joined in the mud bath and had a fun time playing and swimming together.
Ngasha and Jasiri had a disagreement today. They both wanted the same wallowing space in the mud bath. Ngasha arrived at the mud bath to find Jasiri already wallowing and cooling off. Ngasha tried to squeeze into the space where Jasiri was enjoying his swimming games. Ngasha also managed to push Maktao out of the way while he was getting into the mud bath. Maktao trumpeted at being pushed around. This caught Jasiri’s attention and made Jasiri very angry. Jasiri got up, ready to chase Ngasha away, but Ngasha stood his ground and got ready for a fight. This was a mistake, as Jasiri is stronger than Ngasha, and he does not hold back from fights. Jasiri pushed Ngasha hard, making his threat a reality. Then the other boys joined in to force Ngasha out. He then watched from the sidelines, unable to join in on the fun.
After their mud bath, the orphans lined up for a dust bath to dry themselves and warm up in the sun. The babies played games, climbing to the top of the dust pile, while Mwashoti and Quanza had a competition of blowing dust up onto their backs.
Mwana is very smart; she is learning lots of things from her Umani family. Today she picked up a stick with her little trunk to scratch herself, like she has seen her mother doing. Then she saw Kiasa scratching on a rock, so Mwana dropped the stick and started scratching her tiny bum on a rock. It was quite a funny sight because the rock was too big. Once Kiasa had finished scratching, Mwana followed her to where Enkesha and Amali were rolling in the dust. Kapei, who never misses a trick, commandeered Mwana’s stick.
Mwana started rumbling for her mother. Murera heard her baby and came running, thinking someone was picking on her. When Murera got to Mwana, she found that nothing was wrong; Mwana was just testing her mother’s reaction and wanted her attention. Murera fed Mwana to make her feel loved and safe.
Ngasha was chasing Zongoloni, but nobody knew why. Zongoloni ran to the mud bath to escape Ngasha. She went straight into the water, but Ngasha followed. Then the whole orphan herd got into the mud bath and had a fun time playing. The fight between Zongoloni and Ngasha was forgotten.
The orphans were joyful this morning. As soon as they were let out of their stockades, Kiasa, Enkesha, and the other nannies went to collect Mwana. After a long night of feeding and being with Mwana, Murera deserved a break. Mwana’s nannies took her a short distance away, so Murera could rest and eat pellets in peace.
Mwashoti and Ngasha came back from their night out. They tried to join the herd, but Ngasha was stopped by Jasiri and Faraja. They chased Ngasha away from the herd to give everyone a peaceful day. Kapei and Amali had their own disagreement today. Amali was scratching on a stump, then Kapei had the same urge to scratch. They could not share the same scratching post, so they started pushing each other. Mwashoti was the peacemaker; he came and intervened.
This day stands out as the saddest day in the history of Umani Springs. Under the most unexpected, tragic circumstances, we lost a friend and fellow Keeper, Patrick Muiruri.
It began in the morning, when an unfamiliar bull in musth appeared outside the stockade compound. He was pursuing Zongoloni, who was in season. After making a brief appearance at the stockades, both the bull and Zongoloni disappeared into the forest.
Later in the day, the wild bull started chasing Zongoloni, wanting to mate with her. Zongoloni, trying to escape from the bull, ran back to the orphan herd and the Keepers. The wild bull was not expecting to come across humans. He exploded out of the forest and locked onto the Keepers, who took off and found refuge in a nearby cottage. However, Patrick ran in a different direction. He took a longer route and the bull caught up with him. Patrick was killed almost instantly. His attack was entirely unprovoked, unexpected, and shattering for all who witnessed it.
The orphans were distraught to see this unfold and scattered, looking for safety. Murera and Mwana ran into the bushes with Amali and Kapei. Mwashoti followed them, protecting their backs. The others also disappeared, following their friends. Zongoloni was left still trying to escape from the wild bull. Still in shock and disbelief, the Umani orphans did not return to the Keepers or the stockades for the night. As we grappled with the terrible events that had happened, we also worried about our orphans. However, we knew that they would be safe together.
The Keepers began the morning calling the orphans, trying to get the dependent herd back together. After a very traumatic day yesterday, none of the orphans returned to the stockades that night. For many, last night was their very first night out in the bush, which must have been scary. The entire herd remained elusive until the bull who killed Patrick was successfully translocated out of the Kibwezi Forest and into Tsavo East National Park. Remarkably, the orphans returned just hours after he was moved. We believe they were distraught by the events that had unfolded and did not want to bring further danger to their Keepers. Once they saw that the bull had been taken away from the forest, they knew it was safe to return home.
Zongoloni was the only one who did not come back. She went into hiding, so the Keepers and the orphans could be safe from wild bulls while she was in season.
Once the Umani herd was back together, the orphans started to settle down. They were very grateful for their milk feed, having missed their last couple of bottles. The Keepers gave everyone extra pellets to make up for what they missed, and also in an effort to comfort them. Kapei and Amali were especially happy about the extra pellets; they were obviously hungry. Then the herd went for their usual mud bath, with Mwana and Sonje leading the way. Amali eventually moved off with Mwashoti and Murera. Mwana had already gone with her nannies, giving Murera time to recover and rest after last night.
Zongoloni did the Keepers a favour. She stayed away from the orphan herd, keeping any suitors away, too. The Keepers, Mwana, and the orphans had a quiet day without any intruders.
Sonje and Kiasa walked to the water trough for some clean water to drink. The others followed to have a drink. Amali and Kiombo were walking together, but then Amali realised that Mwashoti was not with them. She turned back in search of him. When she found him, he welcomed her with a hug, making her very happy. Kapei went to see what Mwashoti was doing, but Maktao blocked his path. The boys began their pushing games while Amali enjoyed her peace and quiet with Mwashoti.
This morning, the orphan herd was divided; some wanted to go to the lucerne corner, while others wanted to go straight out to the forest to browse. Sonje and Lima Lima went to get pellets, only to find a wild herd, with babies, was already enjoying the lucerne.
More and more wild elephants have been visiting the stockades. Perhaps this is because Sonje, Quanza, and Lima Lima have been bringing all their friends back to the stockades.
The wild herds usually come to the stockades very early in the morning and they leave before the orphans are let out of the stockades, or in the early afternoon while the orphans are still out browsing. Today they changed the routine and took over the lucerne corner at the time when the orphans usually occupy the space. Mwashoti was very cautious of the wild herd. Once he saw them, he decided to go in the opposite direction. Lima Lima, on the other hand, is very confident at interacting with wild friends. She eagerly approached the wild herd, who warmly welcomed her.
Zongoloni has not been back to the stockades for some days. We believe she is still keeping her distance on purpose.
The Keepers were worried about how Mwana would fare after the tragic accident. She seems her usual self — cheerful, healthy, and strong — which has made the Keepers happy. Perhaps Mwana did not comprehend what had actually unfolded with the rogue bull, so she has not been traumatised by it.
Following the very sad passing of Patrick, there is still a lot of sorrow and mourning. The Umani herd has not yet regained its joy. As the orphans were let out of the stockades, Sonje and Lima Lima appeared from the bushes. The orphans did not stop to eat at the pellet corner; instead, they moved out straight away, which was unusual.
Enkesha was teaching Mwana fun games of charging at the bushes. Mwana is not as fast or as strong as Enkesha, so she accidentally fell over. Her nannies all came running to help her up. Kiasa was the first one there, helping pull Mwana up. Amali also went to find out what was happening, but it was too crowded for her to see Mwana. Murera came over and pushed through the other girls, grabbing Mwana and moving her away from the chaos.
The orphans were all browsing in the Kenzili area when Mwashoti appeared and went straight to Murera and Amali. They were resting under a tree as Mwana fed. The orphan herd patiently waited for Mwana to finish before they moved on.
The orphans started towards the Chyulu Hills. They met up with some wild herds, including Ziwa’s family. The wild elephants intermixed with the orphans and escorted them to the Chyulu area. The wild elephants were very friendly, and they walked peacefully with the orphans. Ziwa introduced his wild family and made it possible for everyone to get along. Once introductions had been made, Ziwa went to catch up with his friends Faraja and Jasiri. Only Murera kept her distance as she was worried about being pushed.
A big buffalo burst out of the thick bush. All the orphans got a fright and ran away. The buffalo also panicked and started running trying to get away from the orphans. The orphan herd continued running around without a purpose. The Keepers called the orphans back to them, trying to calm everyone down. Amali and Mwashoti were the first to report back. Then Kapei came running to the Keepers with his trunk up above his head, trying to locate his human family by smell.
There was a wild herd of elephants, with lots of tiny babies, eating at the pellet corner. The mothers were being very protective of their babies. The grandmothers and aunties all stood their ground when a bunch of baboons came to steal the lucerne pellets. The baboons kept trying to sneak in to steal pellets. One of the tiny babies tried to charge at a baboon, but when the baboon saw how tiny the elephant was, it turned around to chase the baby. The mothers all came running over trumpeting. The baboon realised he had made a mistake and disappeared into the treetops.
Some of the ‘nightclubbers,’ Quanza, Sonje, and Alamaya, were waiting a little distance away. The pellet corner was overrun by wild elephants, and they felt too vulnerable to invade the wild herd's territory. Once the wild herd moved off, Alamaya and Mwashoti came back to the stockades for a drink before the Umani herd moved out to browse in the Umani Hills.
Today was much cooler than it has been, so when it came time for their mud bath, the orphans were hesitant. Lima Lima and Sonje tested the water with their trunks. Alamaya joined them. They had a drink, but they were not interested in swimming today. The Keepers realised that none of the orphans were going to swim, and none wanted to play on the dust pile either. They decided to move back to the forest for more browsing time. The orphans played pushing games to burn off energy instead of their usual mud bath games.
Quanza and Lima Lima spotted a huge bull on the hills. Quanza was cautious of the bull and instead rejoined the orphan herd. While Lima Lima, who loves meeting new friends, went to greet him.
This afternoon, Mwana raced to the bottle-feeding location — never mind the fact that she doesn’t even drink from a bottle! She manages to run very quickly with her little legs. Once she got to the Keepers, she kicked an empty bottle over and started playing football in the clearing. Her antics bring us all so much joy. Happiness is starting to return to the Umani herd.
Amali found herself next to Kapei. He started pushing her, so Amali screamed loudly, seeking help from Mwashoti. Mwashoti came rushing over to rescue his little friend. He arrived to find Kapei pulling her tail. Mwashoti got very upset with Kapei and instantly chased him away. Kapei went to Quanza for comfort, but she was not pleased with him, either, and just ignored him.
This morning was peaceful and joyful. The babies were very happy to find the nightclubbers waiting for them at the gates. There was lots of hugging and storytelling. Then Ngasha began his usual antics. He didn’t want to share the pellets, so he pushed Sonje, then he turned and was about to push Murera. The Keepers saw what was happening and chased Ngasha away. Jasiri started to get pushy, and he too was pushed out by the Keepers. Only gentle, calm Alamaya and Mwashoti were allowed to stay, as they are always respectful with the babies, especially Amali and Kapei. Calm was restored as they finished the pellets.
Murera let Mwana go off with her nannies. They slowly started walking to the Umani Springs area, but they came across a crocodile which made them change direction. Sonje and Lima Lima crossed in front of Maktao and Quanza, taking over leadership. After a short consultation, the herd turned to follow Sonje toward the Chyulu hills.
Some distance into their journey, bushbucks and monkeys were making lots of noise around a big fig tree. All the noises made Amali very nervous, and she ran back to her friend Mwashoti for comfort and protection.
Lima Lima, Sonje, and Quanza were the leaders today. Enkesha also helped, practising her skills for being a matriarch. The orphan herd lined up, ready to head out into the forest; they were all very amenable and organised this morning.
The herd met Alamaya down the path. He let out a very funny sounding trumpet in greeting. Amali and Kiasa mistook his noise for a warning and went running back to Sonje and Murera for protection.
Further into the forest, Lima Lima and Kapei spotted a wild herd with tiny babies. Lima Lima, as usual, was fascinated by the wild babies and she went over to meet them. Kapei followed her, and Kiasa led Amali over, too. The wild babies quickly went to hide behind their mothers. The wild herd was very protective of their calves, and the mothers moved forward to usher the orphans away. They were especially worried that Lima Lima and Sonje would steal their babies.
The orphan herd was browsing towards the Chyulu region. Lima Lima and Quanza took control of the Umani herd, trying to lead them further towards the Chyulu hills. The herd was moving too quickly, so Murera stayed back with Mwana, Mwashoti, and Amali.
Maktao spotted a zebra and told Jasiri and Faraja about the intruder. The two older boys charged at the zebra, and Maktao joined in as back up. The zebra unwittingly ran towards where Murera and the others had stayed. Murera was not comfortable around the interloper, so she relocated.
Once they had moved away, Murera settled down to feed Mwana. Although Murera still did not feel comfortable being separated from Mwana’s nannies, she much prefers having the whole herd present to protect her baby.