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Date |
Entry |
3/29/2017 |
Sometimes in nature we find there are just born leaders, and we believe that Mbegu is one of them. She will not only protect and care for all the herd, but she also knows who is who and her day will never be complete without visiting all of the little ones. Today when she found the opportunity she visited the baby group with Jotto, Enkesha and Mteto. She went over them checking they were okay, and found that the two babies Musiara and Chumvi were missing, as they had not come out of their stockades yet. She waited around with the babies for some time, but must have lost her patience in not knowing where the other little ones were. She took off and ran back to the stockades to find them, and not even the calls of the keepers could stop her. On her way back however, she met up with them coming out and met them with joyous rumbles. She pulled them under her neck and walked them to where the other babies were in the forest. After spending some time with them all there, she walked Jotto, Enkesha and Mteto back to where the main herd was.
Last night at around 9.30pm, we received a call that a woman in Turkwel had found a young baby all alone along the Turkwel River. The KWS reported to the woman’s home the following morning to confirm that she had rescued a young elephant baby and that it was still alive. A rescue team left immediately and returned by 3pm with the baby – a very tired looking 1 month old baby boy. He rested and after a short while devoured his tasty and nutritious milk formula.
 | | Ndotto, Ndiwa, Mteto and Mbegu |
 | | Kuishi and Mbegu |
 | | Mbegu playing with her friend Ndotto |
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3/28/2017 |
Finally we received some rain last night and this morning the orphan babies had something to smile about! In the early morning sun rays Enkesha, Ndotto, Mbegu and Kuishi all enjoyed rolling around in the small puddles formed in the forest overnight. Enkesha is a great fan of mud bathing and will not pass any puddle without splashing or rolling in it, so this morning she got the opportunity to lead her older peers to wherever there was mud or water. Ndotto was following Enkesha wherever she went, trying to climb on her back, but Mbegu kept an eye on her to protect her from Ndotto’s games. Eventually Mbegu invited Ndotto to a pushing game which distracted him from bothering Enkesha, which went on for some time. This made room for Kuishi to have fun with the little girl and roll around in the mud with her.
Little Ndiwa made her first visit to the public visiting time at 11am today, and throughout her time at the mud bath she stuck close to Mbegu and Dupotto. She stayed next to one or both of them the entire time, and did chose not to follow Mbegu into the mud bath but stayed beside Dupotto who was busy browsing.
Three boys decided to hide themselves away in the bushes today for nearly 2 hours! Ndotto, Rapa and Ngilai went missing but they were soon found happily browsing away around the corner on some thick bushes.
 | | Enkesha playing in the damp soil |
 | | Kuishi playing in the fresh mud |
 | | Kuishi enjoying the morning |
 | | Rapa found happily browsing |
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3/27/2017 |
Enkesha is loved by almost everyone in the family and even the older boys! In the morning Ndotto was running after her and trying to climb on her back. During the public visit today it was the rough and playful Ngilai who was running after her. The keepers tried to keep him from bothering her, but he persisted and kept following her even when she went to the mud pool to play.
Kiko for the second day in a row came down to the public visit but he did not stay long and left after a few minutes. Soon after the visit a few orphans were walked back to the stockade to escort little Ndiwa out to the forest. Godoma, Malima, Jotto and Kuishi were at the front of the group sent to collect her out. When the gate was opened, she was not in a hurry to come out! Malima was the first one to enter her stockade to help her out but she did not pay any attention. Malkia approached her when she was finally walking out and gave her a little push in the direction of the forest. The others followed behind them. When she arrived in the forest she looked very happy and set about eating all the different types of vegetation. Mbegu and the older orphans joined her later. She was being escorted by Dupotto and Sana Sana when the mother of the family came over to greet her and welcome her to the forest. Ndiwa’s first day out in the forest went very well. Because it was her first day out, the whole herd stayed close to the stockades in case there was any trouble with her, and Mbegu used this opportunity to go and visit the baby group. She was accompanied by Karisa. She went on greeting the little ones and enjoyed her time with them, but it was cut short when Karisa pushed Musiara when the babies went over to greet him. Mbegu charged and drove Karisa away back to the main herd, prematurely ending her time with the babies.
 | | Ndotto smelling his keeper |
 | | Ndotto climbing on Enkesha |
 | | Ndotto playing with Enkesha |
 | | Enkesha having so much fun |
 | | Ndiwa's first day out |
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3/26/2017 |
Kiko is proving his very naughty character all the time and he did so again today during the public visit. These days it is very hard to get him to listen to the keepers and just before 11am he walked to the mud bath ground and didn’t want to leave. The keepers tried calling and persuading him with milk and his favourite vegetation to get him to leave before the public came but nothing worked. He remained busy feeding on the acacia trees around the area paying no attention to anybody. From a distance he watched the public as they began to walk down to the mud bath area where the elephants come for their milk. After they had all settled and the first group had finished drinking their milk, some of the orphans were rolling in the mud and the others were dusting in the loose soil. Kiko started trying to move around to the public but three keepers got in his way to block him from getting close to the rope cordon. He stopped and changed direction but made further attempts to get to the crowd, though they were all in vain. Eventually he went back to the acacia trees and carried on browsing.
Malima has now has a little sister who loves mud bathing as much as her, in the form of Enkesha; Enkesha even fell asleep inside the mud bath today! She had to be woken up by the keepers as all the others were already leaving the area.
 | | Kiko walking past the orphans |
 | | Kiko not following his keeper! |
 | | Naughty boy Kiko! |
 | | Enkesha fell asleep in the mud! |
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3/24/2017 |
Mbegu, Dupotto, Sana Sana, Malkia and Godoma were very interested in the new arrivals this morning and stretched their trunks to smell and interact with them. After spending some time there they proceeded to walk out to the forest for their browsing time.
Enkesha is continuing with her shouting behaviour – and sometimes it is for no reason at all. Whenever she comes out of her stockade in the morning, she starts shouting as if just to announce that she is awake and ready to walk to the forest. Today she was screaming so loudly when she came out, that Godoma came over to find out what was wrong. Godoma found her shouting and rubbing her healing trunk on the floor, but she just watched her and walked away. Enkesha walked behind Godoma and followed her out to the forest where the others were already browsing.
 | | Mbegu is such a good mother to all babies |
 | | Dupotto greeting Mteto |
 | | Dupotto enjoying her milk bottle |
 | | Godoma is a wonderful mini matriarch |
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