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All the babies emerged from their Night Stables in a happy mood, with Sities the centre of attraction for the older females. Olare, Suguta, Ndii and Dida each wanted her, but it was Olare who won the little newcomer’s affection, touching her tenderly with her trunk and allowing her to suckle on her ears. Meanwhile Dida, Suguta and Ndii were pushing and shoving in order to get close to Sities, whilst Shukuru, Tano and Mutara played rolling games close to the Keepers and Kilaguni and Kibo engaged one another in a test of strength. However, due to heavy overnight rain, the two contestants kept slipping and falling down. Once out in the bush, the older elephants fed calmly, while Sities, Shukuru and Tano remained close to their Keepers. However, Mutara decided that she was now a big elephant, and joined the older group.

All the elephants enjoyed an early morning mud game when Sabachi, Kilaguni, Kibo and Tumaren became so muddy that it was difficult to recognize who was who! Today, little Sities was taken by Suguta and enjoyed suckling on her ears, while Shukuru remained close rather than join Mutara and Tano. Kalama, Nchan, Turkwel and Kudup split from the rest of the herd to browse near a small running rainwater stream where Kalama and Nchan enjoyed taking water up in their trunks to splash onto Turkwel and Kudup. Chemi Chemi, who was watching from a distance joined in the splashing game, Turkwel and Kudup being the target. His intervention angered Kudup, who charged and knocked him over, but before the Keepers had time to respond to his bellows, he was up and off to join the others.

The morning was dominated by frequent light showers, which meant that the orphans had to don rain-wear. However, the very small orphans, namely Tano, Shukuru, Mutara, Sities and Chemi Chemi had to remain in-doors, which they didn’t approve of at all! Meanwhile, the older elephants had a wonderful time slipping and sliding and playing in puddles, with the young bulls playing pushing games, Kilaguni as usual taking on Kibo while Sabachi engaged Kimana. By noon, the weather had cleared up, so the babies could appear for the mudbath hour and had fun sliding down a large pile of earth. Sities was very playful, climbing back up the pile after sliding down, and thereby winning applause from the visitors.

Whilst the youngsters enjoyed playing in the compound before heading out to browse, Kibo, who was looking for his friend, Kilaguni, interrupted events by trying to mount Kudup, who was down on her knees. As the Keepers homed in to reprimand him, he rapidly left Kudup and again went in search of Kilaguni who was already on his way out to browse. Whenever the two meet, they always engaged one another in a test of strength, and today was no exception. Such contests are invariably won by Kilaguni, who is older and stronger, but who is always magnanimous when victorious over his best friend. At around 4 p.m. Suguta and her group found a large pool of water out in the bush and, led by Suguta, all then enjoyed cooling their bodies. Soon the entire group were plastered in mud - even little Sities, who although prevented by the Keepers from actually getting wet, nevertheless got muddy rubbing her body up against the others.

As soon as the orphans were let out of their night quarters, they all ran to greet one another, Dida, Olare and Ndii running towards the babies’ stables to meet up with Sities, whom they all adore. Suguta and Tumaren were put out, because Dida, Olare and Ndii managed to sandwich Sities in between. Suguta feels that she has more right to the baby who is within her group, and as the older elephants pushed and shoved, little Sities spotted Suguta and ran to her, welcomed by a loud rumble. Once out in the bush Chaimu and Kimana lagged behind the others, being occupied with a pushing game which Chaimu easily won. All browsed calmly until the 9 a.m. milk feed, which the babies took first, followed by the others. Later the older group game across a muddy pool into which Kilaguni, Olare, Chaimu and Ndii jumped, leaving the others browsing.

On another beautiful morning, Sities, as usual, was mobbed by all the bigger girls, whilst Shukuru ran around searching for her favourite Keeper, Mischak Nzimbi, whom she adores, as, in fact, do all the orphans. Kimana and Chaimu appeared to have an old score to settle. They engaged one another furiously, while Sabachi and Tumaren also enjoyed a more peaceful pushing game, and Kilaguni invited Olare to a contest, not having found Kibo. Suguta meanwhile was very happy mothering baby Sities, until it was time to be led by the Keepers out into the forest to browse.

First thing in the morning saw the usual female scramble to take possession of little Sities, Olare pushing Suguta, Ndii, Tumaren and Dida aside to gain access, offering her ears to be sucked. Nchan and Kibo enjoyed a pushing game before Kilaguni who happened to be passing by in his search for Kibo, intervened and broke the game up.

On another beautiful morning, the Nursery elephants were happy to meet up outside their stables, with Suguta, Ndii, Dida and Olare, as usual, all eager to get closest to baby Sities, all wanting to mother her. Once the Keepers escorted the older elephants out into the bush to browse, Suguta took over and led her group in a different direction to the others, allowing Sities to suckle her ears. Once Kilaguni had conquered his friend Kibo in a test of strength, he took on Sabachi who enjoyed the contest immensely.

It was another chilly, wet morning that kept the babies inside their stables for several hours until the weather improved. Kilaguni and Kibo enjoyed a tough pushing game, complicated by the muddy conditions, closely watched by Sabachi, who was anxious to join in. Today Kibo managed to get the edge of Kilaguni, who slipped in the mud and lost his balance!

Ndii and Olare were enjoying a pushing game just outside their stables in the morning. Kilaguni passed by, looking for his friend Kibo, and decided to join in, which interrupted the girls’ game. As the two girls moved off, Kilaguni resumed his search for Kibo, swinging his trunk happily from side to side. As soon as the two boys met up, after the usual friendly greeting, they began their usual strength testing game.

It was a dull, cloudy morning, which dampened the spirits of the orphans somewhat and left them subdued. Even Kilaguni and Kibo forwent their usual pushing match. Suguta stayed close to Sities, while the others browsed not far from the Stockades. After the noon milk feed, dark clouds obscured the sun, so the orphans remained close to shelter in case it began to rain. Chemi Chemi and Kalama had a brief pushing game.

Every morning there is a contest between Olare, Suguta and Ndii over sweet Sities, Olare always emerging the winner offering Sities her ears to suck. Kilaguni and Kibo as usual engaged one another in the usual pushing game until they spotted Kimana trying to make up his mind to disperse some warthogs who were feeding nearby, and decided to reinforce the chase. Having had fun with the warthogs for about 30 minutes, all the orphans resumed browsing.