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Ambo and Enkesha were the first morning callers for all the orphans this morning. Ambo started knocking and pushing on his door, struggling to get out at around 5 o’clock this morning. It was still too dark for all the orphans to go out yet but the more Ambo pushed on his gate making a noise, the more Enkesha responded by screaming. This went on for some time and then Esampu on the other side of the stockades got involved with the screaming. Just before 6am it was decided to let Enkesha and Ambo out of their stockades to let them roam around. They both ran around in joy, Enkesha running behind Ambo and rumbling. In front of Jotto and Tamiyoi’s stables there is an open space and they turned this into their playground. They were running after each other and trumpeting like very excited babies. Meanwhile everyone could now watch their game and they were pushing and pulling on their gates, climbing on the walls and struggling to get out to join the others in their game. It turned into a game for them all for as soon as they were let out of their pens, each one went to join in the game unfolding in the courtyard area. Murit, Pare, Lasayen and Ngilai were involved in a game of hide and seek, while others were rolling on the ground and climbing on each other, like Jotto and Tamiyoi. The game came to an end when the keepers started to lead them out into the forest. At 9am we received a call from the Masai Mara that a small calf had been found all alone. A rescue team left by 10am and was back at the Nursery by 2pm. The girl was very tiny and less than a week old. She was very weak and had obviously been alone for some time.

As soon as the baby group reached the forest, Enkesha, Esampu and Mbegu were ready to receive them. Esampu was so happy to meet the smallest of them and she managed to take her away from Mbegu who had been surrounded by the other small babies. She was good to the little tiny girl who was walking around the place and who enjoyed suckling on Esampu’s ears. Meanwhile Enkesha was playing with the hanging blanket that had been put there for the babies! The time these three spent with the babies came to an end when it was time for them to go for their 9am milk feed. After their milk, the main herd went back to the stockades to escort Mundusi out to the field. Some waited beside Maxwell’s stockade while a select few actually went forward to his stockade to escort him out. When his gate was opened he came forward with his ears raised high, ready to charge at anyone. Murit went forward to stop him from charging and gave him a little push down, and after that lesson he behaved himself and moved out with them to the forest. They joined those that were waiting beside Maxwell’s stockade and they all walked out together with Mundusi in tow. Out in the bush he did not pay much attention to his new family, but only to Ndiwa who he kept following around. He did not attend the public visit today, but stayed in the forest. Ndotto made sure that Rapa was not able to bully him either, which is all down to his sweet nature for welcoming new orphans. Before 5pm when all the orphans return home, he was escorted back by Galla, Godoma, Tamiyoi and Mbegu. He went into his pen without any problems.

During the public visit today the orphans were not as active as usual as it was a cloudy and chilly day so they certainly didn’t feel like playing in the mud. None were even interested in soil bathing as they had been during the previous sunny, dry weather that has predominated over the last few months. It was quite funny to witness even Enkesha, who is a mud-bathing rock star, shying away from the mud pool after testing the temperature. Godoma, Esampu, Sana Sana, Kuishi and Ngilai kept themselves far away from the mud pool once they saw the keepers passing out shovels, which they use in order to assist with the mud bathing activity. If the keepers happened to walk towards or close to them with the shovel, they quickly moved away from what they thought was cold mud! They all decided to browse on the greens provided there for them instead, which they ate for the duration of the visit today.

It was unusual this morning to see all the orphans browsing quietly and calmly without any of their usual games. Usually at least even the boys are engaged in some kind of pushing game, or trying to chase the girl and tease them by running after them. But today seemed a different start to the day than usual and the playful boys Ngilai, Ndotto, Lasayen, Rapa, Pare, Murit and Galla were all spotted being very quiet and busy browsing. However it was Enkesha who broke the morning’s peace by sneaking away from the group and leading Mundusi, Ndiwa, Kuishi and Mteto to the mud wallow where she settled into the mud pool to enjoy an early mud bath! The others were expecting to find milk bottles and when they realised there weren’t any they started yelling in protest, running back to rejoin the main herd. Enkesha did not seem bothered though and continued on with her nice mud bath until the keepers came to get and led her back to the forest.