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Around 10am this morning the commotion caused by two lions fighting scared the orphans who were browsing nearby in the forest. The sudden and expected noise prompted the orphans to run about in fear with little Maktao, Kiasa, Musiara, Sattao, Emoli, Tamiyoi, Malima, Enkesha and even some of the older ones like Mapia, Sagala, Maisha, Jotto, Esampu trumpeting and yelling out trying to gather around the keepers who were calling them altogether. Some of the orphans like Maisha, Mapia, Sagala and Ndiwa lost their way in all the commotion and ran in the wrong direction, making it hard for the keepers to find them and gather them altogether again. The keepers cautiously looked everywhere and eventually managed to get the group together again. They were found with Ndiwa slowly leading the group back towards home, as Ndiwa knows the forest the best from all her foraging deep into the woods.

Little Kiasa is developing a feisty little character much like Esampu these days! She is not very tolerant of the others, especially when they are all grouped together waiting to have their milk bottles. She pushes, shoves and bites tails in order for the others to pave the way for her to be at the front of the line so she can be the first to run down for her milk bottle. Today as the first group were waiting together to go down to the mud bath area for their milk bottles, she was shoving and head butting the likes of Maktao, Maisha, Sattao and Musiara. She and Musiara had a rough pushing moment as Musiara wasn’t allowing her to get ahead of him. In the end Kiasa used the clever tactic she has developed when she doesn’t get her way of biting his tail! This saw Musiara run off yelling, leaving Kiasa at the front and the first to go down for her milk bottles. Due to this new character trait she has inherited the name the ‘tail biter’! Luggard’s swollen leg is really improving and the swelling that was around his ankle area is reducing which is a huge relief for him. Today he was seen happily enjoying rolling around on the wet soil enjoying a mud bath, which he hasn’t been able to do since his leg worsened. H e had a very happy face today!

Before the rain started last night some lions started roaring close to the stockade area which woke some of the orphans that were already fast asleep. Maisha, Luggard, Enkesha and Sattao were among those that were woken up by the roaring. They started yelling and shouting as Ndotto and Mbegu charged around their rooms, trumpeted and pushed on the gates of their rooms as they desperately wanted to get out and help the little ones who were crying for help. The lions heard the trumpeting and it seems they must have been a little afraid as they disappeared into the forest and didn’t make any more noise. It was a very cold and wet morning when it was time for the orphans to come out. It was such hard rain they couldn’t come out at their normal time. At 7am it was still pouring but only Mteto, Esampu and Sagala were fighting to get out of their rooms, pushing on their gates. They wanted to go out to the forest and have some fun. All the other orphans were quiet and standing under the shade in their stockades, or resting peacefully in the stables. The three who were struggling to leave were eventually let out, but they did not leave the compound; they chose to stay and browse on the bushes surrounding the stockades. It was not until 8am this morning that all the other orphans came out of their rooms to head to the forest.

Kiasa is proving these days to be a bit of a naughty girl, with similar character traits to Esampu! Funnily enough they also look alike, like they might even have the same family genes; they have similar faces and body shape too. Kiasa is a little trouble maker at feeding times, whether it is out in the bush or down at the mud bath feeding area. She starts pushing and head butting the young ones the same size as her like Maktao, Sattao and Musiara, and gentle Maisha sometimes too. During the public visit today when she came down to get her milk bottles, she found Musiara, Maktao and Maisha standing close to the wheelbarrow holding the milk. Before she could even have her milk bottle she ran towards Maktao and pushed him hard. She then drove him towards the mud bath and forced him inside before going back to have her milk! After she had her bottle she remained restless and charged after those who were running down to have their milk bottles. This kind of behaviour is forcing the keepers to make sure she is last from now on to have her milk bottle. It was this kind of thing that forced Esampu to join the older group before, when she was still quite young, so that they could discipline her when she was behaving badly. We might have to consider this for Kiasa too!

Esampu has picked up Mbegu’s habit of sucking up every drop of spilt milk from the ground with her trunk. This combined with how naughty she is at feeding times and she is a little terror! Today she wouldn’t move away from the feeding area as she was trying to suck up all the milk, and when she had finished there she tried to push her way through to the wheelbarrow holding the bottles in order to get the spilt milk there. Mundusi was having his milk bottle and getting very frustrated with Esampu’s behaviour. He started throwing back kicks trying to get her away and when he was done with his bottle he decided to discipline her properly and chased her away. Ambo and Malima are becoming great play mates, especially during the public visiting time. When the public applaud and are happy to see them playing Malima doesn’t like the noise however, and charges at them to be quiet!