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Today Kiko decided to spend his day in the compound just walking around and browsing on the trees in the area. He did not even try to go and see the elephants in the forest. Most of the time when he tries to join the elephants they just charge at him and chase him away, so he decided just to stay in the compound today and mind his own business.

Tagwa has mastered Sattao’s ‘voice’ very well. Whenever he yells or shouts out, regardless of how far he is from Tagwa, she will always hear his cry and respond. Today all the orphans were in one area and all mixed together. Tagwa, Sagala, Kuishi and Jotto were some meters away from the group. Mapia decided to push Sattao as they fought over a branch of leaves and Sattao yelled out loud. Tagwa heard and came charging over in his direction. Poor Mapia was still standing next to him and he had the branch taken away from him by Tagwa, who handed it to Sattao as they both walked away from the others.

Sometimes Luggard wants to keep up with the rest of the herd and sometimes he will keep his distance even when they are all walking in a line to a different area of the Park. After the 9am feed this morning and the orphans were all walking in a line to go back out to browse, Luggard stayed right at the back. Jotto however, an old play mate, didn’t want to leave him all on his own, and every few minutes he would walk back to check on him. At one stage he even pushed Luggard from behind, as if to try and make him keep up with the others! In the end the two friendly bulls ended up browsing in each other’s company.

Ambo and Mapia still enjoy playfully challenging each other, and Ambo often seems to be the winner in their strength testing matches. Today as Mapia was enjoying a drink of water from the hose pipe, Ambo approached him sneakily as if he wanted to steal the hose pipe. Mapia, who had noticed Ambo approaching, began to flap his ears and rumble. As the pair challenged each other for the pipe, Jotto snuck over and quickly grabbed the hose and moved off to drink some water. The boys seemed to realize they had lost the hose so they walked off in different directions. 

Kuishi is always spotted stealing the spilled milk in the wheelbarrow and she doesn’t seem to like to share this milk with any of the other orphans. Today the Keepers struggled to give the other orphans their middy bottles of milk whilst Kuishi was around as she kept blocking the orphans such as Kiombo from getting near the wheelbarrow. The Keepers had to constantly move around her and even when they did so she would try to kick at Kiombo who was waiting for his milk. 

Larro is always seen following the older orphans. Although this could be for protection and comfort, the Keepers also believe that it is due to the lack of rain in Nairobi in the past couple of months. As all the vegetation seems to be drying up the orphans have to work a little harder to reach the nicer, more succulent greens on the top branches. Tagwa, Sagala, and some of the larger females can reach these higher branches quite easily and because of this Larro is often seen near them grabbing the greens that they accidentally drop on the floor. Tagwa has sometimes been seen breaking branches and giving them to the young calf. Kiombo seems to have caught onto Larro’s strategy and was seen following her the whole of today.

The orphans spent their afternoon browsing in the forest. Mapia and Jotto began a strength testing game and wouldn’t stop despite Kuishi constantly charging at them trying to stop their fun game. 

Mukkoka is growing into a strong young bull and he can often be quite naughty. He seems to have a mind of his own and does not always want to listen to the Keepers and the other older orphans. For example he will not allow Kiombo, who is older, to get to the milk wheelbarrow before him. If Kiombo overtakes him, he starts to push him and trumpet loudly as though to warn him away. 

Kiombo, despite Mukkoka’s milk antics, seems to be adapting well to life in the Nursery. He sometimes appears to do his own thing and can been seen browsing on his own. Most of the time, however, he is seen with Kuishi and Malima who both protect him from naughty boys such as Mukkoka. 

Mapia and Ambo are good friends. This morning, from the moment that they were let out of their stables the two bulls begin their strength testing games, pushing against each other all the way out into the field. Tagwa appeared to try and calm the two bulls but to no avail. It was quite funny to watch because every time Tagwa would approach the two bulls they would stop playing but then as soon as she would leave, they would start again. Tagwa seemed to decide to leave the two bulls and let them have their fun. 

Kuishi, on the other hand, didn’t seem to want to allow the two bulls to continue playing as she kept coming in between them and pushing them. This continued for some few minutes, before the bulls gave in and went on their way leaving Kuishi triumphant. 

Kuishi is quite a naughty girl who tends to keep her naughty character hidden from the Keepers until the moment when they least expect it, and then she does something very mischievous. As soon as the Keepers are not looking, she tends to take the opportunity. One example is in the afternoon when all the orphans are back in their stockades for the night, and foster parents are walking around the compound and seeing all the babies in their rooms. Kuishi always takes this opportunity to give the foster parents a fright, by standing back and waiting until they come closer, when she suddenly charges at her gate and gives them a shock causing them to jump backwards. Kuishi’s foster parents are always so happy with this funny girl’s playful character. 

Nabulu’s love for her milk bottle is growing every day. She doesn’t seem satisfied with her normal two bottles and every time she finishes them she complains about it. She always rumbles a clear indication that she isn’t satisfied. Today during the public visiting hour, she complained so loudly that the visiting public were in awe of how loudly such a young baby elephant could showcase her dissatisfaction, as she moved towards the wheelbarrow in order to try and steal another bottle, but she was moved away by the Keepers. Kuishi then tried to come in closer to the wheelbarrow as well, to suck up any spilled milk, and this was something she managed to do twice before being moved away by the Keepers as well – they knew her bad intentions! 

Malima showed off her playful character today as the foster parents lined up in the late afternoon to watch the babies come home. They were watching all the orphans as they came running in to go into their stockades for the night, and when Malima came running down she pretended to be focused on running to her room, but then she changed her direction and mock-charged the foster parents standing there, causing some of them to jump back as they got a shock! Malima is quite a naughty girl and we think she with her naughty friend Kuishi and perhaps Mapia will be the first orphans to graduate to Tsavo with the next move.

It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and clear skies. Some of the orphans were peacefully browsing whilst others were busy playing. Tagwa, Sagala, Kuishi, Larro, Maktao and Mukkoka were all busy enjoying some fresh greens from the bushes, and Mapia and Ambo were busy play fighting. Jotto, who had spotted the two bulls playing came over to join in Ambo and Mapia’s strength testing game. Jotto appeared to challenge Ambo which then seemed to upset Mapia who began to play a little rougher. In response Jotto got hold of Mapia’s tail and before Mapia could defend himself Jotto bit his tail causing him to trumpet loudly. This marked the end of their games as the young bulls moved off in different directions. 

A little later, Musiara decided that he too wanted to play and tried to get his friend Maktao to play with him. Maktao seemed uninterested in any strength testing games as he just lay down letting Musiara climb on his back. Their game was abruptly interrupted by Kiasa who came running over and bit Musiara’s tail.