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The ex-orphans Wendi, babies Wiva and Wema, Galana, baby Gawa, Naserian, and Ithumbah spent the night outside the stockade and briefly joined the dependent orphans in the morning. Soon after the orphans were let out, Esampu walked to say hi to Wema as Naseku went to greet Gawa. Esampu attempted to get Wema’s attention by lying down so that Wema could come and play on her. Wema didn't bother however and ignored Esampu, and continued clinging to her nannies. Gawa, who is quite shy, didn't interact much with Naseku either because as soon as she spotted the Keepers, she ran away. Older sister Wiva followed the dependent orphans out to browse but had a rough time when the orphans decided to gang up against her and push her away. Wiva was in a charging mood but decided she couldn’t take on all the dependent babies at once, and she decided to run back to join her mum, sister and friends. 

Mapia was in a playful mood and engaged Karisa in a pushing game that ended in a draw. He later moved to challenge Galla and Rapa but unfortunately lost the game to the two boys. At mud bath time ten wild bulls were present but the orphans didn't bother to greet them, and instead headed west of Ithumba Hill soon after they were through with their mud bath activities. 

The west side of Ithumba Hill has proved to be a popular place for both the orphans and ex-orphans. This is the place they meet in the afternoon on an almost daily basis. When it was time to return back to the stockade, the older orphans wanted to spend more time with the ex-orphans and were reluctant to return. The Keepers decided to let them have their way instead of playing seek and hide games with them. They later reported back safely in the company of the ex-orphans and were allowed into the stockade for the night. 

Ex-orphans Wendi, Wiva, Wema, Naserian, Galana, Gawa, Tomboi, Chaimu and Ishanga were at the stockade compound in the morning. The dependent Ithumba orphans joined them once they were let out. Naseku, Esampu and Oltaiyoni played nanny to Wema as the frisky Wiva engaged in some pushing games with the orphans. Shortly later, Sattao spotted guinea fowls ahead of him and decided to turn this into a game; he trumpeted and charged as he ran towards the guinea fowls. Other orphans joined in the race as they tried to drive away the birds. The guinea fowls didn’t wait around to be trampled by the elephants and so they flew away. 

Wendi and her group followed the orphans for some time and since she knew that the Keepers keep a wide berth from her as she can be quite naughty, she took the opportunity to split the orphans into two groups before walking off into the bush. The Keepers gathered the orphans together again after Wendi left with her group. 

At mud bath time, the orphans were joined by four wild bulls who shared water with them before parting ways. 

In the afternoon, the orphans as usual headed to the western slopes of Ithumba Hill where they settled to browse. In the evening, as the Keepers were preparing to take the orphans back home, all over sudden there was stampede and the orphans scattered. The Keepers couldn't establish the cause of panic as all they could hear was other elephants breaking branches close by. The Keepers gathered their orphans and realised that Roi, Naseku, Oltaiyoni, Siangiki, Mteto, Mundusi, Ndiwa, Malkia, Maramoja, Sapalan, Esampu, Malima, Dololo and Sattao were missing. The search began immediately. As the Keepers were searching for the missing ones, again they ran into Wendi and her herd. Wendi blocked the Keepers from passing and sent them back to use an alternative route to continue with their search. Unfortunately darkness fell before locating the missing ones but the tracks showed that they were heading towards the Ithumba Eco Lodges in the company of the ex-orphans. The Keepers were forced to return back to stockades hoping that the ex-orphans would bring them back, but by eleven o'clock at night nothing had happened and we still continued to wait.

Mapia, Karisa, Galla and Esampu started the day by settling against rocks for a scratching exercise. Later, Kamok, who normally doesn’t lead but instead stays at the back, led the way out to browse, where the bulls then engaged each other in some pushing games. Karisa handled Wanjala but when the going got tough for him, Karisa surrendered and ran away from Wanjala. Mundusi settled to play with the lovely cool Jotto, but they were separated by Rapa who happened to pass close by and become jealous as he had no one to play with. Enkikwe decided to show his long time friend Olsekki that despite the fact that he was left with an injury when he was attacked by lions few years ago, he can still fight and defend himself. Their game went on for quite some time before Olsekki decided that it was enough, and it was time to get down to some serious browsing.

Shortly before mud bath time, the orphans received a visit from Lualeni and Lulu who were waiting for them at the roadside mud bath. The Keepers originally didn't understand what was happening as they only saw some of the orphans raising their trunks up and thought that they were communicating with someone at the mud bath. The orphans started walking but instead of going straight to the mud bath they took a left turn one hundred metres before. The Keepers followed to find out what the orphans were planning and they led them to the roadside mud bath where they found Lualeni and her baby relaxing, so the whole time they were communicating with Lualeni, and it must have been she who convinced them to come to the roadside pool. Lualeni at one time in the past, before having her very own baby, was branded a ‘baby snatcher’, due to her effectiveness in spiriting away the dependent orphans to spend the day with her. After establishing what the orphans were up to, the Keepers walked the orphans back to the official mud bath where their milk bottles were waiting and where they could have a proper swim to cool down. In the afternoon the dependent orphans met again with Lualeni again and they browsed together for the remaining part of the day.

Mapia, who apparently had some pending issues with Dololo, accosted him in the morning on the way out from the stockade and there was a brief scuffle. Dololo realised that he was no match for Mapia and so surrendered hoping to challenge him another day. 

Outside the stockade compound, Suguta, Sities and Mutara were waiting. After having been accosted by Mapia, Dololo now felt secure; now that his big sisters were around, no one would think to mess with him. Barsilinga and Tusuja, who had spent the night out, arrived and joined the orphans to feed on Lucerne. 

Out in the bush, Barsilinga had a pushing game with Sities and later left with Tusuja and Galla again. At mud bath time, Esampu led few of her friends to wade through the water. Afterwards, the orphans had a soil bathing exercise before heading back out to browse. 

The afternoon was quiet as the orphans concentrated on browsing without any major distractions. Galla, Barsilinga and Tusuja, who now consider themselves ‘grownups’ who don’t need the oversight of the Keepers anymore, arrived later in the evening. 

It was a quiet morning again. The orphans briefly settled for Lucerne before Ndiwa led the way out to browse. Without the presence of the ex-orphans, the orphans behaved themselves. They concentrated mostly on browsing without any major distractions. 

Olsekki, Siangiki, Tusuja and Barsilinga split from the main herd and left, only to show up later again at mud bath time. The temperature was moderate and only Esampu managed to get into the water and have some fun. Sapalan decided to keep himself busy by playing with Jotto as Dololo played with Karisa. 

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse in one of their favourite areas west of the Ithumba Hill. Later in the evening, Ambo, the cheerful and strong boy these days, swung his trunk from side to side in happiness as he led the way back to the stockades for the night. 

The orphans left the stockades early in the morning as usual. The rains avoided the area yesterday but the clouds are building which continue to give us hope of receiving some more rain. Karisa, who is always gentle with the young ones and never pushes them hard, teamed up to share Lucerne with Musiara. Later Ndiwa led the way out. 

Jotto had a meeting with Kuishi and it was if he was enquiring why she had been moved up a ‘class’ in the night stockades, as the orphans sleep in bigger units of age mates there. Jotto might have assumed it is because she and Esampu have been arguing in the evening that she has been moved up a class. 

The orphans had a quiet morning and concentrated on browsing with high hopes of getting rain that has remained elusive for quite a long time. 

At mud bath time the orphans were joined by a lone wild elephant bull that shared water with them before leaving. In the evening the weather changed and rain started to fall. The orphans celebrated the arrival of the much anticipated rain by running in and out of the bushes, but time wasn’t on their side as it was getting late and it was time to return home. The Keepers led the orphans home and everyone would have to wait for the next day to continue with their celebrations.