Continuing last month’s baby boom in Ithumba, April brought yet another addition to our extended elephant family — Lualeni’s newest kid, Luki!
Yatta, who has not yet reunited with her group, arrived at the stockade compound early in the morning with baby Yara, just before the orphans were let out. Once the orphans emerged, Suguroi and Naleku walked close to Yatta, seeking permission to interact with Yara. However, Yara stayed close to her mother, making it difficult for Naleku and Suguroi to properly interact with her.
After sharing lucerne with Yatta, Mayan led the way to the browsing field. Not wanting to be left behind, Yatta followed the orphans and the Keepers for company and security. The orphans settled to browse at Kone area before visiting Kone Dam, where they drank rainwater before resuming their browsing.
On the way to the mud bath, the orphans came across a bush mud bath. Lodo, Mukutan, Esoit, Bondeni, and Roho took the opportunity to cool off before continuing to their noon bottle feeds. Yatta and Yara followed the orphans all the way to the mud bath. As Yatta was drinking water, Yara tried to copy her mother but accidentally fell into the water trough. Yatta tried her best to help Yara out, but she couldn’t manage on her own. The Keepers stepped in to assist, successfully helping Yatta get Yara out. Once Yara was on solid ground, Yatta walked her away from the mud bath to prevent her from slipping and falling in again.
In the afternoon, the orphans were joined by Kuishi, Sattao, and Larro. Kuishi took Esoit to the roadside mud bath, apologising for not reporting back to the stockade regularly. Later in the evening, Kuishi, Sattao, and Larro escorted the orphans back to the stockade.
The sky was clear in the morning. Kuishi, Sattao, and Larro arrived shortly after the orphans were let out. The orphans settled for lucerne peacefully until they had enough. Naleku then led the way to the browsing field, where they settled at Kone area.
Mayan, Suguroi, and Roho visited Kone Dam for a drink of water before resuming browsing. Kinyei, Kindani, Mukutan, and Loldaiga took a break from feeding to enjoy a game of rolling on the ground. Vaarti browsed alongside his friend Mayan and later relaxed under a tree when the sun became too hot. Meanwhile, Kinyei, bothered by an itchy ear, found a suitable tree to scratch against and rid herself of ticks.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, Olorien led the way to the noon bottle feeds. The orphans had their milk and water before heading for a bush mud bath, followed by a roadside mud bath. They then continued browsing west of Ithumba Hill until five o'clock in the evening, when Vaarti led the way back to the stockade.
The orphans had their milk at six o'clock in the morning. The gates were opened immediately after the orphans had their milk, and Mayan was the first one to come out. The orphans then settled for lucerne for quite some time before Suguroi led the way to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse at Kone area and browsed calmly as they slowly headed towards the mud bath. Sattao, Larro, and Kuishi were present. Esoit spent most of his time with Kuishi.
The orphans arrived at the mud bath area earlier than usual and settled for water as they waited for their milk. All of a sudden, the orphans started running towards Imenti area. The Keepers couldn't understand the sudden change of events and the reason why the orphans had run away. The Keepers followed them, calling and trying to look out for what might have caused the tension, but they didn’t see anything. The bushes are becoming so thick due to the current rains.
It took the Keepers some time before they cornered the orphans, and when they got hold of them, Kuishi, Larro, and Esoit were missing. It was obvious that Kuishi got an advantage and kidnapped Esoit when she got the chance. For many times now, Kuishi has been attempting to flee with Esoit, but the Keepers have been blocking her.
The Keepers continued with the search, and an hour later, located where Kuishi and Larro were hiding Esoit. The Keepers walked them slowly towards Ithumba Hill direction, where they reunited with the rest of the team. It’s not clear now what method Kuishi would employ next to run away with Esoit. For now, she will play a cool girl until the Keepers forget her intentions — and that’s when she will strike again. Only time will tell when and where it will happen. What remains for the Keepers is only to keep an eye on Esoit whenever Kuishi is around, because it’s now becoming a tug of war between the Keepers and Kuishi over who will keep Esoit.
The afternoon was quiet as the orphans browsed calmly throughout the remaining part of the day. In the evening, Vaarti led the way back to the stockade.
The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockades in the morning. Choka headed straight to a nearby rock, which he used to scratch his belly. Vaarti walked down to the water trough to drink and was joined by Roho, Naleku, and Suguroi. After getting enough lucerne, Olorien led the way to the browsing field.
Lodo and Mayan began their day by engaging in a strength-testing exercise that lasted for quite some time. The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area. As the day progressed, the sun became hot, prompting Kinyei, Bondeni, and Vaarti to take a break from feeding and relax under a tree before heading to the mud bath.
At eleven o'clock, the orphans had their milk. Loldaiga, Mukutan, Suguroi, Lodo, and Roho then settled near a water pan to drink and, afterwards, splashed water behind their ears to cool off. Lodo and Suguroi climbed into the water pan and began rolling around until their whole bodies were covered in water and mud. Esoit and Olorien chose a different water pan for their own cooling-off session.
In the afternoon, the orphans browsed west of Ithumba Hill. Kuishi, Sattao, and Larro were present but remained calm, as the Keepers were highly alert following the kidnapping attempt the previous day. In the evening, Vaarti led the way back to the stockades.
The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockades. Esoit left with a leftover branch, but he dropped it on the ground when he was challenged by Roho. Kinyei settled to scratch on a nearby rock, while Bondeni entwined his trunk with Vaarti’s in a morning greeting. Once the orphans had enough lucerne, Naleku led the way to the browsing field.
The orphans settled to browse at the Kone area. Roho, Lodo, Esoit, Olorien, and Suguroi visited the Kone dam to drink water before resuming their browsing. Kinyei, Vaarti, Mayan, Loldaiga, and Choka took a break from feeding to play a game of rolling on the ground. Mukutan engaged Kindani in a pushing game, but ended up losing to Kindani.
On the way to the eleven o'clock milk feed, the orphans came across some stagnant water that they used for a mini mud bath before proceeding to the main one. At eleven o'clock, Vaarti led the first group to the midday milk feed. The orphans had their milk, followed by water, before returning to the browsing field. They settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill, where Bondeni and Kindani scratched on nearby rocks before resuming their browsing.
Later in the day, the orphans came across a swampy area where Loldaiga, Roho, Choka, Kindani, and Esoit played in the muddy water. Loldaiga decided to get a free ride from Roho, who had lain down to roll in the mud. At five o'clock in the evening, Mayan led the way back to the stockades.
It was wet in the morning following heavy rain overnight. The orphans had their milk at six o'clock in the morning, then walked out for the lucerne feeding. Vaarti headed straight to a nearby rock to scratch his itchy belly, where he was joined by his friend Mayan. Loldaiga engaged Roho in a brief strength-testing exercise, quitting when the going got tough for him. After getting enough lucerne, Naleku led the way to the browsing field.
Mukutan, Choka, Loldaiga, Kindani, Esoit, Mayan, and Suguroi took a break from feeding to have fun playing on the wet ground. They later resumed browsing calmly as they slowly headed toward the mud bath.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, the orphans had their milk, then water, before returning to the browsing field. Suguroi teamed up with Kindani to browse, while Kinyei browsed with Lodo. Mayan settled to browse with Vaarti, while Loldaiga teamed up with Roho.
In the evening, Kindani had a brief meeting with Esoit, followed by a light strength-testing exercise. Kinyei and Naleku played a game of rolling on the ground. At five o'clock in the evening, Vaarti led the way back to the stockade.
The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. Vaarti had a disagreement with Mayan when Mayan tried to take some lucerne from Vaarti’s mouth. Vaarti got angry and pushed Mayan away. Lodo and Loldaiga raised their ears as they faced south, listening attentively. The two boys appeared to have heard something approaching. They turned and hurriedly walked towards the east. Their action sent the rest of the group into panic mode, but the Keepers intervened, reassuring the orphans that all was well.
Ten minutes later, Nasalot, Nusu, Noah, Mundusi, Kina, Kama, Kaia, Yetu, Yogi, Yoyo, and Yebo emerged from the southern side. The group joined the orphans briefly, then headed west. It now appears that Yatta and Yara have not yet reunited with their family, and this group was on a mission to search for their matriarch, Yatta.
The orphans settled to browse at Kone area. Roho browsed with Olorien while Esoit teamed up with Kindani and Lodo. Suguroi took a break from browsing to enjoy a game of rolling on the ground. She was later joined by Olorien, Lodo, Loldaiga, Choka, Mukutan, Esoit, and Naleku.
Shortly before mud bath time, the orphans were joined by Kuishi, Larro, and Sattao. At eleven o'clock in the morning, Vaarti led the way to the midday milk feeds. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill and browsed calmly through the remaining part of the day without any major observation.
The sky was clear in the morning. The orphans settled for lucerne immediately after leaving the stockade. Loldaiga scratched his belly on a nearby rock but was pushed away by Suguroi, prompting him to look for another scratching spot. Vaarti walked down to the water trough for a drink while Mayan engaged in a brief strength-testing exercise with Lodo.
After having enough lucerne, Naleku led the way to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse at the Kone area. Suguroi, Kindani, Kinyei, Loldaiga, Choka, Vaarti, and Esoit came across some loose soil, which they used to roll over and play in. Lodo and Olorien visited Kone Dam to drink water before resuming their browsing.
As the day progressed, Bondeni engaged Esoit in a pushing game, which ended when Sattao intervened by pushing the two boys apart. At eleven o'clock in the morning, Vaarti led the first group to the midday bottle feeds. After their milk, the orphans enjoyed a mud bath at the nearby water pans, where Suguroi and Lodo had a prolonged wallow.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill, where they were joined by Larro, Sattao, and Kuishi. In the evening, Mayan led the way back to the stockade.
It was a dry morning with a clear sky. The orphans left the stockade soon after having their morning milk, then settled on lucerne. Vaarti went to his favourite rock for scratching. Shortly after, Nasalot paid us a visit with his two sons and Mundusi. Nasalot settled for lucerne as Vaarti and Mayan took the opportunity to challenge Noah. The two boys didn’t dare challenge Nusu, as Nusu is much bigger and older. Noah couldn’t withstand the strength of Vaarti and Mayan and ran for help from his mother.
Mundusi challenged Sattao and later settled to play with Roho. When the orphans had enough lucerne, Kindani led the way to the browsing field. Nasalot, his sons, and Mundusi headed west, followed by Kuishi, Sattao, and Larro.
At the browsing field, Roho engaged Lodo in a strength-testing exercise, while Loldaiga browsed with Mukutan. Bondeni teamed up with Kindani, and Kinyei found a nice tree to scratch her itching ear.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, Naleku led the way to the mud bath. The orphans had their milk, then Suguroi and Lodo led the team into wallowing. In the afternoon, the sun was hot, so the orphans took a break from browsing and relaxed under trees to escape the scorching sun. Naleku, Roho, and Olorien went in search of a water pan to cool themselves down.
Esoit challenged Mukutan, while Roho played with Bondeni. In the evening, Mayan led the way back to the stockade.
Loldaiga led the way out soon after getting his morning milk. Choka, Kinyei, and Mukutan walked down to the water trough for a sip of water before returning to join their colleagues feeding on lucerne. After feeding, Suguroi led the way to the browsing field.
Mayan and Loldaiga began their day with a strength testing exercise, while Roho played with Mukutan. Kinyei briefly settled for a soil dusting exercise before joining Kindani in browsing. Mayan later browsed with Larro, while Lodo teamed up with Olorien. Naleku enjoyed a lone game of rolling on the ground.
Shortly before mud bath time, Lodo and Choka came across a large tree, which they shared for scratching their buttocks. At eleven o'clock, Bondeni led the first group to the noon milk feeds. After getting their bottles, the orphans had a brief mud bath before returning to the browsing field.
They settled to browse at the Imenti area. Kuishi, Larro, and Sattao parted ways with the juniors and headed off to an undisclosed location. The rest of the day remained quiet, with the orphans browsing calmly without any major observation.
Lualeni, Lulu, and Lexi, in the company of Larro and Sattao, were at the stockade compound early before the orphans were let out. At six o'clock in the morning, the orphans had their milk and then walked out to meet Lualeni and her family. Lulu tried to block Esosit and Vaarti, but was driven away by Sattao and Lodo.
The orphans shared lucerne with Lualeni’s family, and shortly afterwards, Kuishi emerged from the western side and joined in the lucerne feeding. Lualeni later escorted the orphans to the browsing field and parted ways an hour later.
Choka settled to browse with Mukutan, while Olorien teamed up with Suguroi. Esosit, Lodo, Kinyei, Kindani, Bondeni, and Loldaiga took a break from feeding to enjoy a game of rolling on the ground. They resumed browsing once they felt they had done enough morning exercise. The group then browsed calmly as they slowly made their way towards the mud bath.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, Vaarti led the first group to the midday bottle feeds. After finishing their milk, Naleku led the way to the water trough, where the orphans had a drink. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. As usual, Kuishi, Sattao, and Larro parted ways with the juniors and headed off to an undisclosed location. Kindani browsed with Bondeni, while Mayan teamed up with Lodo.
The rest of the day was quiet as the orphans browsed calmly without any major observation.
It was a bright morning, and the babies began their day with breakfast before heading out to feed on lucerne. In the middle of the feeding session, ex-orphan Nasalot arrived with her two babies, Nusu and Noah, accompanied by Nusu's best friend, Mundusi. They all shared the lucerne with the juniors, while Vaarti and Choka began playing around.
Afterwards, the babies walked to the water trough to drink before heading out to the browsing fields, leaving the ex-orphans behind.
Out in the bush, the orphans were busy browsing. Later, Naleku walked over to drink from the dam along Kone Road. The group then made their way to the mud bath for their midday milk bottles.
At the mud bath, the babies had their milk as usual and followed up with a drink of water. Kinyei then enjoyed a dust bath, happily rolling on the ground. After the break, the group returned to the bush for their afternoon browsing session.
Back in the bush, the orphans continued browsing. Lodo was seen stretching high to reach the green, soft leaves. As the day came to a close, the whole group started making their way back home for their evening milk bottles and to settle down for the night.
No other ex-orphans appeared today, either at the stockades or out in the bush.
It was such a bright morning, with the babies starting their day with a milk breakfast before walking out to feed on lucerne. They enjoyed the lucerne a lot, as there were no other elephants around. Mayan and Vaarti started scratching their bottoms and bellies on the rock as they fed. The whole group later walked to the bush for browsing.
In the bush, everyone was busy browsing, and later a section of the babies went to drink water at the dam along Kone Junction. Kinyei seemed especially hungry and focused on browsing, while some of the babies played and others drank water. The babies later walked to the mud bath for their milk bottles and wallowing.
At the mud bath, they had their bottles and went straight in for wallowing. It was so hot that all of them joined in. Afterwards, they walked out and Choka started playing in the dust while the rest made their way back to the bush for more browsing.
Back in the bush, Bondeni was busy scratching on a rock while Mukutan played by rolling on the ground. Yatta later appeared on the road with her younger baby, Yara, and then walked away. She was alone, with no other ex-orphans around her. She simply patrolled near the babies before disappearing again. Rain came later in the day, and the babies were very happy, playing in the mud. The whole group later started walking back home in the evening for their milk bottles again. No other ex-orphans appeared today apart from Yatta with her baby Yara. We recorded 5mm of rainfall today.
It was such a beautiful morning as the babies began their day with their milk feeds before walking out to enjoy some lucerne. They looked very happy and full of energy as they came out, enjoying the lucerne peacefully since they were the only ones around. Vaarti took a short break to drink some water before returning to scratch his bottom on the rock. After the lucerne, the babies made their way to the bush for browsing.
Out in the bush, everyone continued to look cheerful and active. Roho and Suguroi were browsing together, while Mukutan was busy digging at the ground in play. Esoit also got into the spirit, kneeling down and using his tusks to dig. On the other side, Naleku was happily playing by rolling in the mud. The group later walked to the mud bath for their midday milk bottles.
At the mud bath, the weather was too cold for wallowing, so the babies had their milk, drank some water, and walked back to the bush to continue browsing.
Back in the bush, everyone was busy trying to get as much food as they could before the day ended. In the evening, Loldaiga took the lead and guided the group back home for their evening milk and rest. We received 5mm of rain today. All the babies are doing well and in good spirits.
It was a quiet morning today, with the babies having their milk bottles before walking out to feed on lucerne. Sattao, Kuishi, and Larro — who had slept out — were the first ones in the field, waiting for the lucerne to be shared. The three looked happy and comfortable after spending the night out, returning in the morning to join the babies again. Esoit and Roho began playing and giving each other kisses. The group later walked to the bush for browsing.
Out in the bush, they all looked active and busy feeding on the fresh green vegetation that’s now all over. The whole group later made their way to the mud bath for their milk and wallowing.
They each had their two bottles of milk, but no one bothered to go into the water for wallowing. Kindani was the only one rolling in the dry mud around the trench near the mud bath. Afterwards, the babies returned to the bush for more browsing. They were very active and seemed to enjoy the green leaves and new grass shoots that had come up quickly after the recent rains. Esoit browsed alone for a while.
Later in the evening, the babies walked back home for their milk and bed. No ex-orphans or wild elephants were seen in the area today, and there was no rain.
It was a beautiful morning as the babies woke up to feed on their milk bottles before walking out to enjoy some lucerne. Today they didn’t stay long at the feeding area, as they were in a hurry to head into the bush for fresh browsing.
Out in the bush, they were very active and browsing well. They went ahead to drink water from the junction to Kone Dam. Roho, Vaarti, and Kindani were playing separately, rolling on the ground while the others remained focused on browsing. The group later walked to the mud bath for their midday milk bottles and wallowing.
At the mud bath, they were fed their milk, and afterwards, some of them—like Roho, Olorien, and Lodo—headed straight into the water pool to play. The rest avoided the large mud bath pool, likely because the water was cold. Lodo had a great time with Roho, and later Olorien joined in the fun. After wallowing, the babies walked back to the bush for more browsing.
Back in the bush, they all looked busy, each one trying to find the best green browse. Bondeni, Suguroi, and Roho were seen browsing together. Later, the whole group returned home in the evening for their dinner and bed. No ex-orphans or wild elephants were seen today, and there was no rain.
It was such a bright morning today with the babies first enjoying their milk bottles before walking down to the field to feed on lucerne. They all enjoyed the lucerne, with Kuishi, Larro and Sattao coming in to join them. Vaarti started scratching his bottom on the rock and later his foot. Choka was relaxing, posing with one leg on the rock while feeding on lucerne. The babies later walked to the bush for browsing.
In the bush, they all looked much more active and busy browsing. Kinyei found a waterhole filled with rainwater in the bush and started drinking. The group later walked to the mud bath for their milk bottles and swimming.
At the mud bath, they had their milk bottles as usual, and today they walked in for swimming. They enjoyed the swim, with Roho getting a free ride on Kinyei. They later walked out to the bush again for evening browsing.
Back in the bush, they were all busy browsing, and later Kindani started play fighting with Esoit while Roho was busy playing and kissing Olorien, and later playing with Esoit. The rest of the group was busy browsing, and later they all walked back home in the evening for their milk bottles and bedding. No ex-orphan or wild elephants were seen today. No rain today.
Today the babies had their morning milk breakfast and walked out to the field to feed on lucerne. Kindani started playing by rolling on the ground, while Lodo and Roho were busy play-fighting. The babies later walked to the bush for browsing.
In the bush, all the babies were very active and browsing peacefully. They later started walking towards the mud bath for their milk bottles and wallowing.
During the mud bath, all had their share of milk bottles, and Roho began playing by rolling on the muddy ground. The rest later walked to the main mudhole for wallowing, with Roho accompanying them. They all fully enjoyed playing in the mud for some time before walking back to the bush for evening browsing.
Back in the bush, some of the babies were very busy browsing, while Muktan and Roho were still playing. Lodo and Esoit also started playing, and later the whole group walked back home for their evening meals.
It was a quiet morning, with the babies first having their milk bottles before walking out to feed on lucerne. They enjoyed feeding, as they were the only ones around. The whole group later walked to the bush with the Keepers for browsing.
In the bush, they really enjoyed browsing, with Lodo smelling the air as if searching for some of his friends. The rest were very busy browsing. Mayan was browsing on his own, and later the group walked to the mud bath for their milk bottles again.
At the mud bath, they had their milk bottles as usual, and Lodo immediately went into a small water dam and started playing. The whole group later moved to the main mud wallow and began wallowing. As usual, Roho had a free ride from Kinyei today. They then walked straight back into the bush for their evening browsing.
It was a peaceful evening as they browsed well, and later they began walking back home for their evening milk bottles. They loved the milk, running in eagerly towards the bottles and the Keepers who fed them. They later settled in for the night.
It was such a cold morning today, with the babies enjoying their milk breakfast before walking out to feed on lucerne. They enjoyed the lucerne, and Naleku started scratching her neck to keep off ticks. Later, the group began walking to the bush for browsing.
In the bush, the babies looked more active, with some of them browsing along Kone Junction Dam. Kindani found a small waterhole and started drinking and playing with the water. The rest of the babies were busy browsing. Later, they walked towards the mud bath as it was almost time.
At the mud bath, they all played in the water, with only Vaarti choosing not to touch it. Roho, as usual, got a free ride in the water from Naleku, while Bondeni was busy playing alone nearby. Lodo led the group out of the waterhole and back into the bush for browsing. Suguroi was seen playing and rolling in the dust. The rest of the babies followed into the bush for more browsing.
Back in the bush, they looked very active, each searching for something to feed on. Kindani was stretching high to reach some green leaves. Vaarti started scratching his neck again, and later the group walked back home in the evening for their milk and bedding. No rain today, and no ex-orphans or wild elephants were seen.
The orphans briefly settled to feed on lucerne soon after leaving the stockades. Kinyei, Vaarti, and Mayan opted for a scratching session on nearby rocks. Shortly after, Naleku led the way to the browsing fields.
The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area, where they enjoyed feeding on the lush vegetation brought about by the recent rains. Loldaiga, Lodo, and Suguroi visited Kone Dam for a drink before resuming their browsing. Later, Suguroi, Lodo, Roho, and Bondeni came across a bush mud bath and had great fun playing in the mud. After they had enough, Roho engaged Lodo in a strength-testing game.
At eleven o'clock, Kindani led the group to the main mud bath. The orphans had their milk bottles and then jumped into the wallowing water to cool off. Roho took advantage of those nose-diving into the water and caught a free ride on their backs.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Kinyei teamed up with Lodo, while Roho browsed alongside Loldaiga. In the evening, Vaarti led the way back to the stockades.
The sky was partly covered by clouds when the orphans left the stockades after having their morning milk. Kinyei, Vaarti, and Esoit settled for scratching exercises as they waited for the distribution of lucerne. After lucerne was served, the orphans settled on it briefly before Naleku led the way to the browsing field.
At the browsing field, the orphans were joined by Kuishi, Sattao, and Larro. Kinyei, Choka, and Esoit had a brief meeting and parted ways shortly afterwards. Kindani browsed with Lodo, while Kinyei teamed up with Olorien.
As the day progressed, Roho met with Lodo and the two boys engaged in a pushing game that ended when Lodo surrendered. The pair then browsed together until mud bath time, when Naleku led the first group to the mud bath. After having their milk, the orphans headed for wallowing.
The temperatures were moderate, and upon entering the water, the orphans changed their minds after feeling the low temperatures. They only washed their feet before switching to a soil bathing session, then returned to the browsing field.
The afternoon remained quiet as the orphans browsed calmly through the rest of the day.
It was wet in the morning following some rain received overnight. The sky remained heavy with clouds, which later gave way to light showers. The orphans walked carefully, avoiding any slips or falls on the damp ground. Wendi, along with Wiva and Wimbi, had checked in at the stockade compound early before the orphans were let out. Wema, her second baby, was missing—likely left behind with her age mates.
Wendi settled with the orphans to feed on lucerne, though she was hostile toward them, pushing any that came too close. Choka and Vaarti tried calling Wimbi to move away from her mother, but she refused, clearly aware that the boys were up to no good and only wanted to tease her.
It was still drizzling when Suguroi led the way out to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse north of the stockades. Kuishi, Sattao, and Larro joined the herd after returning from their night adventures. Kindani, Esampu, and Sattao took a break from browsing to play in the wet soil. Bondeni and Vaarti shared a rock for a scratching session, while Kinyei and Kuishi did the same on another, scratching their buttocks. Roho browsed with Olorien, while Suguroi teamed up with Lodo and Choka.
Wendi and her two calves, who had accompanied the orphans to the bush, later left for an undisclosed location. At eleven o'clock, Mayan led the first group for their midday milk feed. After feeding, Naleku led the way back to the browsing field. With the low temperatures, the orphans had no need to cool off, so they skipped the wallowing session—only Mayan wallowed briefly in a water pan before running to catch up with his friends.
The orphans then settled for a calm afternoon browsing at Kanziku, where they remained throughout the rest of the day.
The orphans settled for lucerne immediately after leaving the stockade. Roho and Lodo decided to warm up for the morning by engaging in a pushing game. Esoit settled for a scratching session on a nearby rock, while Loldaiga shared his pile of lucerne with Choka.
After feeding, Vaarti led the way to the browsing field. The orphans avoided walking through the grass due to the morning dew and instead followed the road, feeding along its edges. Once the dew dried, they moved into the bush and settled to browse in the Kone area. Vaarti browsed alongside Mayan, while Roho teamed up with Olorien.
Later, the orphans came across a bush mud bath. Olorien, Kindani, Bondeni, Loldaiga, Lodo, and Suguroi decided to take advantage of the spot and rolled around in the mud, enjoying themselves. Once they had enough, Naleku led the way to the midday milk feed. After having their bottles, the orphans slowly returned to the browsing field.
They settled in the Kanziku area for the afternoon. Loldaiga browsed with Mukutan, while Roho remained with Olorien. The rest of the afternoon was quiet, with all the orphans focused on feeding and no major observations recorded.
In the evening, Vaarti led the way back to the stockade.
After getting their morning milk, Loldaiga led the way out for another day. The orphans briefly settled for lucerne before heading out to the browsing field. Roho and Lodo engaged in a morning strength-testing exercise that ended in a draw. Vaarti led the way to the browsing field, where Choka teamed up with Kinyei in browsing. Suguroi settled to browse with Olorien, while Lodo decided to have a lone game of rolling on the ground. Later, Suguroi, Roho, Naleku, Mukutan, and Kindani took a break from feeding and had fun rolling on the wet ground. Loldaiga took a break from feeding to engage Roho in a pushing game. Loldaiga surrendered when he felt that he was going to lose the game to Roho.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, Mayan led the first group to the midday bottle feeds. After the orphans had their milk, Lodo led the team into wallowing. The orphans had a prolonged wallowing session before Naleku led the way out, trumpeting. Bondeni, who is not water-friendly, surprised everyone when he put on a show of diving, sitting, and rolling in the water, becoming the last one to quit wallowing.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse in the Kanziku area. Esoit browsed with Vaarti and Kinyei, while from time to time calling Kuishi, who had not been present the whole day. In the evening, Loldaiga, Olorien, Mayan, Kindani, Lodo, and Roho came across a bush mud bath and had fun in it before returning back to the stockade for yet another night.
Ithumba Hill was covered by mist in the morning, indicating fading rain. The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. Vaarti, Kinyei, and Suguroi settled for scratching on nearby rocks, while Roho and Lodo exchanged morning greetings by entwining their trunks. Shortly afterward, Naleku led the way to the browsing field. Mayan and Bondeni had a brief meeting, and it wasn't clear what the two boys had talked about.
Lodo took a break from feeding and had a lone game of soil bathing, later joined by Kinyei, Roho, and Olorien. Esoit was happy to have Kuishi and Larro that morning and enjoyed their company as much as he wished. Shortly before mud bath time, Esoit engaged Bondeni in a pushing game, and when the going got tough for him, he turned and sought help from Kuishi, who pushed Bondeni away.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, the orphans had their milk and then participated in mud bathing before heading back to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. The rest of the day was quiet as the orphans concentrated more on browsing without any major observation.
The sky was clear as the orphans left the stockade in the morning. Naleku stood at the exit for groups one and two. She tried to block their way, but the keepers intervened, telling Naleku to stop that behavior. Naleku left and went to wait for lucerne. Choka and Mukutan shared a pile of lucerne, while Vaarti and Esoit settled for a morning scratching exercise. Roho had a lone game of rolling on the ground, but it was cut short by Lodo, who came to push him up.
After lucerne feeding time, Suguroi led the way to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse at Kone area. Vaarti and Mayan visited the Kone dam and had water before resuming browsing. Olorien settled to browse with Lodo, while Naleku settled to browse with Kinyei. Roho teamed up with Suguroi, while Bondeni settled to browse with Kindani.
At mud bath time, the orphans were joined by Kuishi, Larro, Sattao, and Oltaiyoni. After getting their milk, the orphans headed for wallowing. Kuishi and Larro took Loldaiga and Esoit for wallowing in a separate area away from the other orphans, supervising the two boys in taking proper bathing. Later, Kuishi, Sattao, Larro, and Oltaiyoni parted ways with the orphans and left for an undisclosed location. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. The rest of the day was quiet as they browsed calmly throughout the remaining part of the day.
The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. Loldaiga, Esoit, and Vaarti settled for a scratching exercise before settling for lucerne. As soon as the orphans had enough of lucerne, Naleku led the way to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse at Kone area, where Sattao engaged Roho in a pushing game. Suguroi and Naleku visited the Kone Dam, where they settled for water before resuming to browse. Loldaiga teamed up with Kuishi in browsing, while Olorien settled to browse with Kindani.
The rest of the morning was quiet as the orphans browsed calmly as they slowly headed to the mud bath. At eleven o'clock in the morning, the orphans had their milk and thereafter participated in wallowing. After wallowing, Kuishi led the way back to the browsing field. An hour later, Sattao, Larro, and Kuishi parted ways with the orphans and headed to an undisclosed location.
In the evening, the orphans attended a bush mud bath, and later Mayan led the way back to the stockade.
It was a blessed morning on waking up and finding Lualeni outside the stockade with an additional kid. All her three babies—Lulu, Lexi, and their little brother—were sleeping comfortably while Lualeni kept watch. In her small family, Lualeni was also accompanied by Oltaiyoni, who acted as the main nanny to her son.
The orphans had their milk at six o’clock in the morning, then walked out to meet Lualeni. Naleku and Suguroi, the baby lovers, tried to have a good time with the little boy but didn’t succeed much, as Lulu and Lexi tried to steer their brother towards their mother. Roho engaged Oltaiyoni in a pushing game that lasted for quite some time. At last, Roho surrendered and went back to join his colleagues. Lodo led the way to the browsing field.
The orphans settled to browse at Kone Dam as Lualeni and her family headed towards the mud bath. Lodo, Roho, Loldaiga, and Suguroi went into the Kone Dam with the intention of taking a bath. Upon testing the water using their trunks, the orphans changed their minds since the water was colder than they expected. They only went in to wash their feet, then walked out and resumed browsing.
At mud bath time, the orphans met again with Lualeni’s team, where the little boy had his first mud bath. After a brief interaction, Lualeni left with her family and headed north of the mud bath. The orphans had their milk, then Kindani, Roho, Naleku, Lodo, and Loldaiga jumped into the wallowing water, while their colleagues opted for drinking water before returning to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Mayan and Vaarti took a break from feeding to have a soil bathing exercise, while Mukutan came across a bush mud bath and enjoyed having fun in it. In the evening, Roho led the way back to the stockade.
After taking their milk, the orphans left the stockade and settled for lucerne. Esoit settled for a scratching exercise on the nearby rocks and later walked down to the water trough, where he was joined by Vaarti. Mayan engaged Roho in a strength-testing exercise that lasted for quite some time before Mayan decided to surrender. Naleku led the way to the browsing field soon after having enough lucerne.
At the browsing field, Lodo teamed up with Roho, Loldaiga, and Kinyei in browsing. Kindani browsed with Bondeni while Mayan settled to browse with Vaarti. Olorien took a break from browsing to participate in a soil dusting exercise.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, Suguroi led the way to the mud bath. Unbelievably, and to our surprise, Jotto and Musiara—who had been missing in action for a year—were relaxing at the mud bath. These two boys left the Ithumba area last year in April. They knew exactly the time and place to meet the human family and their former colleagues. Musiara was quite interactive, but Jotto was shy and not as interactive as Musiara. Musiara even went to the extent of checking if there was any milk left in the crates.
Loldaiga, Olorien, Mukutan, and Choka exchanged greetings with Musiara, as Mukutan, Choka, and Loldaiga were amazed by Musiara’s calmness. Olorien informed the three boys that Musiara was once like them, but he has moved on with his life. Suguroi exchanged greetings with Jotto and wanted to find out why he was shy. Later, the two boys—Musiara and Jotto—followed the orphans to the browsing field in an effort to catch up with the latest.