The highlight of April was, undoubtedly, the long-awaited birth of Zongoloni’s baby. But before we get to that, there were plenty of other happenings that filled the days leading up to Zigi’s arrival.
The nightclubbers are usually punctual about joining the dependent herd first thing in the morning, but early this month, they reported late several days in a row. The dependent herd took their tardiness to heart — particularly Amali, who sees a minute without babies Sulwe and Lenny as a minute wasted. One morning, disappointed yet again, she launched a one-elephant search effort. Amali returned a few minutes later, without her beloved babies but full of complaints. Mwana and Enkesha calmed her down and assured her that the group would arrive in their own time.
After several days of this, Murera decided it was time to lead by example. She walked confidently into the forest, with Amali by her side. The big girl and the little girl were focused, trunks aloft and ears alert to find the ex-orphans and their little babies. In the end, it was Enkesha who discovered the right trail. When Sulwe saw Amali, she came running on her tiny legs, trumpeting with excitement. Mwashoti was equally delighted to reunite with Murera, his old friend. The rest of the herd then erupted into happy rumbles as everyone enjoyed the overdue reunion.
Mid-month, Alamaya stopped by the stockades with five wild bulls in tow. He wanted to show them his old home. The Keepers put out more pellets as a way of welcoming Alamaya and thanking him for bringing his wild friends with him. They appreciated getting the chance to meet some of the elephants he hangs out with these days.
The next morning, Jasiri arrived with the bachelor group of six wild bulls that adopted him. At first, the Keepers struggled to confirm it was him, because his face was caked with mud. They finally identified Jasiri when he walked directly up to the Keepers. He may be a big elephant now, but we could spot his familiar posture and mannerisms anywhere!
Kiombo went on a brief walkabout earlier in the year, but ever since his return, he has shown no interest in repeating the excursion. For now, he has a newfound appreciation for the creature comforts of home. However, he, Maktao, and Kapei sometimes go on brief jaunts into the forest, just so they can assert their independence and feel like ‘big boys.’
During one of these excursions, they lost track of time and failed to arrive for the midday milk feed. By the time they got to the feeding point, the tardy boys found that their bottles had already been claimed by those who arrived on schedule. Lima Lima, Sonje, and Murera were the lucky beneficiaries, while Kiombo, Maktao, and Kapei learned a lesson in punctuality.
As they grow older and more independent, orphans inevitably wean themselves off milk — but sometimes, nostalgia sets in! One afternoon, Mwashoti brought Ziwa back to the herd. Ziwa is a large and impressive 13 years old. When the babies ran in for their milk, he also stepped forward and waited expectantly for a bottle. The Keepers gave him one filled with water, which he enjoyed enormously.
On 24th April came the day we had all been waiting for: the birth of Zongoloni’s baby! We have been joking that Zongoloni has endured the world’s longest pregnancy — each month she got bigger and bigger, and still no baby arrived. Early that morning, as she lumbered up to the stockades, the Keepers noted that she was finally showing signs of labour.
We were intrigued to see that on this day, Zongoloni had brought her old friends Ziwa and Faraja. Faraja also has the distinction of being Zongoloni’s first friend; when she was rescued, she was placed in a Nursery stable next to Faraja. Nowadays, both boys visit their Umani family irregularly. Zongoloni had clearly gathered them to share in this special moment.
Lima Lima, Sonje, and Quanza led Zongoloni to the thickets a short distance away. Zongoloni was walking slowly, and it seemed the group had resolved to escort her to a safe spot under shade to deliver. Moments later, we heard a yell accompanied by trumpets and rumbles, and knew that she had given birth. The Keepers were warmly welcomed into the heart of the action and got to meet their newest ‘grandbaby,’ who we named Zigi. Read more about Zigi's arrival.
While the rest of the herd was delighted to have a new calf in their midst, little Lenny couldn't believe his eyes. He seemed to think that he and Sulwe were the only babies on the planet — and was rather put out to discover otherwise! While Sulwe behaved well, sticking close to Mwana and observing Zigi from a distance, Lenny was downright churlish. He kept blocking the baby’s path and trying to pick fights with him.
Lima Lima was informed of Lenny’s behaviour and whisked him away, so he could process his feelings in private. This is exactly how Mwana behaved when Lenny was born and she realised that she had been dethroned from the position of Umani baby. We know that, like Mwana, Lenny will soon come to terms with the new addition.
While everyone is obsessed with baby Zigi, Kiasa takes it to the next level. She won’t let the baby out of her sight for even a minute. Zongoloni seems to appreciate the support — she and Kiasa, two feisty girls, have always been kindred spirits.
Zigi’s birth brings balance to our little family. Now, we have two baby girls and two baby boys. His arrival also marks the closing of the Umani maternity ward — at least for now. To our knowledge, none of the females are currently pregnant. Quanza is still enjoying her freedom and does not yet seem interested in pursuing motherhood, although she continues to grow as an expert nanny. When her time eventually comes, she will be more than prepared for a baby of her own.