Late last month, newly-independent Murit returned from a spell in the wild. We soon realised this was a recruitment mission: He gathered up his old friends, Ndotto and Ngilai, and went walkabout with them. Tagwa, who had been exploring her independence with Ngilai and Ndotto, chose to remain with the herd. She is still very attached to Tamiyoi, who has not yet shown any interest in going wild.
The boys remained absent for the first half of the month. And then, on the morning of 15th April, they reappeared at the stockades. Hildana and Godoma were delighted to see Murit, who they lavished with trunk hugs and kisses. Manda had missed Ndotto and cheerfully sparred with the older bull. Mbegu, Tagwa, and Tamiyoi spent a long time sandwiching Ngilai and Ndotto, catching up with their friends. Going wild is a rite of passage for every orphaned elephant, but reunions are always happy affairs.
Mbegu remains the uncontested favourite of our Voi herd — everyone adores their matriarch and covets time with her! One morning, Itinyi looked on admiringly as Mbegu rolled around inside a trench. Out of respect, he did not join her until she stretched out her trunk in invitation. Jealous that Itinyi was playing with Mbegu, Manda pushed his way between them and challenged Itinyi to a wrestling game to separate him from the matriarch.
Another day, as the orphans spread out in the field to browse on the tall green grass, Busara and Rokka stood on either side of Mbegu. The two little girls leaned against the big girl for warmth and protection, doing their best to share her attention without squabbling. Mbegu is teaching them to live in peace!
While Lemeki doesn’t have quite the gravitas of Mbegu, she is shaping up to be an excellent little matriarch. One afternoon, Itinyi approached Busara and invited her to a sparring match. Feeling uncomfortable, Busara turned her back and, looking for reassurance, touched Lemeki with her trunk. The older girl responded immediately, leading Busara away from the rowdy bull. Lemeki may love Losoito the best, but she is also very caring towards Baraka, Busara, Rokka, and any youngster who needs extra support.
Emoli decided to join his friends in the wild last month and hasn’t yet returned to the stockades, although we expect he will show up again soon. In the meantime, his best friend, Thamana, is feeling betwixt and between. He doesn’t seem unhappy, but he is notably less playful without his built-in sparring partner. We have no doubt that he will soon recruit a new playmate, but in the meantime, he is spending lots of time with his ‘big sister,’ Lemeki. We often find them touching heads or with trunks entwined.
Juni may be the eldest of the Voi Kids, but she still likes to be babied. She is a quiet girl who prefers the company of her favourite big sisters, Tagwa and Tamiyoi, rather than her peers.
Young elephants can turn anything into a competition. One of their favourites is vying to be first to the milk feed — and they are constantly engineering new tactics to win this high-stakes contest! One day, stout Losoito snuck away from the Keepers and made her way to the feeding point ahead of schedule. When the truck van arrived, she was already waiting there expectantly.
Another morning, as the orphans waited in their stockades while the Keepers prepared their milk bottles, Epiya and Ashanti got into a heated debate over who would emerge from the gate first. They jostled, pushed, and kicked each other without really establishing a clear winner. The competition continued later in the day, when Losoito, Baraka, Busara, Epiya, and Akina sprinted down the hill, trying to be first to reach the line of five Keepers waiting with bottles held aloft. This time, Akina was the runaway victor.
As we often say, it’s always showboating season in Voi. Nothing brings out the orphans’ flair for drama more than a hot, sunny day and a big, muddy pool. One memorable afternoon, Kilulu, Epiya, Thamana and Tamiyoi stole the show. The four elephants cavorted in the middle of the wallow, clambering on and sliding off each other with great aplomb. Tamiyoi was so reluctant to leave the pool that she had to hurry to catch up with the herd, who were turning into distant specks as they ambled back into the bush.
Godoma and Mbegu are starting to show more interest in the wild side of things. One afternoon, a large bull joined the orphans at the baobab waterhole. The girls approached the visitor, trunk touching him in greeting. The Voi Kids were less confident and stayed well away.
Neither Mweya nor Edie’s nor Mudanda’s ex-orphan herds visited the stockades this month. This is no surprise for this time of the year — it is nice and green across Tsavo, with plenty of food to be enjoyed. We are sure they have ventured further afield and will return after the rains.