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.
On the first day of the month, the orphaned elephants ambled out of their stockades in happy moods and settled along the range cubes feeding trough and around the pile of supplementary lucerne grass. The ex-orphans did not visit today – we have not seen Mweya’s herd for over a week.
With adopted baby Baraka in tow, Godoma led the herd out to the browsing fields around Msinga Hill. The elephants spread out in the field to browse on their favourite plants. Following recent bouts of rain, there is an abundance of browse. Good friends Ashanti and Itinyi were browsing together this morning, touching trunks occasionally as they ambled along. When naughty Kilulu stretched out his trunk to grab a bunch of greens from Dabida’s mouth, she walked away to take refuge with the matriarch of the herd. Mbegu is a wonderful matriarch because she keeps an eye on every orphan.
In the afternoon, the orphans visited the milk feeding area and proceeded down the hill to drink water and have a brief mud bath. Lemeki started a wonderful game of rolling on the pile of red earth and was soon joined by Seri, Kilulu, Ashanti and Ushindi. The five elephants rubbed up against each other and then padded off to catch up with the rest of the herd.
The morning was cool and the orphaned elephants spent a long time browsing on the pile of lucerne after their milk feed.
Itinyi approached little Busara and invited her to a sparring match. Feeling uncomfortable, Busara turned her back and, looking for reassurance, touched Lemeki with her trunk. Her big sister trunk touched her back and the two girls walked away from the playful bull. Lemeki may love Losoito the best, but she is also very caring towards Baraka, Busara, Rokka and many others.
Itinyi instead challenged Kilulu to a strength contest. The two friends sparred for a time and then followed along behind the herd as they set out to browse. The morning was spent browsing peacefully on the slopes of Msinga Hill.
In the afternoon, we gathered the herd and sent them down in groups for another milk feed. Busara sprinted in front of the others in her group to grab a bottle first. Akina was in second position. When she saw Ushindi approaching from behind, she clasped the bottle with her trunk and walked away from the Keeper. She did not want to run any risk of losing her delicious milk.
The elephants had a lot of fun in mud bathing games before returning to the bush to browse. In the evening, there were some sprinkles of rain and the orphans enjoyed playing in the mud.
In the early morning, the dependent orphans hurried out of their shared stockades, gulped down their milk (Losoito drank hers the fastest!) and settled at the range cubes feeding trough. Hildana pushed his way in to the trough, shoving Ashanti and Epiya out of the way. The two elephants sensibly moved away from Hildana to a more peaceful place.
The herd headed out from the stockades in single file and settled to browse around Msinga Hill.
In the afternoon, they visited the baobab tree water hole after another milk feed. The weather was fairly cool and so the orphans snubbed mud bathing. Well-known water baby Itinyi dipped a toe in the water but even he was not tempted to get wet in the muddy wallow.
Amid light sprinkles of rain, Mbegu lay down on a patch of muddy ground and several others joined her. The group, which included Manda and Rokka, rolled around in the mud before returning to the safety of the stockades for the night.
Ndotto, Ngilai and Murit have not visited the stockades yet this month and we have not seen them browsing on the hill. Tagwa has remained with her herd rather than going off with the boys.
After the morning feeding, the dependent orphans played in an erosion trench close to the lucerne area. Mbegu was the first to clamber into the gulley. With Itinyi looking on admiringly, the matriarch rolled around inside the trench with trunk waving. Out of respect, Itinyi did not climb into the trench until Mbegu stretched out her trunk in invitation. Many others soon lined up to play. Jealous that Itinyi was playing with Mbegu, Manda pushed his way between them and challenged Itinyi to a wrestling game to separate him from Mbegu.
Tamiyoi soon led the herd out to the browsing grounds. The orphaned elephants spent most of the day enjoying the abundance of green browse. They ambled peacefully over the hill. Juni spent the morning with Tagwa and Tamiyoi – she is a quiet girl who likes to be with her two big sisters and does not often play with the younger babies.
In the evening, as Seri rubbed herself against a patch of soil, Thamana tried to take her place. Little Seri knelt to defend her position, refusing to budge and pushing the older elephant away! Thamana is still a playful boy but was as playful as he used to be – we think he is missing his best friend, Emoli.
Thick clouds covered the sun in the early morning and a cool breeze blew across the stockade compound. The dependent orphans filled their bellies with cubes and lucerne and then engaged in amazing games on the mound of soil. Some rubbed their faces on the earth as others climbed on top of each other.
Kilulu was showboating on the lower terrace, striking poses and rubbing his face on the ground. Kenderi lay down and rolled around on the edge of the upper terrace but, realising that the ground was wet and slippery, stood up and walked down to the water trough.
Later in the morning, the sun was very bright and the temperature rose. Tagwa, Tamiyoi, Juni and Epiya ambled to the top of the hill. Several took shelter under the canopies of trees on the lower slopes. Busara did her best to shelter under Mbegu’s ear from the scorching sun. Manda stood on the other side of the matriarch. Mbegu checked on Busara and then entwined her trunk with Manda’s.
In the afternoon, the orphans enjoyed a mud bath in the wallow and a dust bath on a patch of dry soil before leaving for the afternoon browsing session.
On another bright day, the milk-dependent orphans enjoyed their early morning bottles before settling down for range cubes and lucerne with the older elephants. Forgoing her second bottle, Dabida confidently ran ahead on her own to the feeding trough to join Godoma, Mbegu, Tagwa and Tamiyoi. The rest of the first group soon finished their second milk bottles and caught up with her. Ashanti chose to feed next to Godoma while Epiya squeezed in between Tagwa and Tamiyoi.
There was not much playing in the stockades this morning. Rokka and Manda led the herd out to the browsing fields. After browsing for three hours, Godoma took a break to massage her body again a tree trunk. Watching on from the side lines, Thamana scratched his neck against the same tree as soon as she walked away. We wondered if he was showing off! Kenderi and Itinyi climbed into an erosion trough to play, rubbing bodies and climbing on top of each other.
Today, Mbegu stayed in close contact with adopted babies Busara and Rokka, Lemeki stayed with Losoito, and Godoma was with Baraka. The herd browsed far afield before returning to the stockades in the late afternoon.
In the early morning, the orphans were out of their stockades and feeding on range cubes and lucerne grass as they interacted within the compound. Kilulu was on the lookout for favourite playmate Hildana for a wrestling game. Itinyi and Kenderi were running up and down, warming up for another sparring game, while Rokka was rolling around and showboating on the ground.
The orphans wandered out from the stockades one by one after drinking from the water trough at the beginning of a long day of browsing in the field. After browsing for a few hours, Dabida lay down on a patch of dry soil for a dust bath. She stretched out her trunk to welcome Busara who was behind her, but her friend chose to walk on and find her own patch of ground.
After the afternoon milk feed, the elephants drank water at the baobab tree water hole but did not cool off in the wallow, instead opting for the smaller, warmer pools of standing rainwater. Mbegu wallowed by herself in a small water pan – unusually, she was not in the mood for sharing her space with any of the Voi Kids today!
After the morning milk feed, the dependent orphans settled around the pile of fresh lucerne grass. Dabida twisted up a large clump of lucerne, held it tight with her trunk and walked away to enjoy a solitary feast. Lemeki and Losoito leant against each other while browsing on the lucerne. The elephants hung around the stockades, playing on the terraces or drinking from the trough, before moving out for their daily bush walk.
As the sun rose in the sky, some of the orphans sought shade under the trees. Despite being feisty, Hildana and Kilulu managed to share the canopy of one tree. The two boys stood on either side of the trunk, flapping their ears.
In the afternoon, the herd headed down to the baobab tree water hole. In a repeat of yesterday, they paddled and splashed in the small water pans close to the wallow. Mbegu lay down in one and Ushindi joined her for a water pushing game. Busara walked over and shoved herself between the two other elephants, determined not to be left out. Three elephants in a small pool of rainwater made quite a squash!
After everyone had cooled down, Tamiyoi, Tagwa and Juni led the herd back out to the browsing fields. Mbegu walked along at the end of the line, making sure that everyone was there.
On another wonderful morning, after filling their bellies with milk, range cubes and lucerne, the orphaned elephants played with their friends in front of the stockades. Best buddies Kenderi and Itinyi engaged one another in a friendly sparring match. Busara, Losoito and Manda played pushing and chasing games while Seri and Hildana climbed into a soil erosion trench and rolled around together.
The elephants later moved out to the browsing grounds where they enjoyed feeding on lush green grass.
In the afternoon, 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. Akina grabbed her milk bottle from a Keeper and walked away with her trunk twisted around it.
Tamiyoi, Juni and Tagwa were mud bathing together today in a rainwater pool. They rubbed bodies and hosed themselves with mud before joining their friends who were ambling back out to browse. We were happy to see reserved Juni having fun in the wallow!
The younger orphans had a wonderful time playing in the stockade compound after their milk and supplement feeding. Older females Mbegu and Tagwa watched the games, standing close with heads touching and trunks hanging down.
The herd soon headed out to the browsing fields around Msinga Hill. Seri, Dabida and Akina massaged their backsides against boulders on the western slopes of the hill. Ushindi lay down in a clearing with trunk twirling, inviting her friends to play, but they ignored her and carried on browsing. Thamana, Itinyi and Manda climbed up to the top of the hill.
Many members of the herd wallowed in the baobab tree water hole in the afternoon. Juni was swimming again today – she lay next to Tamiyoi, Godoma and Baraka in the middle of the pool. After swimming in the muddy water, Busara pushed herself under Mbegu’s neck, pretending to be a small baby in need of attention. Itinyi chased around after Kenderi and then the two friends enjoying a sparring match.
Ndotto, Ngilai and Murit have not visited the stockades for many days. We think that the older bulls are probably exploring the bush together and enjoying the abundance of lush green browse.
In the morning, the elephants played in the stockade compound after feeding on milk and range cubes. Godoma planted herself next to the big rock, rubbing her bottoms. Meanwhile, Baraka, Losoito and Busara stood side by side to itch their bodies on the wall of the lower terrace.
On the way to the browsing fields, Tamiyoi paused to stretch her trunk over the fence and twist off clumps of green browse from the other side. Kilulu and Hildana could only stand watching her as they are not tall enough to reach the branches over the fence.
The herd settled to browse on the lower slopes of Msinga Hill. Dabida lay down on the soft green grass to play. Itinyi took advantage of the situation to climb onto her back. When she pushed him hard in a rough wrestling challenge, Kenderi intervened. She stood close to Dabida and made sure that the game did not get out of hand.
In the afternoon, the herd visited the mud wallow for a short time and ambled back to the safety of the stockades for the night.
Ashanti and Rokka were first to sprint out of their shared stockade this morning, with Losoito, Epiya and Baraka just a few steps behind. Rumbling in anticipation of delicious milk, the five friends jogged down the path in a trunk-to-tail line. After another milk feed, the orphans gathered at the feeding trough before heading out for their daily browsing bush walk.
In the field the orphaned elephants spread out to browse on the tall green grass. Busara and Rokka stood on either side of matriarch Mbegu, leaning against her for warmth and protection, and doing their best to share her attention without squabbling. Mbegu is teaching them to live in peace!
In the afternoon, the herd gathered around the baobab tree mud wallow, rubbing their bodies against trees or drinking from the water trough. Baraka found a small pool that was just the right size for a three-year-old elephant. Akina, Tagwa, Juni, Seri, and Tamiyoi waited patiently for their turn next to the large puddle. When Baraka ambled away, they each paddled in and out of the warm water.
On a cool overcast morning, the elephants jogged down the path for their morning milk feed – except for Mbegu, Godoma, Tagwa and Tamiyoi who are no longer milk dependent and were already at the feeding trough. Afterwards, they briefly engaged in some wonderful soil dusting games. Ashanti, Epiya and Juni made enormous clouds of dust as they sucked up trunkfuls and hosed them along their backs.
Tagwa and Juni led the herd out to the browsing fields with Mbegu bringing up the rear to make sure that no one was left behind. Best friends Itinyi and Kenderi were about to start another sparring match but had to wait until they reached Msinga Hill.
They spread out in a long line to browse over the hill. With Lemeki close by, Losoito rubbed her backside against a large boulder until Ushindi pushed her away and took her place. Losoito walked back to her favourite nanny and the two elephants browsed side by side.
In the evening, Lemeki took a break from browsing to play. She lay down and Thamana clambered onto her stomach. The two old friends pushed and rubbed against each other with trunks waving. Meanwhile, Manda and Rokka continued browsing next to them.
On a cool morning, the younger orphans lined up outside the stockades for their bottles of milk, while the older orphans were already feeding on range cubes and lucerne grass.
The elephants left the stockades and settled to browse on the eastern slopes of Msinga Hill. Lemeki was bumper to bumper with adopted darling Losoito, Mbegu was with Rokka and Busara, while Godoma was with Baraka. The herd enjoyed the plentiful green browse after the recent and continuing rains.
In the afternoon, the orphans visited the baobab tree water hole where they were joined by a wild bull. Mbegu and Godoma approaching the mature bull, trunk touching him in greeting. The Voi Kids were less confident and stayed well away. The wild elephant left after drinking water and mud bathing.
In the evening when the orphans were in their stockades, Ndotto, Murit and Ngilai arrived with a wild bull! Our three big boys have not visited the stockades since 28th March. All three were looking well and we were happy to welcome them. They spent the night with the teenager in the lucerne area outside the stockades.
Before dawn, the wild bull ambled back to the bush but Murit, Ndotto and Ngilai remained outside the stockades. As usual, the orphaned elephants emerged from their stockades at first light. The milk-dependent orphans sprinted down the path for delicious bottles.
It was a happy occasion as our herd welcomed Murit, Ndotto and Ngilai after not seeing them for more than two weeks. Hildana and Godoma trunk kissed and hugged Murit and also stroked his head. Manda had missed Ndotto very much and played friendly sparring games with the older bull. Mbegu, Tagwa and Tamiyoi spent time standing close to Ngilai and Ndotto, catching up with their friends.
The herd headed out to the browsing grounds as usual with Ndotto, Ngilai and Murit in their midst. Arriving at Msinga Hill, the three bulls walked off in one direction and the rest of the herd in another.
In the afternoon, the wild bull visited the mud bath again. We suspected that he was on a mission to mate with one of our female orphans. He hung out with the herd for a time and then left.
Ndotto, Ngilai and Murit arrived at the stockades just before dark but without their wild elephant friend. The bulls spent some time around the trough and then wandered out to Msinga Hill.
On a wonderful morning at the Voi stockades, the dependant orphans lined up at the feeding trough and around the lucerne. Ndotto, Ngilai, and Murit arrived for breakfast after spending the night on Msinga Hill. Kenderi and Itinyi played a sparring match while Tamiyoi, Ashanti and Dabida browsed in one group next to the stockades on the slopes of the hill and Mbegu, Rokka, Busara and Baraka browsed in another group.
When the orphans left for their daily browsing adventures, Ndotto remained behind, hoping to be served more pellets. He waited for a time before following the herd and settling to browse over the slopes. Today, most of the older elephants climbed to the top of the hill but the little ones stayed at the bottom with Mbegu, Godoma, Tagwa and Tamiyoi.
In the afternoon, the orphans had another milk feed and padded down to the mud wallow. It was a cool day and so the elephants avoided the wallow, instead playing around the baobab. Akina scratched her rump on the baobab, Seri hosed herself with dry soil, Hildana rolled on the ground, Ngilai and Murit played a pushing game, and Ngilai dug into the earth with his massive tusks.
Our orphans left the stockades for their usual browsing adventures earlier than usual. Rokka took the lead followed by Manda and Busara. Mbegu had no choice but to follow her two favourite babies and the rest of the herd meandered along in their wake. Today, Godoma brought up the rear, pushing anyone falling behind gently on their bottoms with her head. Baraka kept up easily with the herd but Hildana needed the occasional nudge to keep him moving along.
The dependent herd browsed on the open grass fields overlooking the plains, walking in the direction of the baobab water hole. Ngilai, Murit, Ndotto and Tagwa spent the morning browsing in a different area. Early in the afternoon, Tagwa returned to the herd but the boys stayed near the Msinga Hill wallow.
In the afternoon, the orphans came down for a milk feed and a visit to the mud wallow. Old friends Lemeki and Thamana stood with heads touching and trunks entwined under the tree. Thamana continues to be less playful since Emoli left the stockades.
In the early evening, Ndotto, Ngilai and Murit ambled up the path to the stockades and spent the night resting under the tree.
On a calm morning with a blue sky, the dependent orphans gathered with Ndotto, Ngilai and Murit outside the stockades for breakfast. They did not have to share their space with the ex-orphans who have not visited even once this month. Self-contained Epiya was showboating in the lucerne area while Seri was play mounting Thamana and rolling in the dust. Itinyi and Kenderi were playing a tough wrestling game on the terraces.
The herd headed out and settled to browse in the open fields, wandering in the direction of the baobab mud wallow. Ndotto, Ngilai and Murit spent the morning browsing on their own before rejoining the other orphans in the afternoon.
After the milk feed, most of the orphans cooled off in the mud wallow. Seri and Akina massaged their backsides against the baobab tree and Itinyi posed next to the water trough while Tamiyoi, Kilulu and the others paddled and splashed in the muddy water. Clambering out of the wallow, Juni and Epiya squirted soil all over themselves. When Thamana, Hildana and Kilulu walked over in their direction, the two quiet girls moved away and stood next to the baobab.
The orphans later resumed browsing on Msinga Hill until early in the evening when Rokka led the herd back to the stockades for the night.
On another wonderful morning, the dependant orphans padded around their stockades waiting for breakfast while the Keepers prepared the milk, filled the trough with cubes, and brought out the lucerne. Feisty Epiya was pushing Ashanti away from the gate as she wanted to be first out. Ashanti does not give up easily so she kicked her friend back.
The herd later left for their usual browsing adventures, wandering over the open savanna and through the bush. Mbegu, Baraka, Rokka and Itinyi browsed on the slopes of Msinga Hill. Ushindi ran up and down trumpeting which caught the attention of other orphans like Ashanti, Epiya and Godoma.
In the afternoon, the orphans padded down the hill for another milk feed. Rokka sprinted to the feeding area followed by best friend Manda. Afterwards, they jogged on to the mud bath and many plunged in to cool down. Epiya rolled around posing on the edge while Kilulu wallowed in the pool, slapping his trunk on the water. Water baby Godoma submerged her body in the middle of the wallow.
Afterwards, the herd covered their bodies with red soil and then, led by Lemeki, ambled back to the stockades later in the afternoon.
On a sunny morning at the Voi stockades, Tamiyoi posed along the fence line and Epiya, Godoma and Hildana stood in Busara’s way, preventing her from reaching Mbegu at the feeding trough. Ngilai, Ndotto and Murit arrived as usual soon after dawn after spending the night on Msinga Hill. Today, Ngilai and Ushindi stood close with trunks entwined.
Soon, the orphans ambled out from the stockades to the browsing fields in a long line. The elephant rescued some weeks ago stayed back in his stable, enjoying fresh grewia branches. He is still recovering from his injury and will join the herd out in the bush when he is ready. Along the way, Ndotto, Ngilai and Murit branched off in their own direction and the rest of the herd settled to browse at the foot of the hill.
In the afternoon, we sent the orphans down the hill in groups of four or five. Juni led the second group down to the mud wallow. Kenderi was blowing bubbles in the water trough, Tamiyoi was rolling around and splashing in the wallow, Manda and Rokka lay relaxing in a smaller pool of rainwater, and Seri and Kilulu scratched their backsides on the baobab tree.
After mud and dust bathing, the herd spend the rest of the afternoon browsing over the open grass fields.
The orphans basked in the sunshine outside the stockades this morning. Thamana browsed on lucerne lying on his belly with legs splayed while Lemeki and Losoito browsed standing side by side. Ngilai was showboating next to the younger orphans and Murit was posing by the rock at the entrance.
After breakfast, the herd settled to browse at the foot of the rocky Msinga Hill. Adventurous Manda climbed all the way to the top on his own. Itinyi and Kenderi ran around playing chasing and sparring games. Hildana pushed Baraka aside when she blocked his path and the little girl sensibly found refuge with Mbegu.
When Tsavo is full of green vegetation, the orphans often have more energy and walk eagerly from one feast to the next. Today, Tamiyoi took her time browsing on acacia branches while the rest of the herd wandered far ahead.
In the afternoon, the orphans stopped off at the water trough to drink before cooling off in the mud wallow. Kilulu, Epiya, Thamana and Tamiyoi stole the show – the four elephants cavorted in the middle of the wallow, clambering on and off each other and rolling around. Tamiyoi was last to leave the pool and she had to catch up with the herd who were ambling back out to the bush. Today, Tamiyoi, rather than Godoma, was our water baby!
On a wonderful calm morning, after browsing on lucerne, Tagwa and Losoito stood with trunks entwined; Hildana and Seri, who have a strong bond, played chasing and sparring games; and Mbegu stretched her trunk over the fence to browse while hanging out with Busara. After spending the night on Msinga Hill, Ngilai, Murit and Ndotto joined the dependant orphans for breakfast.
Rokka led the herd out from the stockades and they spread out over the hill, ambling in the direction of the baobab tree mud wallow.
In the afternoon, as the orphans waited at the bottom of the hill for the milk van to arrive, Losoito sneaked away from the Keepers to the milk feeding area. When the van arrived minutes later, she was there waiting and was soon joined by Akina who led the first group to the area.
Many of the orphans cooled off in the wallow on a hot afternoon. Akina and Hildana massaged their backsides against the baobab tree, while Ushindi posed and pulled stunts in the muddy water. After the massage, Akina ran around in all directions, pulling down branches in excitement.
Later in the afternoon, the herd walked off to resume browsing on the hill.
In the morning, the orphans lined up at the feeding trough enjoying range cubes and then browsed on lucerne. Ashanti stood her ground when Thamana and Hildana tried to shove her away from the lucerne, but Tamiyoi intervened in time and shielded her from the bullies.
When the herd left the stockades on their daily browsing adventures, Ndotto, Murit and Ngilai remained behind to finish up the range cubes. Tagwa stayed with the herd when they headed out rather than staying back with the big boys. She is still very attached to Tamiyoi who has not shown any signs of going wild and who is helping matriarch Mbegu to look after the younger orphans.
The orphans spent the morning browsing over Msinga Hill. They came down for the afternoon milk feed, dodged the mud wallow, and returned to the hill to continue browsing.
As the orphans were walking back to the stockades later in the afternoon, they met up with Ndotto, Ngilai and Murit. The three bulls joined the herd. After the evening milk feed, the dependant orphans settled inside their stockades for the night while Ndotto, Ngilai, Murit and Tagwa remained outside.
On a sunny morning at the Voi stockades, the orphans padded out of their rooms, drank their milk and settled either at the feeding trough or the pile of lucerne. After spending the night outside the stockades, Ngilai and Ndotto browsed on lucerne while Murit and Tagwa joined the range cubes squad.
The herd settled on the slopes of Msinga Hill just above the stockade compound, browsing on delicious acacia branches. Tamiyoi stayed close to Juni while Mbegu spent the morning with Busara and Rokka. After filling their bellies, Thamana and Kilulu had a wrestling match, locking heads and tiny tusks, twisting around and pushing against each other again.
In the afternoon, the orphans padded down to the baobab mud wallow. Avoiding the main wallow, they opted for a mini wallow of standing rainwater. Lemeki, Mbegu and Godoma stood around splashing while Kilulu and Losoito rubbed against each other in the muddy water. Some drank from the water trough and then came back to wallow. As many cooled down, Thamana continued to browse on green vegetation.
Later in the day, the herd returned to browsing, settling in the open plains to the east of the hill.
On a wonderful sunny morning, the Voi orphans waited patiently in their stockades for breakfast to be served. While Ashanti and Epiya squabbled over who should come out first, Ndotto, Murit, Ngilai and Tagwa arrived and started on the range cubes. The dependent orphans soon joined them at the feeding trough. Afterwards, Kilulu was showboating on the upper terrace, Epiya was charging around on the lower terrace, and Ngilai was trunk hugging and kissing Dabida and Godoma.
The orphans soon settled to browse over the rocky Msinga Hill. Ndotto leant against a boulder while Ngilai clambered onto the rock and stretched out his trunk to twist off some tasty branches. Today, both bulls browsed with their old herd.
In the afternoon, Rokka led the first group down to the feeding area and Ushindi led the second group. They drank their milk and padded on to the mud wallow, drinking from the trough before bathing in the pool. Rokka opted for a dust bath instead and hosed herself with red soil. Kenderi and Itinyi sparred in nearby bushes while Ndotto joined the rest of the herd in the wallow.
The herd spent the rest of the day browsing. Ngilai and Tagwa remained with them — but Ndotto and Murit walked away in a different direction.
The orphans left the stockades for their usual browsing adventures after breakfast in the company of Ngilai and Tagwa. Ndotto and Murit did not visit the stockades this morning.
The herd spent the morning on Msinga Hill, browsing on delicious acacia branches.
In the afternoon, we gathered the orphans under the peacock tree in preparation for another milk feed. Today, the van carrying the bottles was late! Tired of waiting, Ushindi began running up and down. Feisty Epiya followed her example and then Ashanti and Dabida joined the protest.
A few minutes later, the milk van arrived and the orphans rushed down to the feeding area, emptied their bottles and ambled on to the mud wallow. Mbegu scratched herself against the baobab tree while Rokka and others drank from the trough and the rest cooled off in the muddy pool.
The Keepers in the milk van met Ndotto and Murit on their way back to the stockades. The two bulls were browsing contentedly on the airstrip road – they raised their trunks in greeting and continued browsing.
The dependant orphans gathered outside their stockades for breakfast on another sunny morning. Ngilai and Tagwa were waiting for them at the tree near the entrance. Ndotto and Murit arrived minutes later, having been away for two days. After eating his fill, Ndotto was trunk hugging and play mounting Godoma. She was happy to accept attention from her old friend. Ndotto and Godoma then played the pushing game.
Meanwhile, Kenderi and Kilulu were locking tusks in a wrestling game, Tamiyoi was stretching her trunk over the fence to browse on acacia branches, and Thamana and Hildana were entwining trunks between bouts of sparring.
The herd spent the morning browsing all over Msinga Hill in the direction of the baobab mud wallow. Godoma, Ashanti and Baraka remained at the bottom while many of the others ambled towards the summit.
In the afternoon, the orphans had their usual milk feed and visited the wallow. They stood quietly around the pool, drinking from the trough or scratching their bodies against trees, before ambling out to continue browsing over the savanna.
In the early morning, the orphans stood side by side at the feeding trough, scooping up range cubes with their trunks. Thamana tried to push Baraka away from her place, but Godoma did not allow this rough behaviour. When Ngilai, Tagwa, Ndotto and Murit arrived, the range cubes were already finished and so the four older orphans had to be happy with just lucerne.
The herd headed out to browse with their four partly independent friends. Mbegu, with Rokka on one side and Busara on the other, settled to browse halfway up Msinga Hill. Tamiyoi, Juni and Ashanti remained at the bottom, enjoying delicious vegetation, while Hildana and Thamana strode all the way to the top.
In the afternoon, the orphans came back to the stockades for their milk feed. They hung around the mud bath and water trough for a short time and then returned to the hill. Before returning to the stockades for the night, the Voi Kids rolled around in the erosion gulley, enjoying a dust bath under the watchful eye of Mbegu the matriarch.
After the morning breakfast routine, the herd played in front of the stockades. With Hildana standing by, Ashanti dug into the soil while Epiya play mounted her. Akina was rolling around having a dust bath. Rokka and Ushindi soon joined the party and enjoyed dusting with Akina.
The orphans spent the morning browsing over Msinga Hill and returned to the stockades in the afternoon for another milk feed.
When Ushindi lay down to relax, Kilulu gave her a surprise by play mounting her. Thamana scratched his backside on the rock next to the water trough while Kilulu and Kenderi played yet another wrestling game. After the game, Thamana and Kilulu stood with trunks entwined. Soon, Hildana was roaming around pushing Dabida and Akina, Itinyi was sparring with Epiya, and Murit was posing by the entrance with back legs crossed.
After a very playful afternoon, the orphans set out for a final browse in the bush.
On a wonderful morning at the Voi stockades, the orphans headed out early to Msinga Hill. They ambled along in a trunk to tail line and settled to browse on the lower slopes of the hill. Akina, Dabida, Tagwa and Kilulu spent the morning exploring the rocky side of the hill.
In the afternoon, the orphans returned to the stockades. After their milk feed, Thamana and Hildana had a sparring match, Itinyi took on Rokka in a wrestling game, Akina posed next to the wallow, Epiya hosed herself with dry soil, and Ushindi massaged her backside against the terrace wall.
When the orphans walked out from the stockades to browse over the hill, Murit, Ndotto and Ngilai wandered away in a different direction, but Tagwa remained with the herd. Our three big boys arrived at the stockades after dark and spent the night resting near the tree at the entrance.
This month, neither Mweya’s nor Edie’s not Mudanda’s herds of ex-orphans have visited the stockades! This is no surprise at this time of the year — we are sure that they have ventured further afield and will return after the rains.