April was a milestone month for our Kaluku family. After many months of practice, Toto, Natibu, and Mwinzi took the next step in their journey back to the wild and graduated to our Ithumba Reintegration Unit.
It was an emotional move for all of us — the boys were more than ready for this next step, but the Kaluku team had invested so much in them and become so attached to the trio. Toto, who was rescued as a neonate, was an especially hard-won case.
Graduations always require preparation, but we knew we had to approach it thoughtfully for Toto, who is particularly resistant to change. Practice for the big day began several months ago, when we started giving the boys their milk feeds in the moving truck. By the time April rolled around, they were fully acclimated to the setting and even approached it at a steady clip.
On the morning of April 20th, the boys marched down to the airstrip, accompanied by Korbessa and her new sidekicks Lamuu, Subi, and Wangalla. They watched calmly as the boys boarded the truck, then about-turned to spend the day in the bush as usual. Keepers Joseph, Sammy, and Lekoli also went to Ithumba to help the graduates settle in, while the rest of the team kept life humming as usual at Kaluku. (Read the full graduation story here)
We wondered how Korbessa would respond to the boys' departure. She was close to them, especially Toto. Happily, she didn't skip a beat. After spending so long as the only female among a band of bulls, she now finds herself the leader of a little girl gang. Lamuu, Subi, and Wangalla all look up to her — especially Lamuu, who is absolutely enchanted by Korbessa.
Both Lamuu and Subi have healed so wonderfully from their injuries: Lamuu was rescued in January with a terrible snare wound around her leg; shortly thereafter, Subi came in with a snare to her scapula. Now, after many months of recovery, both are unrecognisable from the elephants who came into our care. Lamuu is proving to be quite a spitfire — everyone knows not to cross her! In that way, she reminds us a lot of Natibu.
Over on the other side of the compound, Kaikai has been kept busy with her new boyfriend, who we look forward to introducing soon. Rescued in February, this little chap arrived in precarious condition. His has been a long road to recovery — and Kaikai has been there every step of the way. Now that he's getting stronger, he's slotted right into her daily routine. Their dynamic is perfectly predictable: Kaikai runs the show, while he happily paddles in her wake.
Back in February, we rescued a tiny Grant's gazelle. Ginger, as we named her, came to us in a very fragile state and spent several weeks recuperating in her warm, safe stable. When she was finally ready to join the rest of the Kaluku orphans out and about, she immediately gravitated to a special — but rather surprising — sidekick: Pips the giraffe! Following in the footsteps of Twiggy before her, Pips is a friend to everyone. She towers above the rest of the herd, but treats everyone with gentleness and respect.
But the moment Ginger entered the picture, Pips left Gruff and Bibi the buffalos and Bombi and Brutus the zebra in the dust — she only has eyes for the little gazelle! Very often, Pips comes tearing through Kaluku, legs flailing and neck swinging in that signature giraffe way, only to screech to a halt when she spots Ginger. Mission accomplished, she ambles over for a companionable browsing session with her little friend.
Twiggy hasn't returned to Kaluku since she was whisked away on honeymoon in November. The gestation period of a giraffe is about 15 months, so her due date is still a far way off, but she doesn't seem to be in any rush to return. Several of our drivers have spotted her while on their rounds — friendly, healthy, and content. It makes us very happy to know that she's thriving in her wild life.
Friendly one moment and feisty the next, Chamboi is growing into a typical black rhino. Lately, his curiosity has been keeping everyone on their toes. The moment he catches an unfamiliar scent — a wild elephant, a kudu, a waterbuck nearby — he signals to his Keepers before taking off to investigate. They follow close behind every time, gently bringing him back before he gets too far.
When the exploring is done, the mud bath is where Chamboi is happiest, rolling around and playing in the soil without a care in the world. Gruff the buffalo often joins him in wallowing, whereas Bibi prefers to stay on the edge of the mud.
Apollo is doing well at Rhino Base. Tsavo has been blessed with unusually generous rains this year, turning his boma into a veritable jungle. He largely does his own thing during the day — but the second he clocks an unusual presence in the area, he slips over to investigate. For being such a large creature, Apollo is a master of stealth!
