Keepers' Diaries, August 2005
Ithumba Reintegration Unit
An extremely interesting event involving the Ithumba orphans is graphically described in this month’s Keepers’ Diary which will leave all who read this as astonished as were we ourselves and the Keepers. It occurred on the 31st July, when Sunyei, Olmalo and Wendi were allowed the privilege of leading the other orphans to their normal feeding ground in the morning. Suddenly Yatta, who was way behind, and who is the acknowledged main Matriarch of the Ithumba orphans, rushed ahead, and very forcefully blocked the passage of the three young elephants, trumpeting in a high state of excitement and determinedly pushing them back. This astonished the Keepers, for Yatta never normally behaves like this and certainly is always very gentle and caring towards her “special calf” Olmalo, and indeed all the younger elephants. Their curiosity aroused, the Keepers went ahead to investigate, and could not believe their eyes when they encountered a huge puff-adder with a damaged tail lying in the path in a very aggressive frame of mind, coiled and ready to strike. How Yatta knew that there was a snake ahead that posed a deadly threat to her adopted “family” is puzzling indeed, for she could not possibly have seen or heard it. Did she scent it? We will never know for sure, but this, yet again, demonstrates the mysterious abilities of elephants, and their ability to reason. How does Yatta know that a snake is such a serious threat? This must surely yet again indicate the fact that elephants have a genetic memory honed by exposure to a wild situation.
01 August 2005
At noon Galana was not satisfied with her share of milk, and wanted more. She kept on following the Keepers who had the empty bottles in their hands. She managed to snatch one from the Keeper’s hand, but when she found it was empty, she tossed it into the mudwallow. As dusk set in, Sunyei knew it was time to lead the orphans home, and she did.
02 August 2005
It was a cold day, so Yatta and Napasha warmed themselves up by pushing each other. Mulika then took Yatta’s place, allowing Yatta to go and join her favourite, Ol Malo. After the mudbath, we enjoyed a long spell of warmer weather.
03 August 2005
It was a warmer day, so all the orphans enjoyed their mudbath. Only Taita and Tomboi did not go in, since they were involved in a tough pushing contest, which was interrupted when they saw Napasha approaching, since they knew what to expect from him.
04 August 2005
Sunyei and Wendi, hopeful future Matriarchs, led the group out from the Stockade today. Shortly before 11 a.m. a flock of noisy weavers arrived in the tree under which the elephants were feeding, which scared them. The babies, led by Sunyei, rushed back bellowing to the Keepers, but Olmalo paid no attention, being used to the sound of the birds. When Yatta spotted the babies rushing back, she ran to join them, touching each one with her trunk, but noticed that Olmalo was not amongst them. This disturbed her, and she ran in the direction from which the babies had come, and was greatly relieved to find Olmalo alright.
05 August 2005
At around 9 a.m., whilst the orphan were browsing, Taita’s left hind leg got trapped in between two branches of a thicket and became punctured by the spikes as he struggled to try and extract it. He bellowed, drawing the attention of the Keepers, who rushed to help him out. By then the entire orphaned herd as well as the Keepers had gathered around Taita, as some of the Keepers struggled to free him. Having accomplished this, Yatta, Mulika, Nasalot and Kinna surrounded him closely and touched him with their trunks, rumbling to comfort him. The Keepers administered first aid, and as the sun faded slowly, and the sky turned to crimons, he had recovered sufficiently to proudly head the column back to the Night Stockades!
06 August 2005
On a chilly morning, Wendi and Sunyei headed the column out to the feeding grounds, and once there, Sunyei, Tomboi, Wendi and Madiba took a few minutes rushing about the bushes to arm themselves. At mudbath, Sunyei, Galana, Olmalo and Napasha had a prolonged session while the rest rested under a tree awaiting their return.
07 August 2005
Yatta took charge and led the group today South of Ithumba hill. At the mudbath, Sunyei and Madiba enjoyed a pushing game, whilst the rest of the group dusted themselves with red soil. After a while Wendi and Taita had a disagreement after Taita tried to mount onto Wendi. Kinna arrived to separate the warring parties!
08 August 2005
Sunyei and Tomboi were the leaders today when the group left the Stockades in the morning. Just ahead, they came upon two dikdiks standing facing the orphans, so they both charged, trumpeting and gambolling towards them. This drew the attention of Madiba, Galana and Ndomot, who joined in the chase, driving the dikdiks away and leaving Sunyei and the backup charging at the bushes instead!
09 August 2005
Today, Sunyei, Madiba, Ndomot and Galana chose to remain close to the Keepers as they fed until 11 a.m. when Sunyei led the way to the mudbath. None of the orphans chose to go in today, although it was warm, and instead took a soil bath.
10 August 2005
Once the orphans had reached the browsing area, Ndomot, Sunyei and Wendi headed to a nearby anthill that had loose soil, and enjoyed dusting themselves. Shortly afterwards, Madiba strolled up to a log of wood, and rubbed against it to dislodge the ticks. None of the orphans took a mudbath today, it being too cold.
11 August 2005
Led by Yatta, their Matriarch, the orphans paused at the water trough to take a drink before heading out. Shortly afterwards the babies rushed back bellowing in fear because they had encountered a running jackal. Yatta and Kinna charged the jackal to send it off, as the Keepers calmed the babies.
12 August 2005
It was a cloudy day. At around 9 a.m. a fight broke out between Tomboi and Taita, because Taita tried to take a branch from Tomboi. Tomboy was angered by this, and managed to wrench the branch from Taita, which he carried as he ran to shelter behind Nasalot. It was too cool for a mudbath today.
13 August 2005
Wendi and Napasha enjoyed a rolling game this morning, and all went well until Napasha seized an opportunity to mount Wendi. En route to the mudbath Selengai charged a dikdik, trumpeting, which drew the attention of Mulika, who rushed to see what was happening to her favourite. Again none of the elephants went into the mud because it was too cool.
14 August 2005
Ndomot and Madiba enjoyed a dustbath once out in the morning, watched by Wendi. At the mudbath only Wendi and Galana went in, whilst the rest took a soil bath instead. In the evening, Wendi, Tomboi and Taita enjoyed a chasing game.
15 August 2005
Yatta led the babies out this morning. Galana and Sunyei enjoyed a soil bath near a hole, from which exploded a male warthog, which scared them witless! They rushed back to the Keepers bellowing, and upon hearing the babies’ cries, Yatta and Mulika rushed up to rescue them. Having calmed down Sunyei and Galana, Yatta spotted the offending warthog, and charged it, sending it on its way.
16 August 2005
Just before first light, a huge wild bull paid a visit to the orphans at their Stockade. The wild bull stood looking at them from a distance of 4 – 5 metres, whilst Yatta and her group raised their trunks, rumbling a greeting. The wild bull responded by rumbling, but when he heard the Keepers’ voices, he moved off to take a drink at the water trough, where he spent a few minutes before departing. This is an indication that one day the wild bull will show up in daylight, to introduce himself, since he has obviously been one of the two that have come before. When the orphans left, Yatta led the group in search of their wild visitor, but to no avail.
17 August 2005
At 9 a.m. Taita played with Wendi and then tried to mount her, which angered Wendi, so she put up a very strong resistance. Eventually Taita wandered off. Sunyei, followed by Ndomot, led the orphans to the mudbath today.
18 August 2005
At around 7.30 a.m. Madiba, Sunyei and Ndomot spotted a pair of dikdiks ahead of them, so Sunyei led the charge towards them, sending them off. The three orphans then enjoyed searching for them amongst the thicket
19 August 2005
The day turned hot, so the orphans flapped their ears a lot, and all enjoyed the mudbath at noon. Napasha, Wendi, Taita, Selengai and Sunyei spent a long time in the mudbath to make up for all the days that were too cold to go in
20 August 2005
It was another very hot day, so hot that Madiba drew water from his stomach to spray over his body. After the noon milk feed, he splashed water all over himself before going to roll in the mud where he was joined by the rest.
21 August 2005
Yatta took the orphans East today to feed on the slopes of Mazinga Hill where there is still some green vegetation. The orphans enjoyed the mudbath today, after which Tomboi and Sunyei had a wonderful shared soil bath, rolling around in the soft soil.
22 August 2005
It was another hot day, so the orphans paused to take a drink before leaving to browse in the morning. Two sprinting dikdiks prompted a chase, and the orphans proved very popular today, so much so that the orphans were reluctant to leave. They then took a rest in shade, before browsing again in the evening. At 4 p.m. Taita and Wendi had a shoving match, when Wendi overpowered Taita
23 August 2005
Napasha and Taita had a pushing match this morning, Napasha intending to mount onto Taita. On the way to the mudbath, Olmalo lagged behind, resting under shade because it was very hot. After a while she bellowed, thinking she had been left behind, and this brought Yatta back in a rush to escort her.
24 August 2005
Yatta steered her group northwards today through a rugged valley between rocky hills. Whilst the orphans were enjoying the wallow, a flock of vulturine guineafowl arrived. Yatta and Ndomot kept chasing them off, determined not to share the mudwallow.
25 August 2005
After an early morning drink, the Keepers led the orphans Eastwards to try and find better pastures. On the way the orphans enjoyed knocking small bushes and chasing each other. Taita and Tomboi enjoyed a happy pushing game that was the envy of Napasha, who went to play a pushing game with Yatta. Near the mudbath, Sunyei, Olmalo, Selengai and Madiba enjoyed seeing off a flock of vulturine guineafowl.
26 August 2005
It was a cool day, which was spent roaming around feeding, with no mudbath activity because of the weather.
27 August 2005
At the mud wallow, the orphans has a wonderful mud bath because of the good weather. Kinna and Madiba rolled in the mud while Napasha and Tomboi were busy mounting Selengai and Olmalo. Yatta, who was standing close by splashing water onto herself, was furious with the bad behavior and strode to the scene, pushed both Napasha and Tomboi out of the mud bath and pushed them completely away from the two girls. Mulika also lent support in disciplining these two naughty boys.
28 August 2005
As we left the stockade the orphans appeared to be extremely happy today, as they swayed their trunks, shaking their heads, and bumping off one another as the followed Yatta who was in the lead. Once we reach the field the orphans concentrated mostly on grazing apart from Taita, Tomboi and Wendi who from time to time engaged on another in a pushing game. Unlike previously, Wendi and Taita have now become good playmates; they don’t have the rivalry they used to have for the last one year.
29 August 2005
Immediately after reaching the grazing grassy fields, Nasalot and Napshaa engaged each other in a pushing game that lasted nearly half an hour; and were it not for Yatta who intervened, probably would have lasted a lot longer. Yatta hates time wasting especially in unnecessary struggles, that’s why she intervenes whenever any unnecessary fighting games go beyond the limit. Yatta separated the two so that they found the time to browse, Nasalot listened to Yatta’s instructions, but Napasha instead turned to engage Yatta in a tussle, but Yatta too this seriously and knocked him so hard that the only option left was for him to run away, having lost face in front of all the others. Yatta really keeps the order within this group and is turning into a very capable Matriarch.
30 August 2005
In the morning, the sky was sullen, and as expected an hour later, it started drizzling making the orphans converge to one spot for warmth. Later on, the drizzling died out but the day remained cold. Sunyei and Tomboi battled over who was to lead on the way to mud wallow and since Tomboi is more energetic than Sunyei, he won the day and led the way to the milk bottles. At mud wallow time the weather was still chilly and as a result there was not much action from the orphans.
31 August 2005
Yatta and Napasha opend the day’s activities by engaging each other in a pushing game that didn’t last for long, Yatta withdrew when she saw her favourite calf Olmalo standing motionless watching. Yatta went and enveloped Olmalo with her trunk and took her off to browse not far from the rest of the group.