Keepers' Diaries, August 2006
Nairobi Nursery Unit
A huge disappointment, and concern this month has been the jaw wound of Kora, which everyone hoped had healed following the long course of penicillin injections to which he was subjected last month. Having closed, and appeared healed for 2 weeks, the wound opened again, exuding a lot of watery pus, followed by small quantities of thick pus on a daily basis. This leaves us at a loss as to what to try next, the Vets adamant that it would be unwise to operate and risk further complications. Their advice is just to get him down to Tsavo as soon as possible, where he will have access to a variety of natural browse rich in minerals and vitamins, continue the homeopathic medication, and give it more time.
01 August 2006
Kamboyo has taken to play fighting Zurura to demonstrate his strength to Sian and Loijuk and even tries to mount them and Makena, which does not please Lualeni.
02 August 2006
All the elephants had a wonderful game of football with the Keepers during the mudbath hour, even Sian, who is not used to this activity. At the moment Makena is the Star, followed by Loijuk and Lualeni, but Zurura is diverted by the mudbath guests’ laughter!
03 August 2006
Shida again spent a whole day on his own. Whenever he spotted the Keepers, he escaped into the bush, so the Keepers gave up trying to follow him. He brought himself back home in the evening at 7 p.m.
04 August 2006
Zurura and Makena began their usual tussle early in the morning, but Lualeni, as usual, intervened, leaving Zurura to challenge Kora, his best friend, who allows him to win the play fights, giving him courage to take on all the others.
05 August 2006
Today, for the first time, there was no pus exuding from Kora’s jaw wound, so we are all hopeful that it may have healed completely.
06 August 2006
For the second day, there was no pus coming from Kora’s wound which is very encouraging. Let’s hope the miracle has happened!
07 August 2006
Makena can always count on the backing of Lualeni. When she tried to scare some warthogs from the mudbath, and they refused to budge, she just screamed, and Lualeni came at the double to deal with the intruders.
08 August 2006
Shida seems to have made up his mind to go wild. Today, he refused to follow his Keepers, and ignored them completely. He turned up at the mudbath late and also returned to the Stockades late in the evening.
09 August 2006
Loijuk loves her milk and downs her share very rapidly. Today, she wanted Zurura’s as well, and refused to be deterred by the Keepers. Zurura left his bottles, and pushed her away, then returned to finish his rations.
10 August 2006
Today, Makena excelled by being the only one who took a mudbath due to the cool weather. She jumped in and entertained all the guests by wallowing very proficiently without the others. There is still no sign of pus from Kora’s jaw wound.
11 August 2006
Loijuk demanded Kamboyo’s share of milk, having finished her own. She would not be deterred by the Keeper and pushed Kamboyo hard until he fell down, screaming.
12 August 2006
Shida turned up at the mudbath looking somewhat unhappy, having obviously come from far afield. He gave the Keepers the slip this morning. The Keepers encouraged him to enjoy his mudbath, after which he looked much happier.
13 August 2006
When a group of warthogs came running fast towards us out in the bush, we thought that they might be being chased by a lion, but it turned out to be only a giraffe!
14 August 2006
On the way out into the forest today we happened upon two bull buffaloes who looked threatening. Everyone ran, including the elephants, and we had to change direction.
15 August 2006
Although Kamboyo has been with us now for quite a long time, he still prefers to spend time with the Keepers rather than the other elephants. On the other hand, Loijuk browses for a short time and then waits anxiously for the next milk feed, shoving all the others away so that she has her milk first.
16 August 2006
Kora still likes to browse on his own, often holding a Keeper’s leg so that the Keeper remains with him. There is still no pus from the jaw, so we are hopeful that it has healed.
17 August 2006
Lualeni and Makena were leading the group when they came across a troupe of baboons. She took Makena back to the other elephants, who were following, and then charged the baboons, scattering them in all directions. When the other elephants saw the baboons fleeing, they joined in the chase.
18 August 2006
Sian likes to take care of Makena whenever Lualeni is some way off. She rests her trunk over Makena, in a gesture of love, just as does Lualeni. However, Makena does not suck Sian’s ears, as she does those of Lualeni. Zurura, like Kora, likes to browse apart from the others.
19 August 2006
It was a busy day in the Nursery, with all the elephants very playful, especially when they played football at the mudbath. The Keepers always think that when the orphans are happy and playful, another orphan is on its way. Amazingly, at about 5.30 p.m. we received a call from the Trust’s Chyulu De-Snaring Unit that they had rescued a female orphan that was stuck in mud in the community area. As it was too late to organise an airlift to Nairobi, we alerted Angela Sheldrick at the Mtito Trust House, who decided that the orphan be driven to the Voi Stockades for the night.
20 August 2006
The Chyulu orphan, (named Chyulu) arrived in the Nursery at midday, and immediately wanted to be with the other elephants, rather than alone. Loijuk took a great interest in her, and Makena was also very excited.
21 August 2006
Makena is very thrilled with the new baby, wanting to play with her all the time and laying her trunk lovingly across Chyulu’s back.
22 August 2006
Because it was very cold, we decided to leave Chyulu in her stable until the sun came out. Loijuk and all the others began searching for Chyulu, running up and down, and trumpeting. They were so insistent that in the end the Keepers let Chyulu out to go with the others, despite the cold!
23 August 2006
During the night, little Chyulu occupies the stable next door to Loijuk, and throughout the night Loijuk is in contact with her, passing her trunk through the separating bars to touch her and comfort her. First thing in the morning, when the orphans are let out of their Night Stables, Loijuk waits outside Chyulu’s door to welcome her and escort her out into the bush. Similarly Lualeni and Makena rush round to also receive her, and they all fuss over her and accompany her when the orphans head out into the forest.
24 August 2006
Since the arrival of little Chyulu, there has been stiff competition between Loijuk, Lualeni and Makena to be closest to her, but surprisingly Sian has shown little interest. Loijuk seems to the winning the contest, for Lualeni is reluctant to have Makena displaced by the newcomer in her affection. Makena also wants to be a little mother to Chyulu, who enjoys the undivided attention of all three young females. The Keepers expect Sian to replace Lualeni as the Nursery Mini Matriarch when Lualeni and Kora leave for Ithumba next month.
25 August 2006
Disappointingly, Kora’s jaw wound has opened again to exude a lot of watery pus, just when we all thought it had healed at last. Everyone is very concerned about this because we did not expect it. Loijuk is the one who has taken Chyulu as her special baby.
26 August 2006
Again, Kora’s jaw exuded a lot of thick pus, which is very worrying. Today little Chyulu enjoyed playing in the mud with all the others, closely monitored by Loijuk, Lualeni and Makena.
27 August 2006
Shida was lying down having a rest in the forest when some warthogs surrounded him, and began pulling ticks off his back. He enjoyed this, and allowed two of them to climb over him!
28 August 2006
Chyulu is very hungry for her milk these days, following the Keepers, and grabbing their hands to put into her mouth.
29 August 2006
Shida has become very fond of a warthog family, seeking them out every morning and wanting to play with them, but they are usually more interested in food!
30 August 2006
Very early this morning, the BBC crew accompanied the orphans into the forest when they left their night quarters. Chyulu kept on smelling the camera man and then smelling a Keeper, wondering why there was a difference! Makena played happily with Chyulu and Lualeni, closely watched by Loijuk, who was denied participation in the game by Lualeni.
31 August 2006
All the orphans were very playful today, running up and down trumpeting and breaking down small shrubs, an activity that even little Chyulu enjoyed. Shida escaped from the Keepers at l0 a.m. in the morning and did not return to his Stockade until l0 p.m. at night, having enjoyed chasing the giraffe around the rocks at 6 p.m. When he eventually came back, he was accompanied by an adult wild who escorted him back home.