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When the orphans left the stockades this morning, Narok, Mutara and Chaimu’s groups joined them to feed on lucerne. Tusuja entwined trunks with Orwa in morning greetings. Twelve wild bulls were drinking water at the stockade water troughs as the orphans enjoyed their lucerne. Shortly later, the junior ex-orphans accompanied the orphans out to browse. Kanjoro and Sities competed who among them had the longest trunk that could stretch high to reach the soft leaves. The competition ended in a draw when they found out they had same size trunks. 

At mud bath time, the sun was really hot and all the orphans and junior ex-orphans participated fully in the wallowing exercise. Mutara and Orwa opted for soil dusting soon after mud bath. In the afternoon, the orphans took a break from feeding and only resumed browsing when it was cooler. In the evening they decided to pass by the mud bath and enjoyed an evening cooling-off again before proceeding back to the stockade compound. 

Ex-orphan Kinna, her baby Kama, Loijuk and Lenana were at the stockade compound in the morning. As soon as the gates opened for the orphans to leave, Kinna took her baby in for a tour and also to find out if there was anything left over for them to feed on. Shortly later, the orphans settled for lucerne. Sapalan and Karisa had a disagreement about the lucerne they were feeding on and their disagreement ended in a pushing game. As soon as the lucerne was over, Kinna and her small group left while the orphans headed south from the stockade. Mapia settled to browse with Malkia while Tusuja settled to browse with Wanjala. Olsekki had brief chat with Roi. Orwa and Bomani joined the orphans while they were browsing and left with Turkwel, Kithaka, Barsilinga, Garzi, Lemoyian and a wild bull. 

At mud bath time, thirty four wild bulls showed up to have water. The orphans had their milk bottles then returned back to the browsing field leaving the wild bulls still enjoying a cooling off exercise in the mud wallow. In the afternoon, the sun was hot and the orphans took a break to relax under some trees until the temperature dropped to a favourable level when they resumed browsing. 

After settling on lucerne in the morning, the orphans were joined by ex-orphans Taita, Kilaguni, Chaimu, Kibo, Tumaren Naisula and a wild elephant. Several wild bulls were drinking water at the stockade water troughs. A family herd joined the bulls shortly later. Noticeable was an eighteen month old baby who Ukame grew fond of and walked down to say hi to. After Ukame left, Malima teased the baby by pushing it lightly. The baby retaliated by pushing back. Barsilinga ran into trouble with a wild female when he tried to push her from the back. The wild female turned and drove Barsilinga away, which was an important lesson for Barsilinga! Naisula and Tumaren stayed with the orphans while Kilaguni, Chaimu and Kibo left with Turkwel and the rebels Kithaka, Barsilinga, Garzi and Lemoyian. 

At mud bath time, it was all quiet with no wild elephants visiting. The temperature was moderate and the orphans boycotted the wallowing exercise. Only Naisula got into the water and wallowed briefly before coming out, as she knows the importance of mud bathing! In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse on the western side of Ithumba Hill. Turkwel, Kithaka, Barsilinga, Lemoyian and Garzi arrived back at the stockade very late at night in the company of Orwa and Bomani. 

Orwa and Bomani, who spent the night outside the stockade, joined the orphans in the morning for lucerne. Sapalan, who is very active these days, briefly engaged Tusuja in a strength testing exercise but ended up losing to Tusuja. Mteto and the quiet Siangiki settled for scratching exercise before resuming with lucerne feeding. Shortly later, Sapalan and Mapia walked down under an acacia tree to pick up acacia pods that had fallen. 

Later, Sapalan picked on Namalok and they had a pushing game for quite some time while Garzi played with Kithaka. Kuishi settled to feed with Bomani while Mundusi teamed up with Enkikwe. At mud bath time, the weather was chilly and none of the orphans dared to touch the mud bathing water. Several wild bulls attended mud bath too. Olsekki, Barsilinga and Tusuja lagged behind as they engaged one of the wild bulls in a conversation; we are not sure but it appeared the three boys were asking questions and in return received satisfactory answers. Taita and the wild bull with a broken ear known as ‘Masikio’ were also present at mud bath. On the way back out to browse, Pare engaged Mundusi in a pushing game while Bomani played with Garzi. The rebels stayed with the group the whole day. In the evening when the orphans were back at the stockade, Kithaka waited until the Keepers were out of site and then opened the gate letting everyone out. The keepers intervened and after getting them back in, locked the gate using a padlock. 

Today was a busy day as the stockade was full with many different elephants. The orphans had their morning milk and went straight to the lucerne field. The ex-orphans were there including Mulika with her baby Mwende, Yatta with Yetu and Yoyo, Sunyei with Siku and Wendi. Wiva was not with her mother Wendi as sometimes Wendi is not a very diligent mother and is happy to leave Wiva with her nannies Yatta and Galana too. So we suspect that Wiva is with Galana, Lualeni and Nasalot's group who have not appeared yet. Mutara and Olare's herd was also present, along with Bomani, Orwa and Narok. There was a big group of wild bulls who were sharing water from the same water trough as the ex-orphans. We were very happy when Vuria, another ex-orphan who has been away for long time showed up to join the others as well. The dependent orphans were active and happy for the interaction with all the ex-orphans, and when they had their share of water too they walked out to the bush to browse. 

The orphans were active and happily interacting with Mutara's group and Narok, Bomani and Orwa joined the orphans in the bush too. Mundusi was scooping and tossing chunks of soil in the air and some on his back. Esampu and Roi were sharing food from the same bush very amicably. 

Later on at the mud bath, all the milk-dependent orphans ran in for their milk bottles in groups of three. Galla, Enkikwe and Karisa seemed very hungry and were eager to run for their milk. Kinna’s ex-orphan group arrived a bit later with baby Kama, Lenana and Loijuk. They had some water and walked away, and the dependent orphans with Mutara’s herd decided to follow them out to the bush as well walk to the bush. Sana Sana looked very tired in the afternoon and rested her head on a Baobab tree. 

Ex-orphans Wendi plus Kinna, Sunyei and their wild born babies, and Challa, Mulika, Tomboi, Taita and several wild elephants joined the orphans for lucerne in the morning. Shortly later, the orphans parted ways with the ex-orphans. The orphans headed south east of the stockade leaving the ex-orphans and wild elephants at the stockade. The orphans had a quiet morning and browsed calmly without any major observation. At mud bath time, the orphans were joined by Kibo, Tumaren, Chemi Chemi, Orwa and Bomani. The junior ex-orphans escorted the orphans back to the browsing field where they took a break from feeding until it was cooler. Orwa then challenged Kibo to a pushing game that saw Orwa surrender. Esampu enjoyed soil dusting and in the evening the junior ex-orphans escorted the orphans back to the stockade.