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Umani became a home of champions today with many wild elephant herds coming in large numbers. Every herd that visited included some of the Umani ex-orphans. The first group came along with Jasiri, and another wild herd that visited again came along with Alamaya. In every corner they came from, there was an ex-orphan, which meant a lot to the Umani Keepers. It showed how well our ex-orphans were integrating and making friends.

Ziwa also came but went to the stockades and found none of the babies there. He then walked his friends to where Sonje, Quanza, and Enkesha were chatting while watching Mwana play happily under their bellies. When Murera realised Ziwa arrived with some of his wild friends, she decided to leave the herd and go away before Ziwa’s friends joined her, fearing that some of the wild elephants might push her. She sought her own space. 

Mwana woke up from where she was playing and moved to Zongoloni for nursing. Zongoloni tried to move to ignore Mwana, but Mwana bravely blocked Zongoloni from avoiding her. Then, Mwana tried her luck with Lima Lima, who also was not in a mood to nurse her niece. Mwana gave up and walked back to her mother, who accepted her to nurse but on the condition that she not disturb her too much. Mwana agreed and nursed for just a little while before moving over to where Amali and Kiasa were waiting for her.

Sonje, with her excellent leadership, ensured the playground was fair for everyone. As some of the babies were still coming from the bushes, she had already set the playing area. She invited her favourites, Amali and Mwana, to join. Sonje then had a meeting with Kiasa and Enkesha, feeling that this should be a girls’ playground. She didn't try to bring Kapei because she knew he does not always play fair with the girls. 

However, it didn't end there for Kapei. He followed the girls, trying to see why they left him behind. He was dismayed to find Amali victoriously at the top of the dust hill. Admiring her position, he tried to climb up, too, but tough girl Kiasa defended the scene. Kapei, dealt a blow, instead walked back to where Kiombo and Maktao were under the shade. He joined their pushing team, where he fit in better. Kapei doesn’t always respect the little girls, and until he does, he will not be invited to their games.

Later, the head girls decided to relocate to another place. In consultation with Murera, Sonje chose the Chyulu Hills as the new location. The two head girls also consulted with Lima Lima, who they trust as their deputy. And so the patrol began to the Chyulus. 

While the orphans were still crisscrossing the bushes, they met Jasiri and his wild friends. A bushbuck passed with her baby, and all the orphans made an abrupt stop. Mwashoti used the pause to push Kiombo, who screamed loudly in protest. It was a hot day, so the babies made many stops to rest, and for Mwana to breastfeed, as they continued to the Chyulu hills.

Yet again, Kapei found himself at the centre of drama this morning — drama entirely caused by himself! Kiasa became furious with Kapei when he hit Mwana from behind, causing her to roll down the dust hill where she had been enjoying playing with Amali. Kapei had come to the top of the hill, trying to find a place to play, and when he encountered Mwana, he forcefully made her give way. This action enraged Kiasa, who immediately rushed to Kapei, demanding to know why he had pushed Mwana like that. The other girls quickly joined Kiasa in the discipline effort, but Kapei managed to escape into the bushes to hide. Luckily for him, Kiombo joined him in his disappearance.

Zongoloni then escorted Mwana to the shade. Murera and Sonje calmed down after seeing Zongoloni looking after the baby. The Keepers called all the orphans to relocate to the other side of the Kibwezi Forest, after Lima Lima signalled that buffaloes were nearby. They trusted her signals and decided to vacate the area. As the Keepers were gathering everyone, Sonje and Enkesha spotted a young buffalo, confirming that Lima Lima's warning was accurate.

Later, the orphans returned to the waterhole when the afternoon became too hot. Mwana, the tiny baby, was feeling the heat. Her nannies took her to the mud bath to cool off. They played in the mud for so long that they didn’t have enough time for a dust bath, too, and walked home without it.

1The orphans had a peaceful night until just after midnight when the calm was shattered by a commotion among the baboons. The baboons had spotted some leopards planning to hunt them from the trees. They began making loud noises, waking up the baby baboons and alerting them to the danger. The noise proved too much for one of the leopards, who retreated toward the stockade.

As the leopard approached, Enkesha and Maktao spotted it and immediately alerted the other orphans. The stockade was soon filled with trumpeting elephants, all trying to scare the leopards away. Amali and little Mwana peeked out between the stockade posts, trying to see what was happening. When Mwana realised that leopards were around, she rushed back to her mother for protection.

The Keepers rushed out of their quarters to calm the elephants. Everyone was perfectly safe, as the stockade compound is fully fenced, but the orphans were still in a panic. After realising their hunt had been foiled by the baboons and elephants, the leopards retreated to an unknown location. With the threat gone, both the Keepers and the orphans settled back down and got some rest.

A wild bull elephant came today, trying very hard to join Murera and Sonje under the acacia trees. He surprised the girls and headed straight for Murera, who was browsing with Mwashoti. Murera was not ready to engage with the bull, and despite his attempts to associate with her, she rejected all his advances. Some of the other girls, including Kiasa and Enkesha, decided to follow Murera, as they too didn’t want to be near the bull. 

Later, the orphans returned to the waterhole and spent many hours bathing in the swimming pool, cooling off from the heat of the hot sun. Kapei and Kiombo got into a tussle over swimming space, with young Kapei refusing to give Kiombo the space he wanted. Kiombo was equally unwilling to concede, leading to a squabble between the two. This forced the peacemaker, Mwashoti, to step in and stop their fight in the waterhole.

Mwana came out of her bedroom, full of joy and playfulness. A Keeper was walking in front of her, unaware that Mwana was behind him. Suddenly, she charged and blew her little trumpet close to his legs. It started the Keeper so much that he nearly fell over! The nannies followed Mwana as she charged and trumpeted into the shrubs, all in high spirits.

Amali then picked up a branch, which caught Kapei's attention. As Amali was about to put the stick into her mouth, Kapei snatched it away. Upset, Amali ‘reported’ the incident to Kiasa and Enkesha. Enkesha stepped in, retrieving the stick and returning it to Amali.

Meanwhile, Kiombo and his close friend Maktao were full of energy and decided to tussle. As Kiombo tried to bounce back and hit Maktao, one of his hind legs slipped, causing him to fall. Maktao seized the opportunity to jump over him, taunting his fallen friend. The playful tussle began to escalate, but Quanza stepped in to stop the boys from turning their game into a real fight. Peace was restored.

Many groups of wild elephants arrived today in the Kibwezi Forest and its surrounding environment, coming from the Chyulu Hills. The ex-orphans’ boys club accompanied them, with Ziwa and his usual friends among them. Ziwa and his group, however, were very friendly towards the orphans. Lima Lima was the one who approached them, keeping a close eye on the wild babies while staying away from Mwana.

Mwana remained close to her mother and the Keepers. She loves her biological mother, but she is still very connected to her Keepers, whom she holds in high regard. She remembers how the Keepers bottle-fed her when her mother was unsure how to care for her in the early days. Mwana continues to show love and respect for her Keeper-mothers, cherishing the bond she shares with them.

At the water hole and dust hill, Amali climbed to the top to relieve an itch on her belly. Meanwhile, Sonje and Enkesha enjoyed a midday nap at the dust-bathing spot.

Enkesha is a growing, good girl who is showing promising leadership. After learning from the head girls, we feel sure that she will be an excellent little matriarch. Enkesha’s time will come soon; before long, Lima Lima and the others will have their own babies, and we wonder if they will continue to visit the dependent herd every day. 

Enkesha and Kiasa have gotten great practice by taking care of the little princess Mwana. The girls have proved to the herd that they are worthy of being matriarchs and could lead well if given the opportunity — but for now, they have not fought for the leadership title, because there is no vacuum yet.

Quanza, with Sonje, moved towards Kenzili, leaving the orphans with Murera and Zongoloni. Then something happened before they could reach Kenzili: A klipspringer crossed to the rocky lava flow. When Sonje saw the small antelope leaping across the lava, she stopped and ran back into the herd. Amali, Kapei, and Mwana could not understand why Sonje was running. The young girls took refuge in the herd, rushing to where Murera and Mwashoti were resting under the acacia branches. Mwashoti warned Kapei with his trunk not to cause any drama, which Kapei complied with.

The elephants came across other wild elephants while both groups were patrolling within the Kibwezi Forest during their afternoon browsing time, just after finishing their midday bottle feeding. As Kiasa tried to block the herd to change their direction and avoid mixing with some buffaloes ahead, Kapei and Kiombo quickly changed direction and entered into the wild herd. Unbeknownst to them, two of the wild elephants they were trying to dodge were Faraja and Jasiri. Once Faraja realised the orphans were passing by the thick forest, he picked up their scent and moved towards their direction, eventually joining them.

Murera was not happy about Faraja’s presence and pushed the herd further away with Amali and the little babies, ensuring they wouldn’t be taken or confused by the wild group. The Keepers also got involved, calling out the names of the orphans randomly to separate them from the wild herd. Sonje appeared visibly upset after running away with her friend Murera, as Jasiri attempted to mount her. This was distressing for Sonje, so she and Murera decided to keep their distance until they felt safe with the baby.

While crossing Kibwezi Forest, the orphans headed towards the water trough to drink. There, they encountered some antelopes at the water trough. Mwana and Amali didn’t like seeing them around and took it upon themselves to chase the antelopes away with loud trumpeting until the bushbuck family left the area. Afterward, Kapei and Amali returned, having successfully chased the bushbucks away, and the journey back to the stockades was calm. Kiasa, Enkesha, and little Mwana led the group slowly, as they all looked tired.

Mwashoti and his friend Alamaya were conducting an early check-up on the babies. Mwashoti checked on Enkesha by touching her belly, and Alamaya was also making his rounds, but Zongoloni stopped him, warning him to stop bothering the other babies. Zongoloni and Sonje teamed up against the boys after Mwashoti pulled Kapei's tail, causing both Alamaya and Mwashoti to be kept away from the herd.

The Keepers saw Sonje and Zongoloni harshly chasing Alamaya and Mwashoti away from the herd.The Keepers called out repeatedly until Sonje finally stopped and returned to where Murera was, who was keenly observing the situation with some nannies around her. The babies continued browsing, and a buffalo visited the area, looking for the water hole as the day had become extremely hot. However, Kiombo did not give the buffalo space to enter the water hole. 

Amali became very agile as the elephants prepared to return home, with the day coming to an end. All the babies lined up in a straight line, ready to head back to the stockades. Upon arrival, wild elephants appeared behind the stockades to receive the night clubbers, who joined them after ensuring the orphans were safely back in their rooms for a night's rest after a long day of patrolling.

Ziwa and his adopted family friends were in the Kenzili area while the orphans were also browsing in the same place, within the protected Kibwezi Forest. Ziwa got wind of the orphans’ presence and made his way into the herd, where he was warmly received by Zongoloni and Sonje. They brought him in to meet with the other orphans. Kiombo, Quanza, and Maktao went to greet Ziwa, and they all had a wonderful time together, exchanging greetings with the others. Murera and the little girls, who hadn’t seen Ziwa for a long time, were particularly happy to see him again. His wild friends, who were nearby, waited patiently for him to finish his greetings before they moved on towards Chyulu.

Amali tried to follow a little baby who was walking away with Ziwa’s friends, but after realising she might get lost, Lima Lima stepped in and brought Amali back to Kiasa. They later rejoined the herd where Murera, Sonje, and Enkesha were resting in the shade, as the day had become too hot to continue browsing.

Today, Lima Lima arrived in the morning looking slow and moody. She wanted to be alone and avoided the herd, especially Zongoloni and Mwana. Despite Amali's attempts to play with her, Lima Lima ignored her and kept her distance.

After a while, Mwana spotted Lima Lima and rushed under her belly for breastfeeding. However, Mwana faced a setback today. Lima Lima was not in the mood to be a nursemaid and walked away. She is preparing for her own baby and is less willing to allow Mwana to breastfeed. This is especially true when she is feeling moody, which is happening more frequently as her pregnancy advances.

Feeling disappointed, Mwana sought comfort from Amali. They then moved together to the Kibwezi Forest, where Kiombo and Enkesha were leading the herd.

The Kibwezi Forest currently has an unusually high number of wild elephants. This typically happens during the dry season, as it is now, and is often related to wildfires in the Chyulu Hills. Whenever wildfires occur, all wildlife rushes to Kibwezi Forest and stops at the Umani Springs for water. In collaboration with the KWS, our SWT teams are working hard to stop the fires. 

Quanza, along with other nannies, moved to the hills but at a slow pace because Amali, Enkesha, and Mwana were moving like tortoises. Mwana was carrying a little stick and did not want to leave it behind. Kiasa then helped little Mwana pull the stick away from Kapei, who was also eyeing. Zongoloni, along with her friends Lima Lima and Sonje, noticed some of the boys were too close to Murera, which Lima Lima was not happy about. The girls surrounded their matriarch, protective as always.

In the midday at the waterhole, it was more fun. Amali and her little sister Mwana led the orphans into the waterhole for a mud bath. The day had become too hot, and both elephants needed a mud bath. Kapei found himself unwelcome in the waterhole after jumping on Kiasa. Enkesha and Kiombo chased him away for his misbehaviour towards the other friends.

Jasiri and Alamaya merged with Ziwa and his adopted family today. Ziwa’s family previously didn't have any males, but now the matriarch of this herd decided to adopt male orphans into her group. She sent Ziwa to talk with his former orphans to join the herd, and Ziwa indeed brought two more boys into the mix. While Jasiri remains with them for longer, Alamaya prefers to go on long, solo adventures.

Enkesha found Mwashoti pulling down an acacia branch to drop pods. This was a kindness he did for the babies, who are too small to climb or pull down heavy branches. Kiasa found pods next to Mwana and Amali. Mwana felt that Kiasa was eating all the pods she wanted, not caring that Kiasa is one of her nannies. She pushed Kiasa aside to have space for the pods. Kiasa, understanding that Mwana was behaving as babies do, gave her the space she wanted. Amali also joined Mwana to enjoy the pods together.

Quanza moved aside with Mwashoti, and then Kiombo and Kapei joined them in the Chyulu Hills. Sonje, together with the other head girls, stopped to gather all the babies in preparation to return home after the long day. Amali was playing around with butterflies on her way to the stockades. She blew out loud trumpets as she chased butterflies, but she couldn’t catch any because they were flying out of reach. 

By the time orphans arrived home, Amali and Murera were the last to arrive. Murera walked along the stockades, checking rooms to ensure everyone was back safely. After the check, she walked into her room with Mwana to relax after the long day.

Kapei had been admiring what Kiombo and Maktao always do whenever they meet: the play-pushing that the two boys always engage in. This play-fighting has become the norm of the day. Seeing Kiombo today, Kapei decided to try pushing with him but found it rough because Kiombo was not ready to train him. Kiombo, thinking Kapei was disrespecting him, applied more energy and pushed him strongly, which Kapei did not expect. When Kapei got up from the ground, he walked away in fear of Kiombo and decided not to try playing around with him again. Some of the head girls went to calm Kapei down and walked him away to the Kenzili area, leaving Kiombo with Mwashoti to go their own direction.

Quanza and Sonje then led the little babies onto the hills to browse with Murera and her baby, who were very friendly to Kapei after his disappointment with Kiombo. Enkesha tried to follow Kapei, but he was in a terrible mood and did not want her with him. Ignoring all that Enkesha was trying to tell him, Kapei continued on with Quanza to the Kenzili hills. While climbing to the top of the hills, the orphans encountered vervet monkeys struggling to climb for some fruit. Their noises scared Kapei and his friends. There was no real danger, but Sonje and Lima Lima covered the babies by making sure everyone was in the middle of the herd for safety, with the nannies and head girls providing security for all the babies.

Enkesha has always been very loyal in helping Murera by taking care of her baby. But today, the Keepers saw a different scene: Murera did not want Enkesha around her. Whenever Enkesha approached Mwana, Murera raised her ears as a warning for Enkesha to stop, but Enkesha either did not see this or chose to ignore it. Murera then used her tusks to push Enkesha aside, leaving Mwana without one of her favourite nannies. 

Enkesha screamed loudly, attracting the attention of the Keepers. When they rushed to see what was happening, Murera had already gone. The Keepers comforted Enkesha to calm her down. Zongoloni and Quanza then spoke with Murera to understand why Enkesha had been pushed. After some discussion, Enkesha decided to keep her distance from Murera.

Amali and Kiasa were the only nannies Murera appointed to be with Mwana today. However, Mwana did not agree with her mother’s decision and chose to spend time with Enkesha and others as she usually does. Mwana loves everyone, including Kapei, who was not initially her friend but has now changed from being a ‘bad boy’ to a good one.

At the mud bath, Amali and Kiasa were the first to enter the pool, and later Mwana joined them. Mwana swam energetically, kicking the mud with her tiny front feet to ensure the water was free of any rocks or particles that could injure her. After she confirmed that the waterhole was clean, she was getting ready to roll over when a turtle shot out of the water and shuffled onto land. Mwana and Amali were the swimming stars of the day.

A wild herd arrived with four young male calves the size of Mwana. At first, Enkesha spotted the two young calves and mistook them for Mwana. She rushed over to try to get one of the babies back to her side but found that the mother would not allow it. Enkesha was disappointed after failing to grab the wild-born calf from its mother, but it was not her fault — she had mistaken the baby for Mwana. Kiasa blew her trumpet, trying to direct Enkesha towards the right location where Kiasa, Amali, Mwana, and Murera were resting. Enkesha was overjoyed to find Mwana with Kiasa and the other babies. Mwana was rolling on the grass after swimming in the waterhole.

Sonje and Quanza then led the group to the shade, as it was getting too hot. The babies rested until the sun cooled down. Only then did they make the long trek back from the Chyulu Hills to the stockades.

Meanwhile, Mwashoti came across Faraja, who was holding a stick to scratch his chest. Mwashoti tried to pull the stick away, but Faraja was not willing to give it up. They ended up breaking the stick into two pieces, so each could have a share. Faraja was left with a short piece that was not very effective for scratching, so he dropped it and moved away.