Mwinzi, Natibu, and Toto are fiercely competitive when it comes to possession of the drinking hose. Immediately after having their milk bottles, our burly boys trundle over to the troughs — which are full of perfectly delicious, refreshing drinking water — scoop out the hose, and wrestle over it.

However, without fail, it is small Korbessa who emerges the winner. She takes a more relaxed approach, first enjoying a paddle in the pool or a short dusting session before eventually meandering over to the hose. Although she stands at shoulder height to the boys, she easily twists the hose out of their grasp and enjoys a long drink. She is the boss, after all!

More and more wild elephants are circling in as the dry season takes hold. This often dictates the route the orphans take in the morning — before heading out for the day, the Keepers check for any elephant tracks and make sure to give them a wide berth. We want to make sure we give our wild neighbours enough space.

We had a particularly delightful morning on Hippo Beach this month. Hippo Beach is a lovely stretch of sand along the Athi River, named as such because of the resident pod of hippos who spend their days in the deepest part of the water. At sunrise, we often take the orphaned elephants there for a run along the sand.

On this particular morning, the sun was rising, the weather was cool, and the herd had a notable spring in their step! Natibu and Toto jostled to lead the charge down the sandy embankment, Korbessa and Keeper Sammy walked step-in-step, and the ever-chill Mwinzi strolled along to bring up the rear.

Once everyone was on the beach, they had the best time racing and chasing each other, trumpeting in excitement. Their activities caught the attention of the hippos, who curiously poked their heads above the water, with just their round eyes and alert ears visible!

But then, just like that, the event was finished. For no apparent reason, Mwinzi dashed up the embankment with a rumble, clearly rallying the troops to follow him. Follow they did — with some difficulty in the sand! Natibu stumbled, Toto toppled over him, and Korbessa took advantage of the situation by clambering on top of them both. Mwinzi, who was already off the beach, enjoyed a few extra minutes of browsing whilst his friends gathered themselves and made their way over to him a bit more carefully.

Interestingly, it is Chamboi who is most interested in the movements of wild elephants. He immediately picks up their tracks and wants to follow them. This is where the stubbornness of black rhinos shines — when his Keepers move to keep him on course, he makes his displeasure known, tossing his head and making tiny skips in the direction he would rather take. They eventually coax him down their path, but not before a back-and-forth rhino dance!

Chamboi's mud bath has become a very social affair, now that it's getting hot. Bibi and Gruff the buffalo, Bombi the zebra, Izera the eland, and Choke the kudu wind their way over around 11 o'clock, enjoying a communal mud bath to varying degrees. The buffalos, who are wallowers of note, are usually the most enthusiastic. One morning, we even spotted Chamboi and Gruff standing still for several minutes, nose-to-horn and knee-deep in mud.

In fact, the only usual suspect who doesn't partake in the communal mud bath is Mr Bean. The warthog has a new afternoon tradition: he discovered that a specific tent by the stockades is an excellent source of midday shade. He wedges himself between the outside of the tent and the tentpole and then naps for several hours, only moving at 2 o'clock when the sun's angle changes and removes the shade. Keeper Peter brings him a bowl of milk for lunch, which he enjoys from his reclined position!

Twiggy the giraffe continues to operate at her own schedule, linking up with different friends throughout the day. All the comings and goings of wild animals have kept her on high alert. In fact, we call Twiggy our security guard — with her high vantage point and finely tuned keen senses, she is the first to notify the Keepers of any wild animals in the area. Be it elephants, lions, or even baboons, she lets us know.

Ironically, Twiggy gets the biggest fright from the smallest and most harmless creatures. A sudden noise from impalas, vervet monkeys, or other innocuous animals sends her heading for home at an elegant gallop. She plants herself at the stockades and lingers worriedly by the Keepers until her nerves have been soothed.

Twiggy is known as a friend to everyone, but she has no time for the baboons. She finds their rowdy, rude behaviour very distasteful. Whenever they arrive on the scene, she quickly makes herself scarce.

Our tiny new elephant, whom we rescued in late May, is doing very well. She has an infectious character and bundles of confidence. We look forward to introducing her when the time comes.

Apollo the black rhino:

The cold months are over, thankfully! Apollo is so relieved and happy to be back to his normal spa routine — he doesn't skip a single mud bath, which acts as natural sunscreen and insect repellent while keeping his skin moist. 

He is becoming increasingly independent as the days, weeks, and months pass. He no longer needs to be coaxed into the boma, leaving and returning on his own schedule. Before settling in for the night, he confidently demands his sugarcane and a bit of lucerne.

From Apollo's physical appearance and appetite, it's clear he's doing well and growing strong — so much so that he may be ready to go out and find a partner in the not-too-distant future.

Apollo is now at Rhino Base in Tsavo East National Park.