This month, we have been reflecting on our ‘Kaluku trio’ and how far they have come. Kinyei, Kindani, and Bondeni are still best friends — nothing has changed there — but they have each evolved in their own ways.
On a cool, cloudy morning, the Keepers led the orphan herd out into the forest to browse and play. The elephants wandered along behind the lead Keeper in small groups, with the blanket babies staying close to the older females. Apart from the occasional rumble from an orphan or whistle from a Keeper, the elephants walked silently, padding along on their fat spongy feet.
Calm, caring Kinyei is an independent young lady. Although she is good friends with Kindani and Bondeni, she often browses at a distance from the herd while out in the field. Today, she chose to go off on her own, taking little Shujaa with her.
Later in the afternoon at the mud bath, Bondeni trumpeted loudly as he ran in for his bottle of milk, maybe because some nearby impalas had given him a surprise. Kinyei immediately ran towards him to check on her friend. Looking back, she noticed that Suguroi was standing close to Shujaa, stretching out her trunk and pulling the little boy under her neck. Kinyei turned around, charged back and drove Suguroi away. The Keepers had to step in to restore the peace!
Sagateisa is outgrowing the Nursery – she is ready to graduate and to become one of the younger members of a new herd. Today, she was asserting herself by pushing around Kitich, Mageno and Ahmed, until mini matriarch Naleku stepped in to protect the little ones and reprimand her friend.
Naleku is developing into a responsible young matriarch. This morning out in the forest, Iletilal and Elerai chose to wander a short distance away from the herd and were browsing quietly with each other. They do this quite often, enjoying hanging out in a pair rather than being in the thick of the herd. Perhaps they are still wary of their older, more powerful peers. Noticing them, Naleku decided to have a break from her four smallest charges, Nyambeni, Mzinga, Shujaa and Muridjo, and strolled over to the two newbies. She trunk touched both to check all was fine, settled in for a browse, and later shepherded them back to the herd.
Today was coconut oil Friday! The oil is really good for the orphans’ skin, helping to keep it free of ticks. Be that as it may, some of them do not like being covered in oil. After the milk feed at the mud bath this morning, several orphans kept dodging the Keepers as the men ran around after them with large bottles of oil. Kamili, Iletilal and Sileita were determined not to be doused. In contrast, Kinyei, Naleku, Olorien, Elerai, Nyambeni, Mzinga and Shujaa stood still obediently for their coconut oil massage. They enjoyed the energetic dust bath that followed even more, rolling and squirming in delight!
Later in the day, there was lots of wallowing in the mud bath. The oil had made the elephants feel really warm on what was already a hot sunny day. As usual, Kerrio was the first in, paddling with her big feet for a moment before lying down in the cool muddy water. She was immediately followed by Muwingu, Choka, Kitich, Weka, Mageno and Mukutan. The six babies made waves in the thick water as they splashed and played, hosing themselves and lying up against each other. Much to Choka’s annoyance, Mukutan kept trying to mount her as she lay relaxing in the mud. Eventually he got the message and waddled away from her!
On a bright sunny morning in the forest, Kerrio and Latika had a fabulous time playing with the baby warthogs! Kerrio was browsing quietly on her own in the bush when some piglets, who were nearby with their mother, trotted over to see her. The small warthogs started sprinting around and around the little elephant. Initially bemused, Kerrio soon relaxed and started chasing her friends. Observing the fun, Latika decided to stroll over and join in the game. The two orphans were trumpeting in excitement as they charged around, trying but failing to change direction like piglets as their little friends zigzagged enthusiastically through the bushes. Their mother watched placidly from the side-lines.
The arrival of Kinyei followed by Kindani, Esoit, Taabu, Muwingu and Choka brought the game to an end. Kinyei and her friends trumpeted their desire to join in the fun but this was just too many elephants for the mother warthog to accept. She trotted over and whisked away her babies. With Kinyei lumbering after them, they sprinted off into the bush, tails and ears erect as the babies led the way.
Maxwell was in such a playful mood this morning! He charged up and down the wall of his enclosure as big boys Taabu, Esoit and Bondeni chased him on the other side of the wall. They ended up playing the pushing game on either side of the gate, amid clouds of dust and a fair amount of trumpeting. Right on time, the warthogs and their piglets arrived for breakfast with their large benefactor. Maxwell shifted his attention to his small friends and started chasing them around instead! Play time soon came to an end as the crew settled down to eat lucerne pellets together.
As soon as the orphans (except for blanket babies, Mzinga, Nyambeni, Muridjo and Shujaa, who were yet to emerge from their stables) headed out into the forest, it began to rain. Most of the elephants stood stolidly amid the rainfall, but not all: Iletilal, Elerai, Kamili and Kindani trundled from tree to tree looking for shelter from the rain. One would choose a tree and the other three would join her – then all would move out looking for another tree. Someone else would find one and all four would crowd together underneath it. And so on!
Muwingu is an unusually independent little girl, hanging out with everyone and also with no one. This morning at the mud bath, she was chilling with big girls and boys Suguroi, Naleku, Sagateisa, Esoit and Sileita. There was lots of action as they wallowed and rubbed up against and slid over each other. A group of quite large orphans with a tiny one in the middle!
In the afternoon, the boys got down to some serious wrestling out in the forest. Choka and Taabu had a great time challenging each other, amid the clashing of tiny tusks and entwining of trunks.
Since her arrival at the Nursery, Nyambeni has been lavished with love by Naleku and Suguroi. All this attention has been wonderful for her, perhaps even a little bit too wonderful! Today, Nyambeni was being rather petulant towards her peers, in particular, Muridjo.
She loves to be the first to arrive at the milk feeding point, whether in the field or at the mud bath. This morning, the four little ones – Nyambeni, Mzinga, Shujaa and Muridjo – were racing down the incline to the mud bath for their bottles. As usual, Nyambeni was in the lead. Until Muridjo tried to overtake her! Coming from behind, he swerved in on a slight bend to sprint past her. Realising how fast he was, Nyambeni stepped into his path and blocked his way. But Muridjo was not ready to give up. The determined little boy pushed against her, fighting to get past. He is stronger and she had no choice but to give up. By this point, Mzinga and Shujaa had trundled ahead, with the wheelbarrow of milk bottles firmly in their sights. Nyambeni trumpeted at the top of her voice to distract her friends and slow them down before sprinting past them to the finishing line. Much to the Keepers’ amusement, she got there first!
Most of the orphans stood around quietly at the mud bath this afternoon after downing their bottles of milk. They browsed contentedly in small friendship groups, rumbling occasionally. In contrast, Rafiki and Lodo got stuck into an energetic wrestling game, clashing heads and pushing against each other. It was great to see Rafiki being so playful.
Since Neshashi graduated and left for Ithumba, Naleku has stepped firmly into the role of mini matriarch. She commands the respect of both the little ones and her age mates. This morning, the blanket babies remained behind in their stables, on account of the cold, as the older orphans headed out into the bush. All of a sudden, Naleku made a decision to return to the stockades to look for her adopted babies. To the Keepers’ surprise, the whole herd followed her, even though they had just arrived in the forest and were far from ready to return. They gathered in the compound behind Naleku. Nonplussed, the Keepers persuaded the matriarch to move a short distance to some bushes right next to the stockades where she could wait for Nyambeni, Mzinga and Shujaa. Once again, the whole herd followed her. After a short while, the babies plodded out to join the herd and they headed out again led by Naleku closely followed by tiny Nyambeni.
A strong young bull, Mageno has learned to stand up for himself and to give at least as good as he gets! Today as he was munching on some green shoots out in the forest, Kerrio hit him quite hard on his back, taking him unawares. He paused for a moment. Then he bounced up, strode after Kerrio and struck her back. She fell over, no doubt regretting her playful shove. As she got up to react, Mageno pushed her onto her knees. The Keepers intervened, whistling at the young bull to stop and separating the squabbling orphans.
This afternoon, Muwingu was wallowing again in the mud bath with Sileita and Esoit. They were clambering in and out of the mud, splashing each other and rubbing their chests on the ground.
Training continues this month with Suguroi, Sagateisa and Naleku having their milk feeds and lucerne pellets in the special truck. Generally, the training is going well although Suguroi was ill at ease in the truck today. In the morning, Sagateisa went in confidently, pushing her friend to one side, Suguroi was then reluctant to walk in, even after she was given her bottle of milk on the step. At the next feed, she was coaxed into her middle room but was still not relaxed. Sagateisa and Naleku are happy to enter any of the three rooms – Suguroi, however, likes to wait until Naleku is in before she enters. When feeding today, she listened carefully for unexpected sounds. This evening, after drinking their bottles in the truck, Suguroi left her friends munching pellets and ran back to the stockades. On her way, she came across sweet Ziwadi, pushing her aside as she sprinted past.
It was an action-packed afternoon at the mud bath. Rumbling loudly, the orphans ran in for their bottles of milk led by Elerai followed by Bondeni. Many of the older ones like to hold their own bottles with their trunks. Lodo was the first to paddle in the mud, kicking the water with his feet and splashing with his trunk. He was soon followed by Sagateisa, Suguroi and Esoit. Paddling progressed to wallowing with two of the big girls rubbing their bodies on the side of the bath. On the edges, Bondeni and Esoit covered themselves in dust and then lay down on the ground. Meanwhile, Ziwadi stood with her foot deliberately in the water bucket, managing to drink and to splash Choka and Kerrio at the same time!
At milk feeding time in the mornings, little Nyambeni loves to arrive first at the mud bath. In a break with routine, she was delayed today by mini matriarch Naleku. On realising that it was time for her bottle and that she had been left behind, she trumpeted in dismay as she charged towards the mud bath. The noise attracted the attention of older girls like Olorien, Kinyei, Kindani and Ahmed who came running in from the bush to see what was wrong. Naleku also charged after Nyambeni. It was quite a drama!
The Keepers took charge, reassuring the excited elephants and then giving Nyambeni and her young friends their bottles at the mud bath. Calm was soon restored and the orphans settled down for a browse and a paddle. Naleku remained close by Nyambeni, not letting her out of her sight.
When the older orphans arrived, they gulped down their bottles and immediately started playing, rolling and squirming around in the mud bath. Sagateisa, Suguroi and Lodo enjoyed a wallow together as Rafiki tried to run off with his bottle! Bondeni and Taabu played the pushing game with the elder bull reversing into the visitors in his excitement.
Emerging from their stockades at dawn, the orphan herd headed out to the forest for a wander and a browse before returning for their milk feed at the mud bath. The younger ones arrived first for their bottles on a bright sunny morning. Kerrio was the first in the water, paddling for a few minutes before lying down for a lovely wallow. Kitich and Nyambeni were playing with each other as Muwingu paddled and rubbed her trunk on the edge of the mud bath. Afterwards, the Keepers helped the babies to dust themselves.
Once again, Bondeni was full of energy this morning when he arrived at the mud bath. After downing his bottle in seconds, he sauntered over to Muridjo and playfully tried to climb on top of him. The younger bull was having none of it, pushing him off and walking off to find his friends. Next in Bondeni’s sights was Esoit. The two friends got stuck into a pushing game on the edge of the mud bath. Although Esoit is the stronger of the two, Bondeni rarely surrenders and thus their games can go on and on. Today, however, Lodo decided to join in. He and Bondeni ganged up on poor Esoit and pinned him to the ground. When Esoit surrendered, Bondeni was so excited. He had won the contest, even if he had only been with the help of Lodo!
Most of the orphans set off for the forest this morning although the blanket babies remained behind in their stables on a cool cloudy day. Out in the bush, everyone got down to some concentrated browsing. As they stood around in small groups, mini matriarchs Naleku and Suguroi could be seen going from one elephant to another – they were looking for the blanket babies! The two females rumbled gently and then with increasing urgency. Hearing the calls from inside their stables, Nyambeni, Mzinga and Shujaa rumbled in response. Naleku and Suguroi spun around and headed for home, leaving the herd out in the field. They ran into the stockades and stopped outside the stables. The babies were delighted to see them and trumpeted to be let out of their rooms as Suguroi knocked on Nyambeni’s door with her trunk. Doors opened, the three little orphans were greeted with lots of trunk hugging and touching from the big girls. They set off to join the herd, rumbling happily to each other and staying very close.
Later in the afternoon, several orphans had a great time playing in the mud around the mud bath. Choka was rolling around in the mud as Weka clambered and slid all over him. Kitich stood close by, watching his friends but not joining in. Latika, Kerrio and Muwingu were also wriggling around in the mud. Afterwards, the orphans had a soothing dust bath.
Ziwadi is a young lady with the most individual habits. Before greeting her friends in the mornings, she walks placidly around the water troughs, kneeling to drink from several with her mouth as she is not yet able to use her trunk. This morning, she drank from four troughs before she was ready for the day. Thereafter, she gave a sweet little rumble and trundled off into the bush to catch up with the herd.
It was a cool drizzly morning and there was no playing in the forest early in the day. The orphans stood singly or in small groups – they browsed lots but did not venture far afield.
Later in the morning at the mud bath, tiny Nyambeni led the younger group down for their bottles of milk. She cantered down the small slope to the Keepers (and the wheelbarrow of milk) with her ears out and her tail and trunk aloft. Mzinga, Shujaa, Muridjo, Kerrio, Muwingu, Weka and Kitich were in close pursuit. The little herd cruised down in a line before veering off to the nearest Keeper with a bottle. Elephants may have large feet but they make very little noise, even when charging in a group.
Back out in the field on a sunny afternoon, Sagateisa, Sileita and Ahmed were having a lovely time rolling around on the ground doing some serious soil bathing. Enthusiastic Esoit made the mistake of trying to play mount his friend as she wriggled around on her tummy. Sagateisa trumpeted her annoyance and bit the young bull’s foot as he ran away with his tail metaphorically between his legs. He trumpeted loudly in pain but soon regained his composure and spent the rest of the time hanging out with the boys.
Today was a warmer day and wrestling was the name of the game! Bondeni and Esoit were taught their sparring skills by Roho who recently left the Nairobi Nursery, moving to Ithumba Reintegration Centre on the next stage of his journey back into the wild. This morning, the two big boys ran over to each other as soon as they emerged from their stockades, greeted each other with a brief trumpet of excitement, and started sparring. Pitting their strength against each other, they wrestled for hours, being sure to challenge but not to injure.
Close by out in the bush were Taabu and Choka. The two younger bulls were playing the same game, wrestling their trunks and torsos against each other before running off and then re-engaging. They are surprisingly nimble for such stout animals. Imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery!
Training for graduation is going well. Naleku, Sagateisa and Suguroi are enjoying eating and spending time in the translocation truck. Following in Neshashi’s footsteps, Suguroi and Sagateisa like to run into the truck first thing in the morning to munch on lucerne pellets. Today, after heading out into the bush, the two girls quietly, without being seen, trotted back to the truck in the hope of finding a delicious bottle of milk or two.
It was a grey wet morning. The rainy conditions meant that blanket babies Nyambeni, Mzinga, Shujaa and Muridjo remained huddled in their stables. They kept their blankets on for warmth. Muridjo has never really got used to wearing a blanket and always tries to pull it off, in contrast to the other three who happily snuggle in their stables.
The drizzle continued and not a single elephant was tempted to even paddle after the milk feed later in the morning at the mud bath. Most stood close together to keep warm but a few could not resist a roll and a rub and a wriggle on the ground. Choka rubbed his belly on the soil and then his whole body. Mukutan rolled around next to him and Choka rolled on top of his friend. The two boys had a great time. Gentle Kindani was in an out-of-character grump today. She had a noisy trumpeting squabble with Taabu, grabbing him by the tail and dragging him round the mud bath. Stripped of his dignity, the young boy trumpeted loudly whereupon Kindani let go and Taabu scampered away.
Young Weka is becoming a wanderer! She likes to explore the forest and is very much at home out in the bush. In the early afternoon, without alerting anyone, she quietly led Muwingu, Kitich, Kamili and Mzinga deep into the forest. They followed her happily. The Keepers found them much later browsing happily in a glade.
The sunshine returned this morning, much to everyone’s delight. The orphan herd trundled off into the bush to browse led by Suguroi. The blanket babies were closer to the front under the protective eyes of the older females and most of the boys brought up the rear.
All that is except for Ziwadi who stayed behind to drink. This morning, Naleku and Kinyei tried to persuade her to come with the herd but to no avail. Ziwadi’s trunk may be weak and unable to suck up water but her will is strong! She follows her own path and will not be bossed around by anyone. Once she had drunk her fill with her mouth while kneeling, she meandered off after the herd. Naleku and Kinyei were standing under a tree just outside the stockades, waiting for their young friend.
Further afield, Olorien was spending time with Mzinga, trunk hugging her little friend as they browsed peacefully together. Not far away Naleku was looking after Nyambeni and Kinyei was browsing next to her friend Kindani.
It was another lovely warm day and the orphans headed off happily into the forest in small friendship groups. They walked quietly, making hardly a sound except for regular low-pitched rumbles. All are healthy and thriving.
Weka, Muwingu and Kitich have been good friends since they arrived at the Nursery. Rescued around the same time last year, they naturally gravitated towards each other, as so many newbies do. Although they are still close friends, they are developing the confidence to broaden their circles of friends or to hang out on their own sometimes.
Kitich was initially quite anxious and shy of the other orphans. Then he made firm friends with Weka and Muwingu and now he is choosing to spend time on his own again. Nowadays, however, he is feeding by himself in a relaxed way. Weka and Muwingu still choose to hang out together and browse next to each other. Sometimes, Weka likes to move off on his own. Sometimes, Muwingu chooses to be with newer friends like Lodo, Rafiki and Kerrio. She’s turning into a greedy little girl who often demands a second bottle of milk!
The herd headed out shortly after dawn on a clear cold morning. All were happy to wander into the forest which had a green early-morning glow after the recent rain. The Keepers walked quietly behind the herd – this morning there was no need for one of the men to go ahead and whistle for his charges.
Esoit, Olorien and Suguroi were pushing each other and rolling around with delight on a mound of red soil. They started with dust baths and soon progressed to rubbing and rolling and squeezing against each other. Young bull Esoit tends to mount his friends when he is excited. Today, he was having such fun that he climbed on top of Olorien, pinning her down on the ground. As she trumpeted in annoyance, her friend Suguroi pushed the young bull off. He fell down and gave Suguroi a kick which missed as the two girls sprinted away.
It was a cloudy afternoon at the mud bath. Nevertheless, Weka could not resist a quick wallow. Afterwards, she and Latika lay on the edge of the bath, rubbing their bodies against the mud.
After their pre-dawn bottles of milk, the orphans wandered out of their stockades to begin another day. This morning, two Keepers led them out into the forest to browse.
As usual, Nyambeni led the line of blanket babies as she ran down to the mud bath for her morning milk feed. She was followed by Shujaa, Mzinga, Muridjo and Kerrio. They gulped down their milk and then stood around peacefully nibbling on greens. A couple of babies asked for a second bottle – but to no avail!
The orphans visit the mud bath in two groups in the mornings – the younger elephants followed by the older ones. Ziwadi belongs to the first group. This morning, she refused to leave when it was time, making it clear that she wanted to stay with the second group. She completely ignored the Keepers’ calls and whistles. This young lady really does have a mind of her own.
Later in the afternoon, the orphans returned to the mud bath, arriving in friendship groups from the forest. There was a lovely peaceful atmosphere on this hot day. The smaller elephants stood in a little cluster as many of the older ones paddled and wallowed. There was lots of rumbling. Esoit and Iletilal went straight into the mud bath and were soon rolling around on the edges and sliding over each other. Kerrio was sitting on her bottom in the mud as Olorien dusted Shujaa.
The orphans headed out happily to the forest on another morning with clear blue skies. Many were feeling playful this morning, perhaps because of the sunshine. Big boys and girls chased each other around and played the pushing game. Most of the little ones stood by watching — except for Nyambeni and Shujaa. They started their own playfight, flapping their small ears as they butted heads together. Naleku stood on the side-lines, watching over her two charges. When feisty young Shujaa gave Nyambeni a big shove, making her wobble unsteadily as she tried to remain on her feet, Naleku stepped in. She touched both babies to check they were fine before separating them and sending them off in different directions.
Tingai is becoming a confident young bull, less anxious and more relaxed. He still prefers to feed on his own some of the time but also enjoys hanging out with friends. Kerrio is becoming rather assertive, especially when bottles of milk are involved. Today, she strode up to Mageno and gave him a big shove in an attempt to wrest his bottle away from him. The young boy stood his ground and a confrontation ensued. The Keepers got involved, separating the two squabbling toddlers and giving the bottle back to Mageno.
Another bright sunny morning! The orphans were keen to get going this morning with Sileita, Mukutan and Ahmed rumbling to each other as they pushed on the gates of their stockades. Everyone set off for the forest, with the exception of Ziwadi, who remained behind to drink from the water troughs.
Later in the morning, Nyambeni and Kerrio led the younger orphans as they sprinted down to the mud bath for their bottles of milk. In the afternoons they tend to wander in but in the mornings they always run. As soon as she had finished her bottle, water-baby Kerrio had a paddle and then a wallow in the mud bath. Affectionate Mzinga stayed close to one of the Keepers, touching him regularly. Meanwhile, Nyambeni and Muridjo did their best to cover their bodies in mud, rolling around and rubbing their tummies against the muddy edge of the bath.
Feisty Lodo led the second group of orphans down to the mud bath, sprinting ahead of the pack. Bottles emptied, they clambered into the mud bath, sliding their great big bodies up against each other and rumbling in pleasure. Wallowing was followed by dusting. They stood around in groups, hosing themselves with the dust contentedly on a hot day.
This morning, as Maxwell was trundling around his large enclosure, kicking up lots of dust and generally enjoying himself, he became aware of three visitors waiting by his gate. Wandering over, he greeted the elephants and hung around with them for a short while before going to lie down under his favourite tree. Naleku, Suguroi and Sagateisa had come to visit the rhino after having their milk feed in the training truck – and to eat up the lucerne pellets left lying around his gate!
There was lots of trumpeting for milk when the orphans arrived at the mud bath this morning. They gulped down their bottles and then several enjoyed a wallow as it was a hot day. Bondeni and Sagateisa were rolling around together in the mud.
Clever Ziwadi did her disappearing trick again this afternoon! Leaving the others in the forest late in the day, she sneaked off on her own back to the stockades, taking her own route past the offices. Her motive is milk! On her way home today, she came across Naleku, Sagateisa and Suguroi on their way to the training truck for their milk feed. She tried to slip in behind them, but the big girls told her off and sent her back to the stockades.
It was a cool calm morning today. Down at the mud bath, the elephants stood quietly in groups after they had finished their bottles of milk. Many were facing the same way; some were just touching each other. There were a few trumpets as they settled down but then just the occasional rumble. The peace was broken only by playfighting by Bondeni and Esoit.
Since Roho and Oldepe left the nursery, three-year-old Esoit has become the dominant male. This young bull is liked and respected by the herd – on occasions, he throws his weight around but most of them he is fair to the younger orphans. He is also respectful towards the Keepers, listening and following instructions. He never tires of playing pushing and wrestling games with his best friend, Bondeni. Esoit’s strength is matched by Bondeni’s determination!
Lovely Olorien has the makings of a mini matriarch. Currently, that role is filled primarily by Naleku and Suguroi but, when these two females graduate and move on, the Keepers are optimistic that she will step into their large soles.
Tingai led the herd out to browse in the forest in the early morning. Although less reserved and growing in confidence, he still likes to remain at a distance from bigger boys Esoit and Bondeni. The clever young bull has worked out that leading the herd is one way to achieve this. Meanwhile Ziwadi stayed behind, loitering around the water troughs as usual.
On a hot morning, there was lots of wallowing in the mud bath. As some orphans in the first group splashed and slid, blanket babies Muridjo, Mzinga and Shujaa wandered demurely along the rope, greeting the occasional visitor but staying close to each other. When the second group arrived, naughty Bondeni darted around the rope and stood among the visitors. After being escorted back to the mud bath, he decided to run at the rope. Bad behaviour is one of the best ways of being the centre of attention!
Gentle Latika and Kitich stayed out late in the early evening. When it was time to return to the stockades, they chose to stroll off in the opposite direction. Several Keepers had to round up the young rebels!
Sweet Kinyei is a composed and thoughtful young lady. Sometimes she walks away from the herd and browses contentedly on her own; sometimes she loiters at the back of the line slowly eating leaves; sometimes, she hangs out close to her friends in the forest. She is caring and kind to the blanket babies. This morning, she was protecting them out in the bush and snapping off high-up branches (which were beyond their reach) for them to eat.
Later on at the mud bath, the big boys made such a noise as they sprinted down the slope for their milk. Almost all were trumpeting in excitement and trying to shove each other out of the way to get there first. After they had finished their bottles, they settled down to browse or play. Young bulls Choka and Taabu love playing with each other – the pushing game is their favourite! They began sparring as usual but then, out of the blue, the contest became serious. They locked heads and trumpeted. Choka gave Taabu a powerful push and he fell backwards. At this point, the Keepers quickly got involved and separated the warring toddlers. Ten minutes later, they were the best of friends once again.
In the afternoon, the orphans meandered back to the mud bath, arriving more slowly than in the morning. Several were rumbling at the Keepers for an extra bottle of milk. Mzinga and Muridjo settled down to drink from the water bucket as Kerrio enjoyed a paddle in the thick water.
After their early morning browse, the orphan babies charged into the mud bath for their bottles of milk. They sprinted in a line, ears out at right angles and tails aloft. Nyambeni was closely followed by Mzinga, Mageno, Kitich, Weka and Kerrio. They ran quickly but silently with their spongy fat feet absorbing impacts and sounds.
Bottles emptied, the small ones were keen for some wallowing. Usually, they prefer to watch their older friends from the side-lines but today it was too hot just to stand and watch. The babies paddled and then started rolling around in the thick mud. When they wandered out, the Keepers shovelled dust onto their backs because they cannot yet do this by themselves. Three of the little ones were so chilled that they lay down with their legs in the air! Mzinga soon wandered over to see a Keeper, enjoying his company but also hoping for another bottle of milk when none of her friends were looking. When Kerrio challenged little Nyambeni to a pushing game, she immediately ran to the safety of a Keeper. Not quite as confident as she looks!
This morning at dawn, Naleku and Esoit were playing with the wild warthogs, chasing them around the stockade compound. The little elephants trumpeted as the little pigs grunted. Soon after, the herd set out into the bush to browse and to explore. Maternal Naleku was with Mzinga and Nyambeni, standing protectively next to them and teaching them how to play with soil. She may be older, but she is still a child at heart.
Although Naleku and Suguroi are close friends, sometimes they are also rivals. This afternoon, Naleku was pushing ahead of Sugoroi to get into the training truck first for her bottle of milk. Back at the mud bath, Lodo was trumpeting his demands to be fed and shoving his friends to the side. Many of the older orphans, such as Lodo, prefer to hold their own bottles rather than be fed by the Keepers. Suguroi had a lovely wallow in the water today, lying on her side and then rolling over and squatting on her haunches and spraying the cooling mud all over her back. The warthogs pottered around on the fringes of the mud bath and two giraffes nibbled leaves slightly further away.
After a brief play and a couple of good-morning trunk touches, the orphan herd set off for the forest as they were keen to get down to some serious browsing. Most stayed close to their Keepers. But a few did not. Preferring thick bushes with lots of leafy branches, Ziwadi decided to lead Weka, Muridjo and Shujaa further into the forest. They settled down to browse amidst the thickest bush she could find, out of sight of the Keepers. Finally, a Keeper heard the flapping of Ziwadi’s big ears and found the mini herd feasting in a thicket.
Soon after the orphans settled back out in the field after the morning milk feed, Tingai and Mukutan had a great time playing with each other. First Tingai tried to climb on top of Mukutan and then Mukutan on top of Tingai and then they pushed heads as they trumpeted in excitement. It is great to see Tingai finding his stride. A healthy young bull, he is starting to assert himself among his peers. A few months ago, he would not have dared to play pushing games with young boys like Mukutan and Taabu.
Later in the afternoon at the mud bath, many of the older orphans relaxed around the edge, hosing themselves with muddy water and then with earth. Ears were flapping and trunks were swinging to and fro in the sunshine.
It was a wet, rainy morning, so wet that babies Nyambeni, Mzinga, Shujaa and Muridjo stayed in their stables wearing blankets to avoid catching chills.
Out in the bush, mini matriarchs Suguroi and Naleku suddenly realised that the babies were not with them. First Suguroi and then Naleku turned about, shaking their heads in annoyance, and set off back to the stockades to find their young friends. Reacting quickly, the Keepers blocked their path and shepherded them back to the herd. They knew that it was impossible for the babies to come out of their stables until the day warmed up.
The persistent rain provided a great opportunity for some messy mud play. Olorien, Naleku, Rafiki, Latika, Tingai Sagateisa, Taabu, Choka, Weka, Kindani, Kinyei, Bondeni and Esoit were slipping and sliding and rolling around in the mud together as the little ones huddled indoors. Esoit, Bondeni and Sagateisa were trumpeting in delight as they rolled over each other.
When the sun came out in the afternoon, the elephants relaxed around the mud bath in small groups. Some of the older ones jostled and played with each other as the younger ones stood quietly next to the Keepers. Suguroi and Lodo sat on their large bottoms in the mud bath and then rubbed their bodies against the edge.
This morning at the mud bath, the big boys were at it again - Bondeni and Esoit were rolling around on the ground and clambering all over each other. Crafty Esoit went down on his front legs, tempting Bondeni to climb onto him. As soon as he tried, Esoit quickly moved forward and Bondeni fell over. As Bondeni rolled around trying to stand up and find his balance, Esoit climbed on top of him. When Bondeni wriggled out from underneath, he chased Esoit around the mud bath, caught him and finally managed to climb on top of him!
In the afternoon after the orphans had downed their milk feeds, Sagateisa and Lodo had a fabulous time in the mud bath. The two orphans rolled around together in the thick mud, cooling themselves off and having fun. Whenever Sagateisa wriggled into the deeper part of the bath, Lodo would take great pleasure in sliding over and down her! Close by, Taabu was clambering on and off Kinyei as composed Rafiki climbed in and out and in and out again of the mud bath.
It was another day of boisterous playing in the forest in the early morning. The older elephants led the younger ones out into the bush on a cool day with drizzling rain. After a brief browse, the serious playing began - Bondeni, Olorien, Kindani, Esoit, Taabu, Choka, Naleku, Suguroi and Sagateisa started charging around, bush-bashing, trumpeting and scampering in and out of thickets. They were full of enthusiasm. Big girls Naleku, Olorien and Sagateisa were deftly picking up broken sticks and throwing them into the air as they ran around between the bushes. Bondeni and Esoit, two close friends who are evenly matched and love to compete, were having yet another wrestling match. The little ones stood on the side-lines as the big ones were playing, respectful of their elders and also wary of being accidentally hurt.
Later in the morning, the rain was replaced by a fresh breeze. The blanket babies were subdued at the mud bath after finishing their milk, browsing in groups of three or four. No one was tempted to paddle. Kindani and Kinyei ran in together, leading the second group out of the forest. Soon Mukutan was wandering along the rope greeting the guests as Mzinga stood as close as she could to a Keeper, trunk touching him. Newbie Kitiak is still wary of the mud bath and the people, preferring to stand a short distance away and observe.
Since joining the Nursery herd, Kitiak, Elerai and Iletilal have become close friends, as often happens to elephants rescued around the same time. All three babies are still shy and reserved, preferring to browse out in the field at a distance from the others and choosing to observe rather than play with the older bulls.
There was lots of trumpeting on a bright sunny morning as the elephants ran down to the mud bath. Once they had emptied their bottles of milk and settled down, boisterous Bondeni approached Kitiak and invited him to play the wrestling game with himself and Esoit. Kitiak did not even consider the invitation but ran off trumpeting in alarm. Sweet Kinyei came to his rescue, calming him down and seeing off Bondeni. Meanwhile, little Mzinga was busy trying to chase away the warthogs but they paid her little attention. As soon as she trumpeted for help, Naleku was by her side, chasing them away on her behalf. Olorien and Esoit soon joined in the pursuit and the small pigs trotted off at top speed.
In the afternoon after the milk feed, Lodo was wallowing once again in the mud, rubbing the sides with his trunk, next to Bondeni who was sitting on his bottom. Nearby, Sagateisa lay contentedly in the mud, flapping her still crumpled ears occasionally.
Back out in the field in the late afternoon, Kinyei, Naleku, Suguroi and Nyambeni browsed together. The older females stood all around little Nyambeni, trunk hugging her at regular intervals.
The orphans enjoyed the final day of 2022, setting off for a browse and a play in the bush soon after dawn in their friendship groups.
Good friends Taabu and Choka greeted each other by entwining their trunks before starting an extended wrestling game. Ears flapping, Kindani and Lodo were pushing and chasing each other between the trees. Bondeni, Esoit and Kinyei were also playing nearby, trumpeting occasionally. Kinyei loves to lie on the ground and roll around. As she rolled, Esoit could not resist play mounting her. He is heavier and so she could not get out from underneath. When she trumpeted for help, Bondeni ignored her but Kindani did not. She charged over to help her friend, trying to push Esoit off Kinyei. Initially, the young bull resisted but he soon realised that the girls meant business. He stood up and trundled off grumbling into the bushes. Kinyei and Kindani were left leaning next into each other, trunk hugging happily.
Later in the afternoon at the mud bath, young bulls Bondeni, Esoit, Taabu and Choka enjoyed a final wallow of the year, wriggling around delightedly and splashing each other with the thick mud.