Choose your region

Kithaka, who we haven’t seen for a while, showed up to join the orphans for lucerne this morning. Kuishi and Dololo went to drink water from the stockade troughs before rejoining their friends. Shortly later, the ex-orphans showed up. Baby Iman, who is one and a half years old, was there with her mother, ex-orphan Ithumbah, and was clearly the centre of attention. Kuishi, Esoit, Suguroi, Naleku and Suguroi got together and overwhelmed Iman’s nannies, overpowering them and managing to force their way in closer to Iman. The dependent orphans tried to encourage Iman to follow them, but Ithumbah caught up to them and blocked her baby from following them out.

The orphans made their way to the Kone area where they settled to browse. Musiara decided to walk down to the dam and walk through the water. Bondeni and Kindani got down on the ground and had some fun rolling. Kithaka followed the dependent orphans for a while and after a brief interaction with Olorien, he took a different direction and walked away. Kuishi teamed up with Esoit to browse while Naleku and Larro helped each other to peel tasty bark from a tree.

As they browsed and slowly walked along, the orphans were making their way to the mud bath.

After having their bottles, Kinyei, Bondeni and Kindani were the first ones to get in the water. The rest of the herd soon joined them and they all had a lot of fun splashing about. Musiara and Sagateisa were the last ones out and they left the water charging and trumpeting with excitement.

Later in the day Bondeni and Esoit had a strength testing exercise which Kinyei interrupted. We believe she wanted them to concentrate on browsing rather than fighting and messing about. Naboishu played with Musiara while Dololo played with Mukkoka. In the evening, Olorien led the way home for the night. 

After having their fill of lucerne, Mukkoka led the way out to the bush. Bondeni found a good rock to scratch his belly on. Dololo teamed up with Musiara to browse from some tasty shrubs and Naboishu did the same with Kuishi and Esoit. Suguroi used a little rock to stretch and reach some vegetation she really liked. She was joined by Musiara, Larro and Olorien. The independent girl Sagateisa and teamed up with Kindani and browsed a short distance away from their friends. Kuishi moved to have a word with Roho who had threatened to push her favourite little boy Esoit. Roho respects Kuishi and as a result he civilly walked away without engaging Esoit. Kinyei and Naleku competed over who had the longest trunk by stretching them up to reach the tallest leaves.

Later, Sattao teamed up with Bondeni and Kindani to browse while Kinyei teamed up with Naboishu. At eleven o'clock in the morning, Lodo led the way to the mud bath. Larro succeeded in her usual antics and managed to outwit the Keepers and stole a bottle of milk. The orphans had their milk then jumped into the mud bath water to cool off. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Musiara followed Larro while she browsed. In the evening the ex-orphans made a brief pit stop at the stockades before continuing on. Chyulu and little Charli

Enkikwe and Sapalan were waiting to greet the dependent orphans as they awoke and came out of their night stockades. After finishing their morning milk bottles the orphans came out and were happy to greet the two older bulls. After sharing lucerne for a little while, we could see Enkikwe having a private conversation with Dololo and Sattao, perhaps trying to encourage he and Sapalan out in the wild, but the two youngsters were hesitant and declined the invitation, evident by the fact they walked away from Enkikwe. Esoit had a morning stretching exercise as Musiara requested Sapalan to have a pushing game with him before he left. Sapalan accepted and engaged Musiara in a pushing game so the slightly younger Musiara could learn some wrestling tactics, before moving on to play with Roho. 

Lodo teamed up with Naleku to browse while Larro chose to find jovial little Esoit and browse next to him for a while. Later, Bondeni met with Esoit and started a strength testing match that didn't last for long as Bondeni decided to surrender. Shortly before mud bath time, the orphans came across a water hole but only Kinyei, Kindani, Naboishu, Sagateisa and Olorien decided to partake in a mini mud bath.

By the time the orphans reached the main mud bath for their midday milk feed the sun was bearing down and as soon as they finished their milk bottles, Suguroi led the whole herd for a long wallowing session. Naleku was the first one out, but the rest of her friends continued wallowing.

It was still very hot later in the day as the orphans browsed in the area known as Kanziku. They decided to relax in the shade for a bit until it got cooler.

The search for the missing six orphans continued early this morning, which was hampered somewhat by the heavy rain we received overnight. It was still drizzling this morning, which erased any footprints of the orphans that we might come across. Meanwhile, the SWT Aerial Unit joined the search, with both a fixed-wing and helicopter crisscrossing the landscape. Pilots flew most of the morning and afternoon, as the team continued to look on the ground. However, the area is teeming with elephants and the vegetation is very thick, making it difficult to discern the wayward orphans.  

Meanwhile the rest of the dependent herd had their milk at 6am as usual, before walking out to feed on some lucerne. Suguroi led her friends out to browse. Kindani paired up with Lodo while Olorien and Sattao browsed alongside Bondeni. The rest of the group dispersed out across the bush, relishing the rich vegetation. Just before 11 o’clock, Naleku led the way for the midday milk feed. Following this, Roho, a playful member of the herd, initiated a delightful wallowing session, lifting everyone’s spirits and even bringing a smile to the stressed Keepers’ faces. 

In the afternoon, the orphans engaged in various playful activities. Bondeni sparked a lively game of pushing with Esoit, while Kinyei and Lodo browsed side by side. Suguroi amused herself by engaging Naboishu in a friendly shoving match. Musiara played with Jotto showing off his youthful exuberance, while Esoit, Olorien, Bondeni, Sagateisa and Dololo had fun rolling on the ground. As evening approached, Larro led the herd back to the stockades for the night. 

Despite the day's massive search efforts, we still did not manage to track down the missing six.

Following their morning milk feed, the gates were opened for the dependent orphans to venture out. Bondeni, Kinyei and Kindani looked over and wondered why their neighbours, the six missing new babies, had not yet returned. Intrigued, they discovered branches set aside for the young ones still inside and decided to feast on them. Roho joined them and together they grabbed a few branches and left enjoying feeding on them. After feeding on lucerne briefly, Sattao took charge, guiding the herd out to the bush. The second full day of searching for the missing six again continued in earnest, both on the ground and in the air.

Sagateisa teamed up with Larro to browse. Suguroi, Roho, Mukkoka, Kuishi, and Dololo decided to engage in rolling games on the ground, adding a lively touch to the otherwise sombre search efforts. As the day progressed, the orphans settled in an area near the Kone dam, where Sagateisa waded in to freshen up, enticing Bondeni to join her in a brief but refreshing swim. Kuishi settled to browse with Esoit and Kindani while Olorien opted for a solitary game of rolling on the ground. Jotto teamed up with Mukkoka to browse. Mulika and Mkuu joined the orphans briefly and Suguroi decided to playfully confront Mkuu. Mkuu decided to avoid any row with Suguroi because he noticed how Naleku, Naboishu, Olorien, Lodo and Roho were on standby, lined up behind Suguroi ready to assist her. Mkuu was wise enough to know that he wouldn’t win that fight, and he walked away to follow his mother. 

As the day continued, the orphans engaged in their customary mud bath before settling into their afternoon routine. After wallowing, Musiara played with Jotto while Kuishi played with Dololo. Later Kinyei, Lodo, Sattao and Larro came across a muddy pool and smeared themselves with red mud. 

Despite the day's exhaustive efforts, the search for the missing six yielded no results.

The orphans, having received their morning milk, feasted on lucerne for a little while before a group, including Naboishu, Kuishi, Sattao, Larro, and Dololo, walked down to the water trough for a drink. Musiara, a spirited member of the group, led the herd out to browse, eagerly followed by Olorien and Naleku.

Sattao formed a browsing duo with Kuishi while exploring. Kinyei's inquisitive trunk was drawn to an anthill, but the vigilant Keepers cautioned her about potential dangers, as one never knows what might be lurking down one of those holes, from snakes to mongooses. Kuishi listened to the Keepers and moved on. Dololo partnered with Mukkoka, enjoying their forage, while Larro chose to browse with Roho and Jotto. Before the mud bath session, Kindani, Musiara, Esoit, Suguroi, and Bondeni took a momentary break from feeding, delighting in playful rolling antics.

Olorien led the first group for the midday milk feed. After having their milk the orphans enjoyed cooling off in the, now overflowing, mud bath dam. Musiara, Jotto and Sagateisa were the last ones to leave the water as they were enjoying rolling and playing so much. In the afternoon, the herd settled into a calm browsing session east of Ithumba hill, passing the remaining hours quietly without any significant occurrences.

The morning brought more heavy rain as the stockade gates were opened for the dependent orphans. Despite all the vegetation that can be found in the Park at the moment, the orphans still decided to have some lucerne that the Keepers dutifully put out for them. Ex-orphan Nasalot with her babies Noah and Nusu joined the orphans and then escorted them out to the bush.

Larro engaged Noah briefly in a pushing match while Musiara took the opportunity to scratch against a nearby rock. The persistent rain continued as Bondeni, Larro, and Kinyei formed a browsing trio, exploring the lush vegetation. Meanwhile, Lodo, Musiara, Naleku, Dololo, Suguroi, Sagateisa, Mukkoka, Kuishi, and Esoit took a break from feeding, playfully rolling about on the wet, muddy ground created by the rains. The activities paused when the rain ceased. Later, Mukkoka paired up with Lodo to browse, while Sagateisa teamed up with Naleku and Suguroi. Olorien then led the herd to the midday milk feed.

After the milk, the orphans joyfully participated in a wallowing session before Naleku guided them back to the browsing field. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse in the Kanziku area, making the most of the favourable weather, calmly browsing for the rest of the day.

Morning rain created a damp setting as the orphans briefly settled for lucerne. Olorien and Bondeni, preferring the idea of fresh vegetation, engaged in a playful wrestling match and threw lucerne on their heads at the same time, messing about with the grass supplement rather than feeding on it.

The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area. Lodo, Jotto, Suguroi, Sattao, and Esoit broke away for a playful romp on the wet ground, eventually joined by Kuishi, Musiara, Kindani, and Larro too. After their fun session, Kuishi guided the herd eastward towards Ithumba Hill for further browsing. Everyone browsed quietly, slowly making their way towards the mud bath.

Naleku led the herd for their midday milk feed, where we saw some playful antics between Kinyei and Lodo as they competed in a brief running race to the milk feeding area, with Lodo emerging as the winner. After finishing their milk, the orphans chose to play in the mud bath, a wallowing session which lasted for quite some time. After wallowing, Kuishi, Sagateisa, Naboishu and Jotto came out and walked to the water trough for a drink before following their friends. 

In the afternoon, Esoit settled to browse with Dololo while Musiara chose to browse with Larro. Jotto and Kinyei shared a brief encounter, the topic of their discussion remaining a mystery. As evening approached, Esoit guided the herd back to the stockades for the night.

Six days have passed since the six new orphans vanished, with no trace despite daily search efforts. We are confident that wherever they are, they are doing okay, because there is so much vegetation and water around! As they have not been spotted from the air, we are hopeful they have joined up with some of our ex-orphans, making it harder to spot six younger elephants on their own. 

Leaving the stockade, Naboishu and Naleku led the herd straight out to the bush. Sattao paired up with Kuishi, while Jotto joined Esoit to browse from some of their favourite shrubbery, now bursting with leaves and tasty shoots. Sagateisa indulged in stripping bark from trees, while Dololo, Musiara, and Roho wandered off to browse separately. Esoit then parted ways with Jotto, joining Lodo for browsing.

At eleven o’clock, Olorien led Kinyei, Bondeni, and Kindani to the noon bottle feed. Roho led the second group, and Larro the third. After their milk, the orphans indulged in their customary wallowing session, irrespective of the weather. These days they seem to want to wallow whether it is hot or cool! Dololo was the first to leave the water, while Musiara and Kuishi lingered longest.

In the afternoon, the orphans browsed west of Ithumba hill. Bondeni briefly engaged Esoit in a friendly pushing match, while Roho played with Naboishu. As evening fell, Lodo guided the first group back to the stockades for the night, and the rest of the herd soon followed behind.

After leaving their night stockades, the orphans chose to eat the lucerne put out for them by the Keepers, but they didn’t stay long. Sagateisa led the herd out to browse in the Park. Kuishi and Larro, fond of Esoit, accompanied him, browsing separately from the herd. Lodo and Bondeni discovered a shallow hole, delighting in dusting themselves with the soil. Lodo joined Mukkoka once he had finished soil dusting, and Sagateisa joined Kinyei, Suguroi, Naleku, and Naboishu for browsing. Quietly, the orphans continued browsing, moving towards the mud bath.

The ex-orphans made a brief visit to the stockade compound for some water, before Galana continued leading her group westwards.

At the mud bath, Kindani took charge of the first group for their eleven o'clock milk. Sattao, Kuishi, Dololo and Musiara, who have been weaned off their milk bottles, didn't bother to come to the mud bath. The rest of the herd enjoyed wallowing after having their milk bottles, before Bondeni guided everyone back to reunite with Kuishi, Musiara, Dololo and Sattao in the bush. The afternoon passed quietly as the orphans browsed at the Kanziku area before returning safely to the stockades in the evening.

Bondeni was the first to leave the night stockades after finishing his morning milk bottles, followed by a short lucerne feeding session led by Olorien. Heading out to browse, Kinyei, Kindani, and Naleku overtook Olorien who had started in the lead. The orphans settled in the Kone area where Naboishu, Mukkoka, Dololo, and Sattao enjoyed rolling on the wet ground. Kindani and Bondeni discovered some rocks, using them for a relaxing scratch. Kuishi partnered with Sagateisa, while Kinyei teamed up with Larro to browse. Esoit tested his strength against Roho, discovering he had a long way to go in terms of strength and size to be his match! Suguroi came across a dik dik and decided to chase it while trumpeting. Her friends didn't bother joining in and just continued browsing, ignoring Suguroi's trumpeting and dismissing it as unnecessary noise!

Lodo led the first group to the noon milk feed. After their milk, they indulged in a delightful wallowing session. In the afternoon, the orphans settled in the Imenti area, leisurely enjoying the lush vegetation, spending a quiet evening before Esoit guided them back to the Ithumba compound for the night.

Musiara confidently led the herd to the browsing fields, joined closely by Jotto and Suguroi. Once they found a nice area to browse in, Musiara looked like he was chatting with Jotto, perhaps inquiring why he had decided to leave the company of Kauro and Ambo. Jotto expressed his hope that his two friends would return soon so that they could leave together. Kuishi spent the entire morning in close company with Esoit, her favourite little boy, enjoying browsing together. Olorien seems to be forging a budding friendship with Kinyei, and browsed alongside her up to when it was time to head to the mud bath, when Roho and Naleku playfully raced to the milk venue. Roho won the competition! The orphans enthusiastically wallowed after their midday milk feed, except for Jotto and Musiara who remained engrossed in browsing.

In the afternoon, the orphans browsed in the Kanziku area, with Naleku teaming up with Naboishu and Suguroi, Kinyei with Lodo, and Mukkoka with Dololo. Roho splashed around in a pool of water for a while, and was joined by Lodo, Bondeni, and Sagateisa, before beginning their journey back to the stockades for the night.

Another rather hostile wild bull passed by the stockade compound for a drink this morning before moving on. Musiara and Naleku followed the wild bull for a short while but the Keepers called them back. Kindani found a good rock to scratch her tummy on but Suguroi set her sights on the same rock, and pushed Kindani away so she could have her own scratching session.

Lodo chose to browse with Olorien this morning while Esoit and Sagateisa browsed together and Sattao teamed up with Kuishi and Roho. The orphans continued browsing, slowly moving towards the mud bath. On their way they came across a rain puddle and had fun splashing about it in for a while. Kinyei and Larro looked as though they were having a competition over who could stretch their trunk the highest to reach the best soft new leaves. Kinyei won the game as she is slightly taller than Larro! Rapa and Enkikwe passed by and managed to convince Dololo, Musiara and Jotto to join them, forgoing their trip to the mud bath. The rest of the herd continued on for their noon milk feed and briefly enjoyed wallowing in the mud bath after, before continuing with their afternoon of browsing.

While browsing east of the hill, Kuishi, Sagateisa, Bondeni and Roho took a break and romped and rolled around on the ground for a while, enjoying the cool soil from all the recent rain. The rest of the afternoon was quiet as the orphans browsed calmly for the rest of the day.

Naboishu and Roho, who are now in the same class, left their night stockade in a playful mood. The two boys engaged in a pushing game that lasted for quite some time. Once they grew tired they joined their friends who were already devouring bundles of lucerne grass. Bondeni went to scratch against a nearby rock and then engaged Esoit in a pushing game that ended in a draw. Kindani then decided it was time to leave and led her friends out to the bush for the day.

Dololo, Musiara and Jotto, who disappeared with Rapa and Enkikwe yesterday, rejoined their friends briefly while they browsed in the Kone area. Mukkoka was happy to see his friend and engaged Dololo in a light pushing game as he conversed and tried to find out more about what he had been up to. Kindani, Sagateisa, Naleku, Olorien and Kinyei took a break from browsing and played on the wet ground.

At eleven o'clock in the morning Olorien led the first group to the mud bath. Despite the cool weather, after having their milk all the orphans decided to wade into the mud bath after to wallow. Sagateisa, Roho and Kindani stayed in the mud bath the longest and were the last out of the water as they were having such fun.

As the day continued it got steadily warmer, but all the trees are flourishing now and to find good shade is easy. As the orphans relaxed under the tree cover they found they could still find lots of leaves all around them, and continued to munch away. As it got cooler they came out more into the open and enjoyed some lush grass as well.  

After the orphans had their morning milk, Naleku confidently led the way out of the stockade, marching in her determined manner. The orphans paused briefly to enjoy the nourishing lucerne before setting out for their day of browsing. Naboishu decided to entertain himself by scratching his bulky frame against a nearby rock before catching up with his friends.

Upon reaching the browsing area at Kone, Dololo, Musiara, and Jotto — the new ‘trio’ who seem to be experimenting with their independence at the moment — joined the dependent orphans. Everyone scattered out to browse. Despite being good friends, Sattao, who is somewhat apprehensive of spending the night out in the wild, avoided mingling with Dololo, Musiara, and Jotto. Meanwhile Kuishi and Larro partnered up with their beloved Esoit, exhibiting a heartwarming display of nurturing the little calf. At one stage Lodo found himself embroiled in a disagreement with Mukkoka, which quickly escalated into a fight. Lodo, acknowledging Mukkoka’s superior strength, conceded and retreated, averting further conflict and avoiding the Keepers having to step in.

Around eleven o'clock, signalling the time for their noon bottle feeds, Olorien took charge and guided her companions to the milk feeding area. Feeling replenished after their milk feed, the orphans enjoyed a spirited wallowing session in the main mud bath. After having some water from the trough, playful Bondeni proudly led the way back to the browsing field where the rest of the day passed uneventfully.

A morning sky cloaked with heavy clouds greeted the elephants as they emerged from their night stockades. The overcast skies were a reminder that the rains are still very much around. The orphans enjoyed some lucerne breakfast.

Despite our unwavering efforts, we still have not seen any sign of the six missing orphans. We can’t help but be reminded of when Karisa, Dupotto, and Kelelari disappeared back in May 2017. The two boys and girl had only been at Ithumba for five days when they ventured off and were not found for nearly three months. It’s hard to predict when we might find these six or when they might return, and only hope they have joined up with some of our ex-orphans out in the wild. The dense and impenetrable bushes, a consequence of the bountiful rains, are posing an additional challenge and impeding search efforts.

Kinyei, with her calm demeanour, took the lead, guiding the herd out to the Park. Everyone followed in a relaxed, trailing manner. Arriving at their browsing spot at Kone, the orphans dispersed to feast on the lush vegetation they found. Sattao, in his playful spirit, paired up with Roho to explore the area and see what nice shrubbery they might find to eat. Lodo, Naboishu, Sagateisa, Kindani, Bondeni, Suguroi, and Naleku decided to forgo their browsing time to revel in the simple joy of rolling over the wet ground, a delightful respite from their usual routine.

Along their way to the mud bath, the herd bumped into Jotto, Dololo, and Musiara, who seem to be undergoing a gradual transition back to the wild. The orphans had their eleven o'clock milk feed, then Lodo led everyone into the mud bath to wallow. The afternoon found the elephants leisurely browsing in the Kanziku area, a peaceful stretch of time spent foraging quietly.

The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving their night stockades. Kindani, known for her gentle disposition, generously shared her portion with Lodo. In the midst of the orphans’ morning routine, ex-orphans Yatta, Yetu, Yogi, Yebo, Mwende, Mala, Kinna, Kama, Kaia, and Wanjala arrived, engaging in a fleeting yet amicable interaction with the dependent orphans. An incidental spat between Yogi and Sagateisa ignited a playful pushing game, while Naleku, Suguroi, and Olorien vied for the attention and guardianship of Mala. Mwende, mindful of the potential squabble, called Mala to accompany her and steer clear of any contention. The three girls tried to follow Mala but the Keepers called them to return as Mwende and her group were heading off. Kinyei led the dependent herd out to browse for the day.

The orphans dispersed out, browsing in their own little groups. Sattao and Sagateisa coupled up while Lodo, Roho, and Jotto made another group and walked off in their own direction. Larro and Dololo climbed a rock and enjoyed feeding on the vegetation growing on it.

Just before 11 o’clock, Naboishu led the procession for their midday milk feed. After, the orphans indulged in a lively wallowing session, only briefly disrupted by the presence of a bull in musth who fortunately diverted his course away from the mud bath. The remainder of the day was spent quietly in the Kanziku area as the orphans indulged in their browsing activities.

A veil of mist enveloped Ithumba Hill as the orphans came out to begin their day as usual. They were soon joined by Nasalot, Noah, Nusu, and a juvenile wild bull. Nasalot and her family didn’t stay for long, but they didn’t leave without the little rascal Nusu managing to wrestle with both Mukkoka and then Sattao. A playful encounter between Bondeni and Esoit then ensued, but this drew the attention of Kuishi and her protective instincts kicked in. She swiftly intervened, chasing Bondeni away to safeguard her beloved Esoit. Olorien settled to browse with Roho as Jotto teamed up with Kindani and Musiara. Settling at the Kone area, the elephants revelled in the abundance of forage, savouring the morning's offerings.

Suguroi guided the group for their midday milk feed. Larro then initiated an enthusiastic wallowing session as the orphans had been feeling rather hot all morning. The scorching heat continued into the afternoon which prompted Kindani, Kinyei, Bondeni, and Lodo to seek refuge under the shade of some trees. As the afternoon drew to a close and the orphans started to make their way home, Jotto, Dololo, and Musiara, who are behaving like teenagers at the moment, lagged behind, and only returned to the stockade compound later under the cover of darkness.

As the orphans ate lucerne this morning, we were happy to see 11-year-old Vuria! He arrived to join the orphans for breakfast and then escorted the herd out to browse. Jotto, Musiara and Dololo were happy to have such an esteemed orphan in their midst, and crowded round Vuria as if seeking answers and guidance during their current transitioning phase back into the wild. Engaging in a light-hearted pushing game, Musiara seized the opportunity to learn more from Vuria and all his experience. Meanwhile Roho engaged Lodo in a pushing game that ended in a draw. 

The herd settled to browse in the Kone area, their collective focus directed on browsing and savouring the lush greenery. Later, Suguroi took the lead and steered the herd toward the main mud bath for the midday milk feed. As usual Kuishi and Larro took care of their favourite little boy Esoit, and personally escorted him for his milk bottles. Naboishu got himself into trouble with Jotto by attempting to engage him in a pushing game. He obviously mistimed his invitation or hadn’t read Jotto’s mood appropriately, as Jotto turned and fully charged towards him — poor Naboishu had to turn and flee, yelling out for help as he ran.

Eventually Vuria left the group and Jotto, Dololo and Musiara decided to accompany him, which wasn’t surprising to us. Naleku, Suguroi, Sagateisa and Olorien took a break from feeding to relax under some shade. As dusk approached, Mukkoka, Larro, and Bondeni stumbled upon a muddy pool, enthusiastically splashing themselves with red mud, before Kindani capably led the herd back to the stockade compound for a peaceful night's rest.

A serene morning at the stockade compound unfolded with the arrival of ex-orphans Lualeni, Lulu, Lexi and Vuria, just as the dependent orphans were venturing out of their night stockades to begin their day. Kuishi, with her nurturing instincts, headed straight over to Esoit. Lualeni and her family joined the dependent herd, partaking in the lucerne feast as the sun rose, before escorting the orphans out to the bush. Lodo and Roho initiated a spirited pushing match, their playful antics captivating the attention of their companions, until Lodo decided to quit and instead play with Suguroi. Musiara enjoyed browsing alongside Sagateisa, while Sattao settled to browse with Naleku. Kindani paired up with Bondeni, and Larro spent her time browsing with Naboishu. Later, Sagateisa respectfully sought permission from Lualeni to engage Lulu, her daughter, in a friendly pushing match, further strengthening the bond amongst all the orphans present, old and young.  

At mud bath time, Jotto, Musiara, Sagateisa, Dololo, Mukkoka and Sattao lagged behind with Lualeni and her family. The orphans didn’t wallow for long, and Bondeni took the lead to guide everyone back out to browse, eventually yielding to Kindani who wanted to take over. As evening approached, Roho guided the herd back to the comforting confines of their stockade compound for another night.