In Ithumba, the month began with an orphan coup. Several ex-orphans reported to the stockades early in the morning, including Ithumba and her daughter, Iman. As is typical of young babies, Iman was surrounded by heavy security, in the form of Ithumbah’s ex-orphan friends-turned-nannies.
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
Loijuk and Lili arrived early before dawn and were joined by the dependent orphans as they made their way to the lucerne feeding area. After the orphans had enough lucerne, Naleku led the way out to browse. As soon as the dependent orphans left a whole cohort of ex-orphans arrived. Olare, Ola, Naseku, Lenana, Lapa, Lualeni, Lulu, Lexi, the tuskless wild nanny, Ndiwa, Wanjala, Rapa, Olsekki, Roi, Gawa, Mteto, Kithaka, Enkikwe, Sana Sana, Galana, Sunyei, Siku and Saba made their way into the stockade compound. The ex-orphans had some water briefly before heading southeast of the stockades.
Roho, Sattao, Naboishu and Musiara split from the main herd while they browsed for a bit. Naboishu and Roho took a break to have a strength testing exercise. Sagateisa, Kindani, Bondeni, Kuishi, Esoit and Mukkoka came across some wet loose soil that they were very excited about, and they rolled around and threw it in the air. At mud bath time the orphans had their milk bottles then got into the water to cool off. Musiara, as always, was the last one out. He enjoys swimming and splashing so much! In the afternoon, Lodo had a pushing game with Suguroi while Naboishu played with Mukkoka.
Yatta, Yoyo, Yogi, Wendi, Wema, Wiva, Wimbi, Makena, Mwende, Mala, Mulika and Mkuu joined the orphans in the morning for lucerne and later escorted them out to the bush. Naleku, who loves babies, decided to nanny little Mala for a while. When the ex-orphans eventually decided to part ways, Naleku gave the Keepers a hard time by trying to run away with them because she wanted to stay with Mala. At long last, they managed to retrieve Naleku from the group of ex-orphans.
Lodo had a brief pushing game with Suguroi while Naboishu played with jolly Roho. After these few games the rest of the morning was quiet as the orphans decided to browse calmly up until it was time to head to the mud bath. Kinyei was eager for her milk bottles and took the lead of the first group for the eleven o'clock milk feed. After finishing her milk, Kinyei was first into the mud bath to swim as well. The rest of the herd joined her after they had finished their milk bottles. When she was done wallowing, Kindani engaged Lodo in a strength testing match. Kuishi and Sagateisa were the last ones to leave the mud bath as they were having so much fun rolling around. They looked as if they didn’t have a care in the world and were completely at ease bobbing around.
In the afternoon the orphans settled to browse in the area known as Imenti. Suddenly the temperature skyrocketed, even more than usual, which prompted the orphans to stop and take a break to relax in the shade. They only resumed browsing later in the afternoon as the sun dipped a little lower in the sky and it felt a bit cooler. In the evening everyone returned safely to the stockades for the night.
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.
There was unusual excitement in the air this morning as the orphans left their night stockades. We often find this to be the case in anticipation of an exciting event, like the arrival of some ex-orphans, or new babies. It’s as if the orphans know what is coming!
Today the excitement we could sense amongst the orphans was regarding the arrival of the new babies from Nairobi. The orphans didn't even bother feeding on lucerne but ran among the bushes trumpeting. The Keepers managed to contain them and took them west of the stockades to wait for the arrival of the Nairobi babies. The lorry bearing Ahmed, Taabu, and Tingai pulled into the stockade compound shortly before nine in the morning. Bondeni, Kinyei and Kindani, who were the last graduates from the Nursery, were the first ones to meet the new arrivals. Ahmed, Taabu and Tingai came out of the lorry and tried to walk off, but as soon as Kinyei and the others approached them they calmed down.
The rest of the herd showed up and it looked as though Naleku remembered Ahmed, Taabu and Tingai from the Nursery too, as she went round greeting them one by one. Tingai looked relaxed, even confident, as he walked amidst the group browsing as usual. Roho spotted Tingai and walked over to him to introduce himself to him, placing his trunk on Tingai’s back as a show of affection. Kinyei held a brief meeting with Taabu and later with Ahmed, before moving on to join Bondeni and Musiara for a soil dusting exercise.
Ahmed, Taabu and Tingai followed their friends old and new through the bush as they familiarised themselves with the route to their new mud bath. They enjoyed their tasty and familiar milk bottles before following the herd over to the mud bath. At first they were very hesitant about getting in the water, perhaps because of the sheer size of the mud bath compared to their little one back at the Nairobi Nursery! Eventually they did make their way into the water, but they didn’t stay in for long before they came rushing out. They stood at the edge of the mud bath waiting for their friends to join them once they were finished swimming.
In the afternoon the Ithumba orphans showed the new babies the browsing area to the east of Ithumba Hill. It was very hot and all the orphans took a break from feeding to relax under some trees. In the evening Ahmed, Taabu and Tingai followed the Ithumba orphans home for their first night at the Ithumba stockades.
Ex-orphans Galana, Gawa, Nasalot, Nusu, Noah, Nabulu, Mwende, Mala, Ithumbah, Iman, Mapia, Mundusi, Kauro, Ambo, Jotto and Ndiwa reported early in the morning before the orphans were let out. We weren’t surprised to see so many ex-orphans, considering the arrival of three new Nursery babies yesterday. Somehow the ex-orphans always know when new babies have arrived, and come to investigate and introduce themselves!
As soon as the Keepers opened the gate to her night stockade, Naleku walked straight over to join little Mala, but she found that she had to compete with Gawa over who could look after the little baby! Gawa decided to leave the competition, which saw Naleku emerge as Mala’s sole nanny — a position she was delighted with. Shortly later, Ahmed came over to try and greet Mala too, but Naleku stood in between and didn’t allow Ahmed to get close. Gawa walked back to her mother Galana and tried sharing lucerne with her. Galana pushed her daughter lightly, just to remind her that there was a lot of grass available on the ground which she could go and help herself to, without taking from her pile. Naboishu engaged Noah in a light pushing game. Naleku left Mala for a moment to go and browse on a nice pile of lucerne, and Taabu was lucky enough to get to interact with Mala in the meantime. Little Iman accidentally bumped into Taabu while they were there in the lucerne feeding area, and Taabu threatened to push her back. Being new on the scene, Taabu perhaps felt like he had to stand up for himself, and Iman ran back to her mother. Lodo engaged Roho in a pushing game but surrendered when the going got tough.
As they walked out to the forest, Bondeni and Kuishi came across some suitably sized rocks that they used to scratch their bellies on. Throughout the morning the orphans decided to concentrate on browsing up until it was time to head to the noon milk feed. Confident Suguroi led the way to the mud bath and the first group for their bottles. In the afternoon the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill and browsed calmly throughout the rest of the day.
The orphans settled to feed on lucerne soon after leaving the stockades. The second group of Nursery orphans were expected from Nairobi around 9 AM, and we eagerly anticipated their arrival. After feeding on lucerne, the dependent orphans headed west, not far away from the compound so that they would be close by to greet the new arrivals. Ahmed teamed up with Taabu and Tingai to browse as they waited to welcome their Nursery friends, Kitiak, Elerai, and Rafiki. Olorien chose a relaxing soil dusting session to pass the time, and Kindani decided to join her and rolled around on the ground. Kinyei came over and tried to scratch her belly on Kindani, before joining her rolling games. After Olorien had enough of soil dusting, Bondeni joined her to browse from some nearby bushes.
Just moments before Kitiak, Elerai and Rafiki were due to arrive, some ex-orphans briefly stopped by the stockade compound, heading east. As they left, Mundusi lagged behind, probably wanting to hang around and meet the new arrivals. Kitiak, Elerai and Rafiki arrived shortly before nine o'clock in the morning. After coming out of the lorry, the three boys made for the bush, until the Keepers called after them. Ahmed, Taabu and Tingai arrived moments later and calmed the situation. Elerai, Rafiki and Kitiak saw their friends and immediately felt more relaxed.
The rest of the group arrived and interacted with the new Nairobi orphans. Mundusi was so happy to meet some new orphans and lay down on the ground, encouraging them to roll and play with him. However, none of the new arrivals were interested in Mundusi’s games, as they were far too preoccupied with the new sights and smells all around. Kindani interacted with Rafiki while Lodo tested Elerai by engaging him in a pushing game. Elerai, Rafiki and Kitiak cooled themselves off in a small pool of water close to the compound and the other orphans followed them and copied, making them feel reassured and settled in their new environment.
All the new babies followed their new friends alongside the Nairobi Nursery Keepers who accompanied them down, for a little extra security and reassurance. Larro took the lead of the herd when it was time for the noon milk feed. The rest of the herd jumped into the mud bath water as soon as they were done with their milk bottles. Elerai, Rafiki and Kitiak were hesitant at first, just like Ahmed, Taabu and Tingai, but at long last they got into the water too.
After wallowing, Bondeni led the way back out to the bush to continue browsing and he took the herd in an easterly direction. Later, Kuishi, Kinyei and Sattao came across a muddy pool which they had fun splashing about in. In the evening, on the way back to the stockades, the orphans passed by Kone dam which they decided to walk through and wet their feet a little before returning home for the night. Elerai, Rafiki and Kitiak were happy to follow Tingai, Taabu and Ahmed, who already know the routine (!), and they all settled in happily for the night into their new stockade.
Ex-orphans, Nasalot, Makireti, Kilabasi, Kofi, Galana, Gawa, Teleki, Tumaren, Tembo, Noah, Nusu, Ithumbah, Iman, Lenana, Lapa, Zurura, Narok and Ndiwa arrived at the stockade compound early before the dependent orphans had left their stockades. Taabu was the first one out after finishing his milk bottle, so he is already evidently feeling confident in his new environment! All the orphans young and old shared the lucerne the Keepers distributed. Kuishi had a disagreement with Nusu which resulted in a pushing game. Rafiki, Ahmed, Kitiak and Taabu had a brief meeting and we wondered what they could be discussing.
When they were ready, the dependent orphans headed west of the stockades and eventually the ex-orphans left too, heading east. Kitiak teamed up with Tingai to browse while Ahmed settled to browse with her Nursery friend Elerai. Later, Elerai joined Sattao for a soil bath, which the older bull was happy to accommodate, before he went on to browse beside Musiara. Elerai is clearly at home at Ithumba and is eager to make friends!
Naleku led the first group to the mud bath for their next bottle feed and Roho led the second one. Ahmed led the third group while Elerai led the fourth group. Kindani led Bondeni and Naboishu in the fifth group. After finishing their milk, the orphans jumped into the mud bath to wallow where they enjoyed cooling off for quite some time. When they were done, Suguroi led the way out and back out to the bush. The orphans settled for a quiet afternoon of browsing in the Kanziku area.
It was a misty morning when the orphans left the stockades this morning. It was also very wet, following some rain we received overnight. Esoit kindly shared his lucerne pile with Kuishi while Elerai shared with Kitiak. All in all the day started as usual and in a peaceful way. Naleku took the lead and escorted everyone to the Kone area where the orphans scattered out to browse quietly. Musiara took a break to play on the wet ground.
As the orphans enjoyed feeding on the lush green vegetation all around, a group of lesser kudus sprinted past close by. This caused panic amongst the Ithumba orphans who scattered and ran, unsure as to why the kudus were running so fast.
The Keepers called out everyone’s names, as they tried to gather the orphans and restore calm. Lodo, Kinyei, Kindani, Bondeni, Olorien, and Esoit came back, followed by their older friends. However, the six new graduates continued running down towards the Lesilau dam, with the Keepers in pursuit. They didn't stop, and with the bush so thick after all the recent rain, the Keepers couldn’t keep up with them. They tried running sideways to cut them off, but the orphans were too fast. The chase went on for nearly three hours, until the Keepers lost them and relied on tracking their footprints alone.
The day had started well, but it finished on a difficult note for the Keepers who were worried about the six new orphans disappearing into the bush. The search continued until dusk, but with no luck.
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.
The morning saw the arrival of Rapa, Enkikwe, Olare, Ola, Kithaka, Narok, and three wild elephants at the stockade compound. Musiara walked towards them as a welcoming gesture. After exchanging morning greetings with the ex-orphans, Musiara settled for a scratching exercise on a nearby rock. He was soon joined by Sattao, Kuishi and Kindani as well. Jotto was happy to see his friends Rapa and Enkikwe again. Roho, Mukkoka, Suguroi, and Naleku interacted briefly with Ola, who appeared cautious and retreated to her tuskless nanny, who escorted her back to her mother Olare. Naboishu had a brief meeting with Narok and later with Rapa. We were delighted when handsome Zurura showed up, just as the orphans were preparing to leave. He was warmly welcomed by Musiara and Roho, who marvelled at his size.
Out in the bush, Lodo playfully interacted with Kindani. Eventually Kithaka, Rapa, and Enkikwe decided to part ways with the dependent orphans, and Jotto left with them too this time. Esoit paired up with Lodo to browse.
Around ten o'clock, Olorien, Sagateisa, Kuishi, Naboishu, and Mukkoka took a break for a wet soil bath. Naleku then led the herd for the eleven o'clock milk feed. After finishing their bottles, the orphans wallowed and bonded before heading back out to the bush, led by Bondeni. The orphans browsed peacefully in the Imenti area in the afternoon. Mukkoka teamed up with Kindani and Olorien to browse while the rest of the herd scattered out, celebrating the abundant vegetation. When it was time to head home for the night, Esoit safely guided everyone back.
As soon as their gates were opened, Bondeni and Roho marched down to the stockade terrace wall for a relieving scratch. The rest of the herd settled in the lucerne feeding area. Rapa, Kithaka, Enkikwe and a wild elephant arrived with Jotto, who had left yesterday with them. The wild bull was actually quite hostile towards the Keepers and kept charging at them, but he finally left. Lodo requested Rapa to teach him some pushing tactics which Rapa was happy to oblige.
Later in the morning we watched Olorien team up with Roho to browse. Sattao, Naboishu and Musiara split from the group and went to browse a short distance away. Sagateisa settled to browse with Suguroi as Mukkoka climbed up some rocks in search of soft leaves higher up. Later, Bondeni, Esoit, Naleku, Sagateisa, Kinyei, Lodo and Kindani came across a muddy area and smeared themselves with red mud all over their bodies, frolicking and rolling around. Sattao and Naboishu had a pushing game which was rather funny to watch as Naboishu was lying down and Sattao was standing up.
Larro led the herd for their midday milk feed and after having their bottles the orphans decided to wallow in the main water hole. The afternoon was quiet as the orphans browsed quietly for the rest of the day.
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.
Dawn broke with a gentle drizzle, heralding a wet morning as the elephants eagerly ventured out from their night stockades despite the weather. The orphans enjoyed some lucerne briefly before Kinyei decided it was time to head out to browse. Whilst browsing, Larro and Kinyei stumbled upon some rainwater collected in a natural rock reservoir which they delighted in drinking, relishing the treat of pure, fresh water. Meanwhile Kuishi led Esoit to an inviting wet patch, where the two indulged in a spirited game of rolling around on the damp earth. Esoit stood up and started scratching on Kuishi’s big tummy, which she didn’t mind at all.
As they walked, the dependent orphans encountered Nasalot, Nusu, Noah, and a wild elephant, prompting a warm exchange of greetings and interactions among the elephants. Noah, exhibiting his youthful enthusiasm, quickly ran ahead of his mother and approached Kuishi, Olorien, Suguroi, and Bondeni, but promptly withdrew when met with a stern display of hostility from Olorien, his unspoken rival! Shortly later, Nasalot and her family parted ways with the orphans. The earth was completely sodden following the rain this morning, which compelled Olorien, Mukkoka, Suguroi, Roho, and Naleku to indulge in a playful session of smearing themselves with the rich, red mud. Satisfied after their playful break, the elephants resumed their browsing routine.
Lodo led the way to the noon milk feed. When the orphans arrived the weather was still chilly and the orphans only washed their feet at the edge of the mud bath before heading back out to the bush, led by Sagateisa. The afternoon was dedicated to calm and concentrated browsing, before Larro led her friends home to the stockades for the night.
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.
The day commenced with the elephants eagerly partaking in the lucerne feeding after coming out of their stockades. Nasalot and Noah made an unexpected entrance, seeking refuge among the orphans and Keepers from a wild bull in hot pursuit. The wild bull charged and threatened the Keepers with Nasalot standing behind them, but the Keepers stood their ground and the wild bull eventually stomped away. Rather unwisely, Sattao and Mukkoka decided to follow the bull — predictably, considering his hostile mood, he turned to charge at them. They swiftly ran back to the safety of the group. Not wishing to escalate the situation, the Keepers called the orphans and the group made their way out to begin their day.
The elephants settled to browse in the Kone area, with Larro engaging in a brief exchange with Musiara, while Mukkoka, Roho, and Sattao played in an endearing game of entwining their trunks together. As the morning continued, Mulika and Mkuu briefly joined the herd, allowing Lodo the opportunity to play with Mkuu for a while before the two groups parted ways.
On the way to the mud bath, the orphans stumbled upon a bush mud bath, finding sheer delight in rolling around. Kuishi looked so happy and was having a great time, allowing her favourite baby Esoit to climb all over her. When it was time, Olorien led the way to the midday milk feed and after the herd enjoyed a short wallowing session. For the rest of the afternoon the herd quietly concentrated on browsing, enjoying the peace and quiet.