All the rain also brought an abundance of fresh greenery, but for the little orphans, life is more about play than browsing. Food isn’t a serious matter when it is just a trunk’s stretch away.

Mr Bean, the orphaned warthog, has become everyone’s favourite entertainer. His tail held aloft like an antenna, he trots to and fro with a series of impatient snorts. He seems to have wormed his way into every corner of life here, spending time with every animal and somehow managing to rule the roost.

The Orphaned Elephants

Our Kaluku orphan herd has many colourful characters, but it has only one boss — and she happens to be the youngest elephant there.

We are, of course, referring to Korbessa. She is becoming even cleverer and more independent than before, happy to be the only female among three bulls. Now, all the boys accept her — they won’t take a single step without her. She knows she is the boss and is always the first for everything: milk, playtime, and even when it’s time to return to bed.

Korbessa has a particular fondness for chasing any small birds around her. She is starting to get to know the other Keepers and doesn’t just rely on Joseph anymore. However, he is still her favourite, and she is always delighted to reunite with him after any time spent apart.

As a fragile young baby, Toto was raised as an ‘only child’ — a status he enjoyed. Joining the other elephants took some getting used to, but now, he is well and truly one of the herd. He is growing, understanding everything, and becoming very clever.

Toto is becoming more self-sufficient and has become great friends with Natibu and Mwinzi, the big boys who are a little older than him. He’s learning a lot from them and enjoys spending all day interacting with Natibu. As calm and even-keeled as Toto is, Natibu is the opposite — spirited and even a bit unpredictable — but the two get along famously.

The most incredible thing about Toto is that, during feeding time, he doesn’t rush to be first. He knows his bottle is his, and that even if he’s late, it will still be waiting for him. He’s not like the others in that way — Korbessa, Mwinzi, and Natibu race to their bottles as though they’re at risk of evaporating into thin air.

After a brief settling-in period, Mwinzi and Natibu are loving their big boy stockades. They seem to realise that they have the ‘senior privilege’ (unlike Toto and Korbessa, who still sleep in stables) and enjoy that elevated status. Of course, they still room with their Keepers, who sleep on a bunk tucked beneath a weatherproof thatched roof.

Mwinzi is the dominant bull in our Kaluku herd, but he doesn’t behave that way. He is unflappable and calm, preferring to quietly do his own thing rather than push his weight around. He leaves the bullish behaviour to Natibu, who has always been a little firecracker.

Twiggy, the Orphaned Giraffe

When Natibu and Mwinzi graduated to their big boy rooms, they joined Twiggy’s stockade block. The giraffe was delighted to have neighbours again — she was very fond of Rokka, Manda, Mayan, Vaarti, and Apollo, all of whom shared her space at one point or another — and clearly missed having evening company.

As the tallest member of our Kaluku herd, Twiggy enjoys a unique vantage point. In the wild, giraffes are known as nature’s sentries — they are the first to notice incoming danger, craning their long necks to see what is on the horizon. Twiggy does the same for our Kaluku family. Nothing escapes her notice, particularly the wild dogs that were such frequent visitors this month.

Chamboi, the Orphaned Rhino

Chamboi is quite literally outgrowing his stable, but he’s completely attached to it — his mattress, his blanket, everything! He was so tiny for about a year and then suddenly had an explosion of growth. Soon, we’ll have to move him to a bigger stable, which will be a huge upheaval since rhinos are such creatures of habit.

Chamboi is a very friendly, kind-natured, and happy rhino. He has an eclectic friend group, including his old pals Bam and Boozle. The ostriches tower above the stout rhino now, but Chamboi remains very fond of them. They still swoop around as only they can, often tagging along at the tail end of a walk here and there. Chamboi is also very intrigued by the new antelope arrivals — kudu, eland, and bushbucks — so he certainly has plenty of company.

Chamboi has also figured out where the milk is mixed. He isn’t content to wait for his bottle, preferring instead to barge right in, demanding a rapidly mixed meal!

Apollo, the Orphaned Rhino

Apollo is truly a big boy now. While he is terribly fond of his Keepers and the KWS rangers, he has zero tolerance for any unknown visitors. When other members of the team visit, they must drive into his boma, because being on foot isn’t an option. As soon as he hears a vehicle approaching, Apollo comes bulleting out of the bush. A reassuring ‘whoa’ from his trusted Keepers, Justus and Benjamin, stops him in his tracks — but strangers wouldn’t be so lucky.

This rather unwelcoming behaviour is actually fantastic, because it shows the makings of a wild rhino. Apollo’s next steps are imminent, taking him further afield from his boma. But just when you think he’s massive, you see him against the vastness of the Tsavo landscape, and suddenly it hits you — he is actually still quite small. He needs to be prepared for all the natural dangers that exist out in the wild.

Apollo is in magnificent condition. He has more food than he knows what to do with and spends much of the day in the pursuit of eating. Yet, despite his size, he prefers to gravitate towards the compound, where his ‘gang’ hangs out. Apollo remains very attached to his Keepers — it’s a funny contrast, a burly, intimidating creature who is still rather needy.

Apollo’s zebra friends are still very much in the mix. Spotting them is always a sure sign that Apollo is nearby. His boma is full of valleys, anthills, bush, and brush to navigate, so he has plenty of places to make himself hidden when the mood to go incognito strikes.

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