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The Keepers tried to lead the herd to Kenzili this morning, but it wasn’t the destination the orphans had in mind. Kapei, Kiombo, and Maktao defied the order, choosing to go their own way, leaving the Keepers feeling a bit ashamed and watching in disbelief at what the boys were doing. These three seemed determined to show their independence, as if shaping their own destiny as big boys now capable of making their own choices. Meanwhile, only the head girls and younger nannies followed the Keepers along their planned path.

Mwana suddenly emerged from the thick bushes, charging playfully at one of the Keepers from an unexpected angle. She was feeling strong and happy. Lima Lima, with the help of Enkesha, rushed over to stop Mwana from pushing their beloved Keeper, who they see as a mother. Mwana, whose mother is Murera, does not always show the same respect to the keepers.

After settling the situation, the orphans continued toward their browsing destination, while the junior boys, including Kapei, continued on their chosen path.

This morning began well. Sonje, Lima Lima, and Quanza arrived, one after the other. Everyone ate lucerne together and then the orphans moved off, led by Murera.

A short distance away, Lima Lima rumbled, catching the attention of Sonje and Quanza. The Keepers continued moving with Murera and the others, but the three nightclubbers changed direction, ensuring the other babies didn’t follow them. At one point, Lima Lima lay down to stretch on a hill. When she got back up, the Keepers jokingly asked her to tell them when she would give birth, as she was heavily pregnant and her due date seemed to be drawing very close.

After the midday bottle feeding and mud bath, Quanza was spotted walking toward the stockades. Finding no one there, she continued on to the staff quarters. Those she encountered didn’t initially understand what message Quanza was trying to convey — she was charging around and rumbling with great excitement. But then, Head Keeper Philip was informed and took off in a vehicle to investigate. He was intercepted by Quanza, who followed behind him as he drove. A few meters ahead, he saw two elephants, and to his surprise, it was Sonje and Lima Lima — with a tiny baby boy!

I was taken by surprise and immediately called out to Lima Lima to let me get closer to the baby. She allowed me, and I quickly took some photos to show the other Keepers. Excited, I rushed back to share the news with everyone. The entire team was overjoyed, and everyone hurried to welcome Lima Lima and her baby boy.

After informing the other staff and the office, the news spread quickly: Lima Lima had given birth to a beautiful baby boy, who we named Lenny. She was given extra pellets as a treat after delivering her baby.

When the other orphans were brought to meet the newborn, Murera and Mwana were in disbelief. Instead of getting close to the baby, Mwana ran away in surprise. However, Kiasa, Enkesha, and Amali were much braver, happily receiving and accepting the new baby. As the day progressed, Murera left with Mwana, who was not happy about the arrival of the new baby and even tried to kick him. Kapei also aimed several kicks at Lenny.

At the stockades that evening, Kiasa refused to enter her stockade, choosing instead to remain outside with the new baby. She and Enkesha both spent the night outside, but the Keepers left the gate open, allowing them to come and go as they pleased. Early in the morning, Lima Lima, Sonje, and Quanza brought Kiasa and the baby back home for the morning feeding session.

Lenny began breastfeeding yesterday evening, and we are united in wishing him well as he embarks on his journey in this challenging world. Now, all eyes are on Sonje and Zongoloni, as we wait for their babies. With Lima Lima now finished with her maternity period, she is free to enjoy motherhood.

Since Lima Lima surprised the Umani herd with her new baby boy, Lenny, Murera and others have had mixed reactions. Murera, in particular, has been keeping her distance from the new baby. When Lenny ran towards her, Murera and Mwana were not comfortable letting him get too close. Mwana even kicked him away before running back to her mother.

Kiasa, Enkesha, Sonje, and Quanza have been giving Lima Lima moral support. Today, they noticed Mwana’s behaviour and quickly stepped in to warn her not to kick Lenny again. Mwana, who still thinks of herself as the only ‘princess’ of the group, seemed unsure about accepting the new arrival. However, as of 3rd December, when Lenny the ‘prince’ was born, Mwana will need to adjust and share the spotlight. Now, the Umani family has two darlings: baby boy Lenny, the prince, and baby girl Mwana, the princess.

Since Lenny’s birth just a few days ago, the Keepers have been wondering about Mwashoti and Zongoloni, who have been absent since the day Lima Lima went into labour. Perhaps they just decided to give Lima Lima space and trusted Sonje and Quanza to assist her. We also wonder if Zongoloni, who is heavily pregnant, might give birth soon herself.

Sonje, in particular, has been an exceptional midwife and continues to provide much-needed support to Lima Lima. Whenever Lenny trips or gets stuck in the grass, Sonje is quick to pull him back up. On one occasion, a Keeper stepped in to help Lenny stand after he got caught in some tall grass. Lima Lima watched closely but remained calm, trusting her Keeper to do what was best for her baby.

Today was a turning point. Princess Mwana is done sulking and appears to have fully accepted Lenny into the herd. Murera, who was unsure of him at first, looked relaxed and even tried to stay close to Lenny. Meanwhile, Amali seemed to shift her attention from Mwana to the new baby, disrupting the comfort zone that Mwana had enjoyed. With Zongoloni and Sonje expected to deliver their own babies soon, Mwana’s privileged position will change as more newborns join the group.

In the afternoon, the orphans decided it was too hot and branched off to another waterhole inside the Kibwezi Forest. Mwana was the first to jump into the water, followed by Amali, who took it upon herself to help little Lenny enjoy a gentle shower at the shallow end. Lenny tried rolling in the mud while the older orphans splashed water on him to cool him down — almost like how humans bathe their babies.

Mwana became annoyed when she noticed Kapei trying to challenge Amali. When she realised it was Amali and Kapei tussling, Mwana felt protective of her ‘big sister.’ She stepped in from behind and pushed Kapei on his rear. Enkesha quickly moved in to help calm little Mwana and prevent her from fighting with the older orphans.

Lenny is proving himself to be a young boy destined to grow into a real bull in the days to come. At the waterhole, the Keepers initially thought Lenny might struggle to navigate the wallowing area. Sonje, Kiasa, and Quanza stood close by, watching with their eyes wide open, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.

Mwana, after coming to terms with Lenny as her new “brother,” has calmed down and now tries to assist whenever something seems wrong with him. As Lenny entered the water, Lima Lima remained on standby, carefully observing while the other girls helped Lenny swim. However, he was only allowed in the shallow side of the waterhole for safety, where he could paddle and enjoy splashes from the trunks of the older babies.

Kiasa is now fully committed to looking after Lenny and has left Mwana. Enkesha remains neutral, attending to both little ones without showing favouritism. The boys — Kapei, Maktao, and Kiombo — are not allowed near Lenny due to their rowdy behaviour, as they might unintentionally harm him. Always wary, Murera and the others are particularly protective of the little prince.

The group later positioned Lenny safely in the middle as they moved. He stopped to scratch himself on some small twigs, with Amali halting alongside him. In the afternoon, all the elephants were peaceful until a group of buffalo approached where Murera and her friends were browsing in the Kibwezi Forest.

Amali avoided the buffalo's path, sensing danger, and returned to join Mwana, who was trying to nap on an anthill. However, Kapei moved Mwana aside as he wanted to use the anthill himself, rubbing his belly on it. Soon after, Kiombo arrived and pushed Kapei aside, repeating what had just been done to Amali.

Most of the nightclubbers returned home this morning after their long night away. The orphans, led by Murera, came out together and found Lima Lima, Lenny, Sonje, Kiasa, and Quanza. The Keepers heard a very loud commotion of elephants trumpeting as they expressed their joyful moment meeting Lenny.

Mwana went right over to Kiasa because, before Lenny was born, Kiasa was her good friend and nanny. At the time, Mwana dominated the Umani unit as the only princess, but the birth of Lenny changed everything. All the nannies shifted their focus to Lenny, which led to Kiasa sleeping outside with other nightclubbers at her early age. We have noticed that she treats Lenny as her own baby.

Although he is just six days old, Lenny is proving to be a very good swimmer. He jumped into the swimming pool today after seeing his mother and Kiasa going into the water. Lima Lima and Sonje kept him in the shallow end. Sonje used her trunk to splash muddy water on Lenny, who then rolled down to show he was a full elephant and couldn’t be ignored, even as a baby.

Inside the waterhole, Mwana and Kapei did something that caused Lenny to rumble. They had been trying to shove him to get more room for herself, and Lenny made noise to defend his space, showing the youngsters that he wasn’t an easy pushover. All the nannies moved in to save Lenny. Kapei and Mwana, the two culprits, were shown the door and hurried off after realising they had done wrong. Kapei hid behind Kiombo and Maktao, who were already outside the mud bath.

It is now good that Mwana has accepted and acknowledged that Lenny is her little brother in the herd. While she still occasionally kicks, Enkesha, Amali, and Kiasa intervene, warning her and making her understand that it is wrong to play rough with little Lenny.

Kiasa-turned-nanny-to-little-Lenny is even more determined than Lima Lima, his own mother. Kiasa stays very close to Lenny, following him and watching every step he makes. She is always there with him. This morning, Lima Lima and Sonje decided to walk the baby to the shade so he could have a nap. When they reached a big tree with ample shade for all, Lima Lima stopped. Lenny lay down on the grass and immediately fell asleep in the cool shade.

Kiasa then found herself in a tussle with Enkesha and Amali over who could stay closest to Lenny. Enkesha, always a humble girl, did not fight much for the baby. She gave way to Kiasa and walked over to Mwana with Amali, having noticed that Kiasa did not want to share the little baby. At just eight days old, Lenny is already growing stronger each day. He shows signs of being a true bull elephant despite his tiny size.

All the orphans gave Lenny space so he could nap peacefully. After a two-hour sleep, he got up to nurse and went directly to his mother, Lima Lima. Spotting her among the other elephants, he ran to her and eagerly began breastfeeding.

It was also Lenny’s first day experiencing coconut oil, which the Keepers applied to help remove ticks from his skin. As soon as the oil streamed down his body, Lenny went to the ground, rubbing himself in the dust. His mother stayed by his side as the Keepers did their work, along with Sonje and Quanza. Lenny kept scratching himself because the coconut oil made his skin itchy, but he seemed to enjoy the ritual. 

The orphans had a very good afternoon. It started very peacefully and the babies turned out to be much more playful throughout the day. Kiombo and his close friend, Maktao, could not hide their joy and energy as they wrestled with one another as they always do. Kiombo got himself into a tight corner when Maktao pushed him and he fell on the loose ground. But when he got up, Kiombo was determined to keep up the fight so that Maktao wouldn’t say he had won.

Kapei saw that things were getting heated between the two boys. He moved to Enkesha to see if she would help Kiombo with Maktao to stop fighting, which was now turning into a real fight. But Enkesha ignored what Kapei was trying to tell her because she knew the young boys would not listen to her. Kapei then got Quanza to intervene. When Maktao saw Quanza approaching, he ran away in fear that things would not go his way.

Murera moved all the babies to the waterhole so that both the babies and orphans could clean themselves in the water. Mwana was the first to go into the water. Then Kiasa arrived and began splashing mud all over little Lenny to cool him off, leaving Mwana alone in the centre of the waterhole, swimming and rolling in all styles. Mwana is now playing the big role of a nanny, because with Lenny’s birth she is no longer the baby of the herd.

It is now about ten days since our baby boy Lenny was born. Lenny keeps proving himself to be a strong boy, as playful as an elephant bull, keeping all the nannies on their toes. Kiasa is very keen and behaves as if she is Lenny's mother. Brave Kiasa, who took great care of Mwana when she was little, now has Lenny to look after, and this has made her so devoted that she refuses to return to her usual stable at night. Instead, she sacrifices her nights to stay out in the Kibwezi Forest with Lenny, keeping vigil alongside Lima Lima, Sonje, and Quanza.

Today, Lenny ran strongly and fast, taking off to where Kiasa and Enkesha were, but Enkesha was elbowed out so Kiasa could be the one to stay with Lenny. Lenny played around and eventually went to scratch on Amali, who was using a scratching rock at the time. Lenny forced Amali to walk away and give him the space he wanted. Mwana also joined little Lenny, hugged him, and later walked to the hills, with Lenny following her to the top. A whole crowd followed behind, giving Lenny a VIP security escort to ensure he was safe and at peace.

Lenny was later spotted looking for Lima Lima to nurse. He found Kiasa nearby and attempted to suckle her, but no milk came his way. Kiasa then took him to his mother so he could nurse. Afterward, Kiasa moved away with her baby, leaving the area where Kapei and Kiombo were taking a daytime rest under big trees.

The Keepers of Umami Springs are now trying to relate Lenny with his mother, Lima Lima, and have found that Lenny is just as strong as his mother. When she was still milk-dependent, no one could win the race during bottle-feeding time, as Lima Lima was always number one. Now Lenny is beginning to show similar speed and charm, playing around with lots of energy, trying to charge and blow his trumpet — though it’s still too early for the trumpet sound to come out. 

Today, Mwana walked over and hugged Lenny. Later, Kiasa, Quanza, and Sonje grouped together to cover the baby, ensuring he wouldn’t get injured and was well protected. Elephants truly love their babies more than humans, as shown by the way they provide full protection to little Lenny. Mwana, who once received the same level of care when she was little, has now graduated from being the "little princess" to a nanny princess for Prince Lenny. 

At the waterhole today, Lenny showed just how tactical and talented he might become as a swimmer when he grows up. It was amazing to see the little baby navigating the mud bath without getting stuck, closely followed by the older nannies — Sonje, Quanza, Kiasa, and Enkesha — who stayed nearby to ensure Lenny was well and safe. The boys, Kapei, Kiombo, and Maktao, were not allowed to get too close to Lenny but were permitted to interact with Mwana, who is now used to them. 

Zongoloni has not yet visited home to see Lenny since she left during the time Lima Lima was in labour. Only Sonje has stayed close to Lima Lima. Murera rumbled to give direction to Mwana, and Mwana then came out from where she was with Amali to nurse under her mother. After a few minutes, Lenny rolled onto the grass to sleep, but the open field with its hot sunshine forced Lima Lima to move him to the shade. That marked the end of our midday show today. Immediately after, the nannies took Lenny to rest under the shade, allowing him to have a little nap and concluding the mud bath session. 

Immediately after they had their morning milk bottles, Amali ran to the gate like she was in a marathon race at the Olympics. At the gate, she waited for Mwana and lastly Murera. They found Zongoloni trying her best to leave with baby Lenny. However, mum Lima Lima stood firm and was supported by the little nannies — Kiasa, Amali, Enkesha, and Quanza — who blocked the way, ensuring the baby would not go with her. If Zongoloni was to leave, she would have to leave alone.

The Keepers brought more pellets for the babies to keep the celebration going. At one point, Kapei tried to kick the baby, and Lenny accused him by making noise, which made all the elephants run and blow trumpets as a warning to Kapei. He was forced to run away, as staying close would result in harsh treatment because of what he had done to Lenny.

Mwana, after initially struggling to accept Lenny, has really come around. It wasn’t easy for her during the first few days, but she ironed out her grievances following a meeting chaired by Murera and Sonje. The resolution of the meeting was that every elephant within the Umani orphanage must respect Lenny and accept him as their new baby boy, just as they had done with Mwana. It was agreed that the family was growing, and they all needed to live together peacefully with both Lenny and Mwana.

Since that resolution, Mwana has accepted her role as the youngest nanny to her new little brother, Lenny. Now, Mwana is happy, loving, and attending to Lenny as though he were her own baby and not an enemy within the herd.

The orphans had a very good start this morning, though it was cold after some rains last night. The rain was good for the elephants, providing lush greenery to celebrate. Amali came running out of her stockade as if she was in a race to the finish line. She was eager to get to baby Lenny and his mother, Lima Lima, who had spent the night out.

Kiasa tried to block Amali from Lenny, but Amali used all her tricks, and Kiasa failed. Amali found Lenny playing with Mwana, like brother and sister. Kapei moved toward the little babies but was shown the door and pushed aside by Enkesha, who didn’t want Kapei near the babies, fearing he might play rough. Everyone knows Kapei isn’t good with babies. Sonje and Quanza rushed over as well, shielding Mwana, who had started to complain but soon redirected her energy to chase baboons that had arrived early to scavenge leftover pellets.

Mwana took charge, targeting one baboon, while Amali and Mwashoti handled the rest, chasing them deep into the bushes and leaving the area safe for the little ones to mingle. With the place secured, the orphans prepared for their day as Murera was already moving upfront, ready to lead.

Kiasa stayed side by side with the babies, blocking the boys — Maktao, Kiombo, and Kapei — from getting too close. This tight shielding of the two babies continued as the orphans stretched toward the hills where they had planned to start their day. However, the presence of buffaloes in the area disrupted the calm.

The Keepers decided to call Murera and Lima Lima, the two mothers, to guide the herd to a safer location. Lima Lima came quickly, but Murera hesitated. Mwashoti stepped in, sweet-talking Murera until she agreed to follow Lima Lima. With Mwana and Amali joining them, the group moved toward the Kenzili area, where the Keepers had redirected them after the buffalo disruption.

Some wild elephant bulls came to visit after midday bottle times, but before reaching the orphans, they encountered a group of seven buffaloes. The buffaloes blocked their path and tried to assert dominance, challenging the bulls to see which group was stronger. Due to their larger numbers, the buffaloes refused to give the wild bulls space, ultimately forcing the bulls to retreat. By the time the buffaloes moved on, the orphans had already relocated to another area.

Kapei and Kiombo were later seen attempting to return, searching for the wild bulls. Mwashoti, knowing they might get into trouble with the wild elephants, moved ahead to intercept them and guided them back to where Sonje and the others were relaxing under the shade.

Mwana climbed up a dusty hill, followed by Kiasa and Lenny, who joined her for some playtime. Mwana played gently with Lenny, showing her understanding of how to handle a little baby. Her nurturing behavior showed that she might become a great mother in the future, as she seemed to have learned a lot from caring for Lenny. Lenny played with Mwana like a younger brother, while Mwana acted as his elder sister.

Amali, feeling jealous about being left out, eventually joined the babies on top of the hill. Meanwhile, the two mothers, Murera and Lima Lima, rested in the shade, leaving the babies to play with their nannies.

At one point, Lenny felt thirsty and walked under Kiasa, attempting to suckle from her. Realizing what he was trying to do, Kiasa, Amali, and Enkesha decided to escort Lenny back to his mother for nursing. Along the way, Lenny encountered Murera and attempted to nurse from her instead. Murera allowed him to suckle briefly before he continued to his mother for a "top-up." Meanwhile, Amali and Kiasa stood guard, keeping a watchful eye on him.

Mwashoti and Maktao turned out to be critics of each other the moment Mwashoti joined the herd. Mwashoti is known as the peacemaker among the fighting boys or a trainer preparing the junior boys for what awaits them when they join the wild side, which for them is just around the corner. However, today and yesterday, Mwashoti and Maktao got into some disagreements. Instead of avoiding Mwashoti, Maktao turned to fight back this morning.

The play-fighting became too aggressive, turning into a real fight between Maktao and Mwashoti, while Kiombo stood by, just watching how Maktao fought back against the giant elephant, who looked oversized compared to him. Maktao was determined and pushed back strongly. Soon, the Keepers intervened, stopping Maktao from continuing, as he was building momentum and energy for more fighting. One Keeper warned Maktao, while another Keeper warned Mwashoti to move away and stop the fighting. Mwashoti agreed and left, heading toward Kiombo, who had no problem with anyone.

Maktao moved to where Enkesha and Kapei were to cool his high temper. However, Kapei turned against him when Maktao tried to climb on his back. Kapei, unhappy with being climbed on, had to fight for his freedom until Maktao gave up. 

All good days begin in the morning. Earlier in the month, we met Lima Lima’s baby, Lenny, in the early hours. Today was another day for big news to unfold — on a special day like this, Christmas morning.

At 7 a.m., the nightclubbers were seen walking slowly, hiding something exciting. Before the Keepers could figure out what the news was, Sonje, who had once acted as a midwife for Lima Lima, was now the centre of attention. Little did we know that, in return, Lima Lima and Zongoloni had stepped in to assist Sonje as midwives during the night. Sonje had given birth to a beautiful baby girl and brought her home to introduce her to the family — both the two-legged Keepers and the four-legged herd.

The news broke when Amali arrived, walking with two tiny babies in front of her. The Keepers realised that Sonje had given birth during the heavy rain the previous night. The other babies, who were initially unaware of the news, were quickly alerted by Enkesha and Kiasa, who came running. This excitement spread to Murera and the rest of the herd, who rushed to see what everyone was talking about. They discovered the little baby girl, and the moment was filled with joyous commotion — trumpeting and even peeing everywhere in excitement, as if they'd forgotten all manners.

The Keepers were overjoyed that Sonje had given them such a precious gift on Christmas Day, a day that now felt even more special. The new mothers took time to bond with their babies, and the little babies, still learning, tried to nurse from every available breast. The Keepers couldn’t help but laugh when they saw Murera’s generosity, nursing both Lenny on one side and Sulwe, the newborn, on the other.

Meanwhile, Mwana observed the scene with maturity, showing no issue as the two babies nursed from her mother. This moment showed how much Mwana has grown and how understanding she has become, even allowing her mother to nurse other babies peacefully.

The morning started well as usual. Very early, all the babies received their milk bottles and were allowed out by their Keepers. Murera ran out first to get the pellets, with Mwana following closely behind. Amali came running and rumbling, eager to see the newborn babies, but she found none waiting for her. It was a big surprise for the orphans, who had come out expecting to see Lenny and Sulwe.

Today, their mothers, Lima Lima and Sonje, did not show up. Since Lima Lima gave birth about three weeks ago and Sonje gave birth on Christmas Day, they had stayed close to the group. But today, it seemed they had decided to take their new babies in a different direction. Mwashoti made sure he was not left behind, and Quanza, Zongoloni, and Kiasa were also eager to escort the new mothers and their little ones.

Amali, however, could not believe her eyes when she didn’t see Lenny and Sulwe. She took off running into the bushes, thinking she might find them there, as she had last seen them heading in that direction the previous evening.

The Keepers followed Amali as she led the way. She trumpeted loudly and kept her pace high, facing the direction she thought the babies might be. However, no reply came from Lenny or Sulwe. After her search had no luck, Amali returned, visibly disappointed, and the Keepers also came back without success.

Enkesha went to meet Amali, and Amali seemed to express her frustration at failing to find the babies. Both stood there, clearly disappointed.

The Keepers were equally concerned. The Head Keeper decided to take a vehicle and drive around the Kibwezi Forest, calling for Lima Lima and Sonje. Unfortunately, after a long search lasting about four hours, there was still no sign of them.

As this year comes to an end, with just a few hours left, we feel very lucky in Umani. It has turned into somewhat of a maternity ward for elephants. On Christmas Day, Sonje gave us another beautiful gift of a baby girl by the name Sulwe in the early morning hours. Kiasa, who up until then was still milk- and stockade-dependent, wanted to be the babies’ top nanny, but she knew that Amali and Enkesha had the same wishes. So, Kiasa played a trick: Instead of fighting for leadership and nanny roles each morning, she stepped up her strategy and left the stockades, so she could spend every minute with Lenny and Sulwe.

For two days now, Lima Lima, Sonje, Zongoloni, and friends have decided not to check in with the dependent herd. Amali and Enkesha were very upset by the decision and spent most of the morning searching for the babies and their mothers. Amali kept raising her trunk, trying to locate the scent and direction of their friends. She was tricked when she heard one elephant yelling inside the forest, who she thought was Lima Lima. After realising that it was just a stranger elephant, Amali came back with Kapei and rejoined the herd.

Mwana has been an excellent big sister to the new babies, but we wonder if she secretly welcomed a few days without them. In their absence, Mwana was again the baby of the herd and was left to enjoy the normal environment she was used to before Lenny and Sulwe arrived.