The month began with Wendi drama. She may be living wild, but the 23-year-old rascal still knows how to bring a wave of chaos crashing down!
It was such a beautiful morning as the babies had their milk bottles at 6 am and immediately walked out to feed on lucerne. When they were out, Wendi the naughty girl came in with her two babies, Wiva and Wimbi. Wema was not with her. She started her drama immediately, chasing the Keepers while they were serving lucerne to the babies. Everyone became stranded and stopped everything. The babies were scared and restless and kept their distance from her. Mayan and Kitich were having a chat while the others began walking to the bush for browsing.
In the bush, Loldaiga started play fighting with Esoit near the waterhole. Kindani and Mukutan were browsing together. Bondeni started playing with Loldaiga while Kitich and Vaarti were having a chat. The babies later walked to the mud bath for their milk bottles.
Back at the mud bath, the babies had their milk bottles as usual and walked in for wallowing. Bondeni enjoyed a self-service bottle of milk and later resisted with the empty bottle before throwing it away. The babies fully enjoyed wallowing, led by Vaarti, and then walked out to drink water before heading to the dust bath. They rolled fully in the dust, with Weka and Shujaa playing on the ground. They then walked back to the bush for browsing again.
They all looked more active and were browsing well. Kitich and Kindani were browsing together and checking on each other. Mayan was playing by rolling on the ground while Muwingu, Shujaa and Mukutan were having a chat. Later, Mageno started leading the babies back home in the evening for their milk bottles and bedding.
Today’s morning was much more peaceful as the babies had their milk breakfast and walked out to feed on lucerne. Coming out of their respective stables, they found a friend, Tusuja, waiting for them. They were very happy to meet him and Roho started playing with him straight away. Vaarti began playing and mounting on Kitich, and Choka came in to join them. Roho was still peacefully playing with Tusuja while Bondeni was scratching on the rock. Other babies were busy feeding on lucerne. Bondeni went on to kiss Kindani while Mayan was play fighting with Kitich. The babies later started walking to the bush for browsing.
In the bush, they all looked much more active and were browsing well through the whole morning. They interacted with each other as they played. The babies later began walking to the mud bath for their milk bottles.
In the mud bath, the babies had their milk bottles as usual and walked in for wallowing. There was a small waterhole where they all went in and started playing. Weka and Loldaiga were wallowing together. Barsilinga came in to join them and Mayan was busy kissing the tree.
After some time, Nasalot arrived with Ithumbah and a newborn baby girl. This is Ithumbah’s second born after Iman. The baby looks strong and active but shy. They were together with Nusu, Noah, Nala, Mundusi, Naleku, and Namalok. They later walked away back to the bush for browsing.
The babies also walked to the bush for their evening browse. Many of them were enjoying the fresh green browse in the bush, and later they all walked back home in the evening for their milk bottles. All are fine and well, and there is no rain in the area.
It was such a beautiful morning as the babies woke up to find the milk ready for them. We had three visitors outside the stockades waiting for the babies to come out and share lucerne with them. They were Barsilinga, Tusuja and Teleki. The babies later walked out to join them.
Out in the field, the babies were well served with lucerne and peacefully shared it with the three ex-orphans. They all enjoyed feeding and later the babies started walking to the bush for browsing. The three ex-orphans tried to follow them but later diverted.
However, the babies enjoyed feeding on the green fresh pastures despite the disappearance of rain. They later started walking to the mudbath for their milk bottles and swimming.
In the mudbath, they all got their share of milk and then started playing in the small dam of water and mud. Lodaiga fully enjoyed rolling in the mud. A number of them played enthusiastically before walking back to the bush for browsing.
Back in the bush, it was very hot and the babies were hiding under the shade. They later came out and resumed browsing. Mayan was kissing a tree for some time, while Choka and Kitich shared the same browse. Later, the babies started walking back home in the evening for their milk bottles.
This evening we had Nasalot with her newborn baby girl Nala in the stockades. They had some water and walked away. Naleku is fully comfortable in that group and she is doing well with them.
The day started well, with the babies feeding on their milk breakfast and walking out to feed on lucerne. Out in the field, there were Lenana and Sidai with their babies Lapa and Laki, along with Sita, Silas and Sidi. Laki and Sidi were very playful and interacted well with the orphans. Loldaiga and Mayan were guarding and protecting him well. We also had Bomani and a wild junior bull in the area. The babies later walked to the bush for browsing.
Out in the bush, Sidai and Lenana followed them and began interacting there. Choka and Vaarti were busy playing, and later the babies walked to the mud bath for their milk bottles.
In the mud bath, the babies had their milk bottles and then started playing in the mud. Vaarti fully enjoyed the play with Choka, Bondeni, Suguroi and Mukutan. They later walked back to the bush for browsing.
It was a very hot evening, so the babies were hiding under the shade. They came out later and browsed for a short time before walking back home in the evening for their milk bottles and bedding. No other animals were seen around, and there was no rain. It has started becoming drier and drier.
Mulika, Mwende, Mkuu, Moe, Mala, Nusu, Orwa, Wiva, Wendi, Wema, Wimbi and two wild boys joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne in the morning. Mageno, Mukutan and Choka interacted briefly with Orwa as Vaarti challenged Moe. Shortly afterwards, the orphans parted ways with the ex-orphans. Suguroi led the way to the browsing field.
The orphans settled to browse at Kone area where Olorien settled to browse with Mageno. Lodo teamed up with Roho as Kinyei briefly settled for a soil-dusting exercise. The orphans browsed calmly as they slowly headed towards the mud bath.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Muwingu led the way to the noon bottle feeds. After having their milk, the orphans participated fully in the mud-bathing exercise. Weka decided to scratch her bottom against Kindani, who was rolling in mud, while Choka scratched his itching ear against Loldaiga.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Kitich engaged Vaarti in a pushing game that ended when Vaarti won and decided to jump on Kitich for a free ride. Bondeni settled to browse with Esoit as Mayan engaged Shujaa in a light strength-testing exercise.
In the evening, Muwingu led the way back to the stockades.
Mayan and Esoit walked down to the water trough soon after leaving the stockade. Muwingu, Suguroi and Kindani settled to scratch on nearby rocks as they waited for the distribution of lucerne. Roho and Kinyei held a brief meeting before parting ways. Roho moved to play with Mukutan while Loldaiga played with Choka.
The orphans didn’t stay long feeding on lucerne but walked to the browsing field to enjoy the green vegetation. Kinyei settled to browse with Mageno while Bondeni teamed up with Kindani. Mayan settled to browse with Mukutan as Vaarti browsed with Shujaa.
At around eight o’clock in the morning, the orphans were joined by Tumaren and Tembo, who were on a mission to locate their friends. Mageno had a brief strength-testing exercise with Esoit, but he quit when Esoit proved very strong.
On the way to the mud bath, the orphans came across some stagnated water that they used to cool themselves down before heading for their midday milk feeds. At eleven o’clock, Muwingu led the way for the milk bottles. After getting their milk, the orphans had a brief mud bath and thereafter Weka led the way back to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, Lodo engaged Roho in a strength-testing exercise while Kitich played with Mukutan. In the evening, Nasalot, Nala, Musiara and Naleku showed up at the stockade compound and waited until the orphans returned from browsing. Kitich tried to challenge Naleku and at the same time asked her how outside life compared to stockade life. Naleku informed Kitich that life was good and that she is now the new nanny for Nala, since Nasalot has only boys and they don’t bother helping her. Kitich wished Naleku well, then ran into the stockade to get his milk.
Shortly before the orphans were let out, Kinna, Kama, Kaia, Kito, Wendi, Wiva, Wema, Wimbi, Yatta, Yetu, Yoyo, Yogi, Yebo, Yara, and a new baby belonging to Yetu arrived at the stockade compound. The group had come to introduce the new member of the family. The new baby girl, Yetu’s second-born, is Yatta’s second grandchild.
The orphans left the stockade soon after taking their milk and joined the ex-orphans to feed on lucerne. Yetu didn’t allow the orphans to interact with her baby and avoided them by walking away from the area. Shortly later, Yatta led the group west, leaving the orphans still feeding on lucerne. Suguroi wanted to follow the ex-orphans but was blocked by the Keepers.
The orphans settled to browse at Kone area. Mageno, Muwingu, Kinyei and Olorien took a break from browsing to roll on the ground. After finishing their game, Kinyei teamed up with Roho to browse while Mageno joined Bondeni.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Weka led the first group to their midday bottle feeds. After the orphans had their milk, Lodo led the team into a mud-bathing session. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at Kanziku area. They browsed calmly for the rest of the day without any major observation.
At five o’clock in the evening, Loldaiga led the way back to the stockade. Shortly before nine o’clock at night, Suguta arrived at the stockade compound with her first-born, a baby boy. She was escorted by Larro, Sana Sana and Naboishu. The small group decided to spend the night at the stockade compound for the safety of the new baby.
Suguta, Sullivan, Sana Sana, Larro, and Naboishu were at the stockade compound in the morning, where they had spent the night. The small group was joined by Ithumbah, Iman, Iris, Sunyei, Siku, Saba, Subiri, Wendi, Wiva, Wema, Wimbi, Karisa, and two wild boys. After the orphans had their six o’clock milk, Muwingu led the way out. Muwingu went straight to the water trough while Suguroi joined Ithumbah and Iman in looking after Iris. Shortly afterwards, Suguroi moved off to familiarise herself with Sullivan.t
Mageno settled to scratch his belly on a nearby rock while Roho tried to challenge Karisa. Naboishu had a brief meeting with Vaarti, then walked down to the water trough as they continued their quiet discussions. Loldaiga had a short strength-testing session with Esoit, as Kitich played with Mayan.
An hour later, the ex orphans parted ways with the orphans. The ex-orphans headed west while the orphans continued towards the Kone area. The orphans were briefly joined by Bomani, who was on his way to an undisclosed location. Choka settled to browse with Muwingu while Loldaiga played with Esoit. Vaarti teamed up with Mageno, and Kinyei browsed alongside Kindani and Bondeni.
Later, the orphans took a short break from browsing to have fun rolling on the ground. Shortly before mud bath time, the orphans were joined by Orwa, who was on his way to catch up with Bomani.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Mukutan led the first group for the noon bottle feeds. After their milk, the orphans enjoyed a mud bath and then returned to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, Mukutan played with Bondeni while Kitich played with Mageno. In the evening, Weka led the way back to the stockades.
It was a quiet morning. The orphans settled briefly for lucerne soon after leaving the stockades. Suguroi, Muwingu, and Mukutan paused to scratch their bellies on a nearby rock before leaving for browsing. Bondeni and Loldaiga entwined their trunks in morning greetings and then had a light strength-testing exercise, which was ended by Roho, who passed close by and pushed the two boys away.
The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area, where Suguroi teamed up with Loldaiga, while Bondeni shared a shrub with Muwingu. Bomani joined the group briefly as he headed east towards an undisclosed location.
Later, the orphans visited the Kone dam, which currently holds very little water due to the low rainfall received over the past month. Olorien, Bondeni, Roho, Lodo, Suguroi, Kitich, and Kindani decided to make use of the little water available for mud bathing to cool themselves down.
On the way to the noon bottle feeds, Kitich engaged Esoit in a pushing game that was cut short by Kinyei, who was following them. Kinyei separated the two boys by pushing them out of her way. At eleven o’clock in the morning, the orphans had their milk, then water, before attending a soil-bathing exercise.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Kinyei browsed with Kindani, while Esoit tackled Kitich and later Loldaiga. The orphans browsed calmly throughout the remainder of the day. In the evening, Muwingu led the way back to the stockades.
Sidai, Sita, Silas, Sid, Gawa, Narok, Galana, Gala, and a wild bull joined the orphans in the morning for feeding of lucerne. Roho challenged Gawa in a pushing game that ended in a draw. Kitich and Muwingu walked down to the water trough to have water. Vaarti settled on a nearby rock for a scratching exercise while Sita threatened to push Mukutan when Mukutan attempted to get some feeds out of Sita’s mouth. Shortly after, the wild bull started walking away.
The orphans decided to follow the wild bull. The Keepers followed the orphans slowly. The wild bull was not pleased by the presence of the Keepers and decided to increase its pace, disappearing into the thickets. Muwingu, Roho, Suguroi, and Choka tried to run and catch up with the wild bull but were blocked by the Keepers.
Vaarti engaged Kitich in a strength-testing exercise and thereafter settled to browse together. Mayan teamed up with Roho while Bondeni teamed up with Lodo and Mageno. Later, Esoit and Kitich took a break from feeding to have a strength-testing exercise.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Loldaiga led the first group to the noon bottle feeds. After getting their milk, the orphans settled for a mud bath. Afterwards, Muwingu and Suguroi shared a tree to scratch their side bellies. Kinyei, Mayan, Olorien, and Suguroi settled into a soil bathing exercise.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at the Kanziku area. Nasalot, with other ex-orphans, showed up at the stockade compound. The sun was hot and Nala decided to jump into the water trough to cool down. This made Nasalot and the other ex-orphans panic, but at last Nasalot managed to push her baby out.
In the evening, Muwingu led the first group back to the stockades.
The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. The boys had woken up in a playful mood. Loldaiga engaged Mayan in a pushing game while Bondeni played with Choka. Vaarti played with Mukutan while Esoit played with Kitich.
The feeding on lucerne was brief. Suguroi, Roho and Lodo played with the lucerne by kicking it and tossing it into the air. The orphans then settled to browse at the Kone area. Kitich browsed with Esoit while Vaarti played with Roho. Kinyei took a break from browsing to play on the ground, attracting Vaarti, Mukutan and Loldaiga.
Later, the orphans visited the Kone dam and decided to use the little water available. At eleven o’clock in the morning, Muwingu led the first group while Weka led the second. After getting their milk, the orphans jumped into the water for a wallowing exercise. Thereafter, Lodo led the team into a soil-dusting exercise.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Mageno had a brief meeting with Kitich while Vaarti met with Loldaiga. In both cases, it was not clear what was being discussed, as shortly afterwards the boys entwined their trunks and had light pushing games that did not last long.
The orphans browsed calmly throughout the remainder of the day. In the evening, Muwingu led the way back to the stockade.
Olsekki joined the orphans in the morning. Roho tried to challenge Olsekki but lost, as Olsekki was stronger than him. Vaarti engaged Loldaiga in a pushing game while Muwingu settled to scratch her belly on a nearby rock. Shortly afterwards, Bomani showed up and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne.
At the browsing field, Mukutan engaged Kinyei in a light strength-testing exercise while Lodo settled to browse with Olorien. At around ten o’clock in the morning, two buffaloes passed close to where the orphans were browsing. Lodo, Roho, Choka, Suguroi, and Mayan charged and trumpeted as they tried to scare the buffaloes away. The buffaloes were unbothered by the noise and continued with their business as if the orphans did not exist. The charging orphans soon tired and calmed down, resuming their browsing.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Kindani led the first group to the midday bottle feeds. At the mud bath, the orphans were joined by Mteto, Loijuk, Lili, Lisha, Wanjala, Sidai, Sita, Silas, Sid, Gawa, Galana, and Gala. Mukutan, Choka, and Mageno ganged up against Lili, prompting her to retreat as she was unable to tackle the three boys.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at the Kanziku area. The sun was hot, prompting them to take shelter under trees with good shade. They resumed browsing once the temperatures dropped to a more favourable level. In the evening, Mageno led the way back to the stockade.
Orwa, Olsekki, Olare, Ola, Sagateisa, Siangiki, Nabulu, Roi, Malima, Naseku, Ndiwa, Ithumbah, Iman, Iris, Kilabasi, Kofi, Kanika, Namalok, and Kandecha showed up in the morning shortly after the orphans were let out. Suguroi welcomed the group to join in feeding on lucerne. Loldaiga, Choka, and Mukutan interacted briefly with Ola, Sagateisa, and Nabulu.
When the orphans had had enough lucerne, Muwingu led the way to the browsing field. The ex-orphans followed but changed their minds when they saw the Keepers controlling the orphans. They decided to head in a different direction to avoid being managed by the Keepers.
At the browsing field, Lodo settled to browse with Esoit, while Mukutan teamed up with Mayan, Kitich, and Shujaa. Olorien settled to browse with Muwingu and Mageno, while Suguroi browsed alongside Lodo.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Weka led the way to the noon bottle feeds. After getting their milk, the orphans settled for mud bathing and then returned to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, Bondeni played with Mayan while Loldaiga played with Mageno. Choka played with Vaarti, and Lodo engaged Roho in a strength-testing exercise. In the evening, Mageno led the way back to the stockade.
Early at dawn, Makena, her new baby, Olare, Ola, Sagateisa, Naseku, Siangiki, Roi, Maramoja, Olsekki, Bomani, Dololo, and Gawa were at the stockade compound. When the orphans were let out, Suguroi already knew there was a new baby she needed to greet and take on a nanny role with. She went straight to meet the new baby. Suguroi met some resistance from Sagateisa and Maramoja, but being a determined go-getter, she forced her way through and made sure the baby stood beneath her. It was only when Makena started walking away that the Keepers blocked Suguroi from following.
Wendi, Wiva, Wema, Wimbi, Sunyei, Siku Saba, and Subiri showed up briefly before disappearing into an undisclosed location. The orphans settled to browse at the Kone area. The cloudy sky gave way to rain, softening the ground. Kinyei, Lodo, Suguroi, and Choka took some time off from browsing to roll on the ground.
Mageno, Kitich, Shujaa, and Loldaiga spotted two dik-diks ahead of them and decided to chase them away. The dik-diks wasted no time and ran as fast as they could, disappearing into the thickets and leaving the orphans charging at empty bushes.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Weka led the way to the noon bottle feeds. After milk time, Weka, Kindani, Roho, Bondeni, and Mayan participated in mud bathing, while the rest of the group returned to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, Bondeni engaged Vaarti in a strength-testing exercise, while Kinyei teamed up with Suguroi to debark a tree before the two had a light pushing game. Later, Bondeni stopped playing with Vaarti and moved on to play with Esoit. Their game did not last long, as Olorien passed by and separated the two boys. In the evening, Muwingu led the way back to the stockade.
It was wet in the morning following rain received overnight. The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. Shortly afterwards, the orphans were joined by Lualeni, Lulu, Lexi, and Luki. Kitich tried to engage Lexi in a conversation, but she refused to cooperate and walked away. Shujaa tried to challenge Roho in a pushing game but ended up losing to Roho.
When the orphans had enough lucerne, Muwingu led the way to the browsing field. Lualeni and her babies followed the orphans to the browsing field. At the browsing field, Kitich engaged Esoit in a pushing game, while Bondeni played with Loldaiga. Kinyei settled to browse with Vaarti, while Roho browsed with Lodo.
An hour later, Lualeni and her family parted ways with the orphans and headed south. On their way to the mud bath, the orphans came across stagnant water, where Olorien, Esoit, Loldaiga, Muwingu, and Weka decided to have fun rolling in the water pan. At eleven o’clock in the morning, the orphans had their milk and then participated in wallowing before returning to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Lodo and Vaarti took a break from browsing to engage in a pushing game, while Suguroi teamed up with Mukutan in browsing. In the evening, Mageno led the way back to the stockade.
It was a quiet morning. The orphans settled for lucerne immediately after leaving the stockade. Kinyei walked down to the water trough to drink, while Loldaiga engaged Bondeni in a pushing game. Shortly afterwards, Suguroi led the way to the browsing field. Esoit took a break from browsing to do a stretching-up exercise. Mageno settled to browse with Weka, while Mukutan teamed up with Lodo and Roho.
Kindani, Olorien, Bondeni, Mayan, and Vaarti came across loose, moist soil and used it for rolling. Choka, Muwingu, Shujaa, and Mukutan split from the main herd and browsed some distance away. The Keepers became suspicious, unsure of Muwingu’s intentions in leading a small group away. They know her well, and anything is possible when Muwingu is in charge, as she can easily lure a group and disappear within a very short time. The Keepers did not allow the split and brought the small group back to rejoin the rest of the herd.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Kinyei led the way to the noon bottle feeds. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Choka, Roho, and Lodo had a brief meeting as they slowly browsed up the hill. Mukutan browsed with Mayan, Olorien, and Loldaiga, while Kinyei settled to browse with Vaarti. In the evening, Weka led the way back to the stockade.
Soon after having their milk, Vaarti left the stockade with a leftover branch, which he continued to feed on until he met Lodo, who took it away from him. Vaarti did not challenge Lodo, as he had already taken the best part of it.
Shortly afterwards, the orphans were startled by two herons that flew overhead while making strange noises. The orphans abandoned the lucerne and ran into the bush. The Keepers followed, running in an effort to calm them down. The orphans were settled after about one kilometre, heading south. They then settled to browse between the stockade and the mud bath.
At around nine o’clock in the morning, Nasalot, Nala, Noah, Nusu, Naleku, and Mundusi showed up briefly at the stockade compound before heading east towards Kalovoto. The orphans browsed calmly as they slowly made their way towards the mud bath.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Mageno led the way to the noon bottle feeds. After getting their milk, Suguroi led the way back to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse at the Kanziku area, where Mageno, Kitich, and Esoit browsed together, while Mayan teamed up with Weka and Shujaa.
The rest of the day was quiet, with the orphans browsing calmly without any major observation. In the evening, Loldaiga led the way back to the stockade.
The orphans had their milk at six o’clock in the morning. Mageno led the way out immediately after finishing his milk. It was wet following rains received overnight, and the orphans walked carefully to avoid slipping and falling.
The orphans settled briefly for lucerne, after which Suguroi led the way to the browsing field. Kitich had a brief meeting with Vaarti that ended with the entwining of their trunks. Mukutan, Roho, Bondeni, and Kinyei came across water collected on a rock and decided to drink it before resuming browsing. Choka, Muwingu, and Loldaiga took some time off from browsing to scratch their bellies on rocks.
Mayan settled to browse with Suguroi, while Kindani, Lodo, and Olorien browsed a distance away from the rest of the group. The remainder of the morning was quiet, with the orphans browsing calmly as they slowly headed towards the mud bath.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Weka led the way to the noon bottle feeds. The orphans had their milk and then briefly participated in a mud-bathing exercise before returning to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Lodo and Roho spent some time in a strength-testing exercise that ended in a draw. Shujaa challenged Esoit in a pushing game but ended up losing to him. The rest of the group browsed calmly throughout the afternoon without any major observation.
At five o’clock in the evening, Mukutan led the way back to the stockade.
The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. Kindani, Olorien, and Roho teamed up to share a pile of lucerne, while Vaarti settled to scratch her belly on a nearby rock. Shortly later, Suguroi led the way to the browsing field.
The orphans settled to browse at the Kone area. It was a quiet morning, with the group browsing calmly as they slowly headed towards the mud bath. At eleven o’clock in the morning, Muwingu led the first group to the noon bottle feeds. Mageno led the second group, while Weka led the third. Lodo and Roho lagged behind and did not follow their colleagues.
After having their milk, Shujaa, Kinyei, Olorien, and Bondeni walked to a nearby water pan and splashed water behind their ears before returning to the browsing field. Midway back, the orphans picked up Lodo and Roho, who had lagged behind, seemingly knowing that by going to the mud bath they would only get water, which they could drink anywhere.
The orphans then settled to browse at the Kanziku area. Suguroi browsed with Choka and Lodo, while Vaarti browsed with Kinyei and Kitich. In the evening, Loldaiga led the first group back to the stockade, Weka led the second, Choka led the third, and Olorien led the fourth.
It was wet in the morning following showers received overnight. The orphans left the stockade soon after getting their morning milk. They settled briefly for lucerne, after which Weka led the way to the browsing field.
The orphans settled to browse at the Kone area. Esoit took a break from browsing to engage Kindani in a light pushing game, while Loldaiga visited a rock where rainwater had collected. Loldaiga enjoyed drinking the rainwater and only moved on once he had had enough. Weka, Shujaa, Mageno, Vaarti, Muwingu, and Mukutan enjoyed feeding on the soft green grass, while Mayan, Kitich, Bondeni, and Kinyei feasted on green leaves.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Muwingu led Weka and Mageno in the first group, while Kinyei led Mukutan and Choka in the second group to the noon bottle feeds. The orphans had their milk, took water, and then returned to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, Mayan settled to browse, while Lodo browsed with Roho. Shortly before evening, the cloudy sky gave way to rain that did not last long, prompting the orphans to start playing in the moist soil. In the evening, Loldaiga led the way back to the stockade.
It was wet in the morning following heavy rain overnight. The downpour was so intense that many swifts were brought down, leaving the stockade compound littered with birds that were unable to fly due to their soaked feathers. When the orphans left the stockade, they were frightened by the birds, which could not take flight even when charged at. Muwingu, Weka, Shujaa, Mageno, and Mukutan appeared nervous and wanted to run. The Keepers guided them away from the stockade compound and towards the browsing field.
The Keepers then began picking up the swifts in the stockade compound and tossing them into the air. This helped give the birds enough momentum to fly away.
The orphans settled to browse at the Kone area. Bondeni browsed close to Esoit, while Olorien settled to browse with Kinyei. Weka, Kitich, Mukutan, and Choka took a break from browsing to roll on the wet soil, after which they resumed feeding.
On the way to the mud bath, the cloudy sky again gave way to rain. The orphans walked carefully to avoid slipping on the now slippery ground. They had their milk, and shortly afterwards the rain stopped.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at the Kanziku area. The remainder of the day was quiet, with the orphans browsing calmly and no major observation. In the evening, Vaarti engaged Mayan in a light pushing game, while Esoit played with Choka. Suguroi and Roho competed to see who could reach the highest leaves on a tree they were sharing while browsing.
At five o’clock in the evening, Loldaiga led the way back to the stockade.
Weka, Kitich, and Shujaa were the last to wake up in the morning. At six o’clock, the orphans had their milk, then walked out and settled briefly for lucerne before heading to the browsing field.
Muwingu paused for a short scratching exercise before walking down to the water trough to drink. Shortly afterwards, Vaarti, Mayan, Mukutan, Choka, and Shujaa followed her to the trough. An hour later, Suguroi led the way to the browsing field.
Mukutan settled to browse with Shujaa, while Kindani, Kitich, Esoit, and Choka came across an anthill and decided to have fun rolling and smearing themselves with the red earth. Moments later, Bondeni engaged Vaarti in a pushing game that lasted for quite some time. The game ended when Bondeni surrendered and walked away.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Kinyei led the way to the noon bottle feeds. After getting their milk, the orphans skipped the wallowing exercise and opted to return to browsing, continuing to enjoy the lush vegetation.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. The rest of the day was quiet, with the orphans browsing calmly until five o’clock in the evening, when Mageno led the way back to the stockade for another night.
The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. Esoit started his day by having a stretch-up exercise. Vaarti walked down to the water trough, where he was joined by Bondeni, Roho, Choka, and Shujaa. Shortly afterwards, Mageno led the way to the browsing field.
On the way to the browsing field, the orphans encountered two buffaloes that did not want to give way. Roho, Lodo, and Choka charged and trumpeted, trying to scare the buffaloes away. The buffaloes did not move even an inch. It took the intervention of the Keepers, who shouted and clapped their hands, forcing the buffaloes to run away. The orphans were pleased and ran after the buffaloes, trumpeting. The Keepers ran ahead and blocked the orphans from continuing towards them.
The orphans settled to browse at Kone area. Suguroi, Esoit, Kindani, Olorien, Weka, and Mayan took a break from browsing to roll on the wet ground. Loldaiga engaged Vaarti in a pushing game, while Lodo played with Roho.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Muwingu led the way to the noon bottle feeds. After having their milk, the orphans returned to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, Kitich had a brief meeting with Choka that ended in a disagreement. The two boys decided to sort out their differences by pushing each other. Kinyei passed by and separated them by pushing both out of her way.
The orphans then browsed calmly for the rest of the day without any major observation. In the evening, Weka led the way back to the stockade.
The sky was cloudy when the orphans left the stockade in the morning. The orphans settled for lucerne. Loldaiga engaged Esoit in a morning warm-up pushing game, while Kindani played with Roho. Shortly afterwards, Loldaiga quit playing with Esoit and moved to play with Bondeni. Their game did not last long, as Lodo passed close by and decided to separate the two boys by pushing them away. Vaarti found a suitable rock that he used to scratch his belly.
At the browsing field, Choka settled to browse with Bondeni, while Shujaa browsed with Mayan. As the day progressed, Kindani, Olorien, Kinyei, and Weka came across moist soil that they used to smear themselves. Esoit challenged Roho to a pushing game, but it did not last long, as Esoit quit when the going became tough for him.
Suguroi had a disagreement with Mukutan that ended in a fight. Mukutan surrendered and ran away when he realised his experience could not match that of the tough Suguroi.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Mageno led the way to the noon bottle feeds. After getting their milk, the orphans stopped to drink water and thereafter returned to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse at Kanziku area. Kinyei, Lodo, and Kitich had a game of sitting and raising their trunks into the air. Loldaiga and Bondeni met again and continued with their pushing game.
At five o’clock in the evening, Mageno led the way back to the stockade.
Ishanga visited the stockade compound early in the morning. The orphans left the stockade soon after getting their milk and joined Ishanga outside, who had come to wish them a happy Christmas. After a brief interaction with the orphans, Ishanga bid them goodbye and left for an undisclosed location.
Suguroi then led the way to the browsing field, where the orphans settled to browse at Kone area. The sky was partly cloudy. Mukutan settled to browse with Roho, while Weka held a brief meeting with Kitich. The contents of the meeting were not revealed to anyone. Esoit, Choka, and Lodo took a break from feeding to have fun rolling on the ground.
Shortly before ten o’clock in the morning, the orphans visited the Kone dam for a drink. Soon after, Mageno led the way to the mud bath. On the way, the orphans came across a water pan with only a little water in it. The water was warm, so the orphans decided to play with mud in the water pan.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, the orphans had their milk, then water, and thereafter returned to the browsing field. In the afternoon, Esoit engaged Choka in a pushing game, while Mukutan concentrated on peeling the bark of a tree that seemed particularly delicious to him.
At two o’clock in the afternoon, the sun became hot, prompting the orphans to take a break from feeding and relax under trees until the temperatures dropped to a favourable level. In the evening, Weka led the way back to the stockade.
Makireti, Kilabasi, Kofi, Kanika, and Zurura visited the stockade compound in the morning. The ex-orphans and the wild-born babies joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Suguroi made herself available to Kanika, who seemed to enjoy her company. Roho attempted to push Kofi but was stopped by Makireti. Esoit held a brief meeting with Kindani before Weka led the herd to the browsing field.
At the browsing field, the orphans settled at Kone area. Olorien, Kindani, Kinyei, and Suguroi browsed together, while Esoit, Choka, and Loldaiga split from the main herd and browsed a short distance away. Shortly before eleven o’clock, the Keepers called the boys who had split from the main herd to regroup and head to the mud bath.
At eleven o’clock, the orphans had their milk followed by water, then returned to the browsing field. On the way back, they encountered four lesser kudus. Muwingu, who was leading, stopped and retreated. Roho, Esoit, Mukutan, and Mayan stepped forward and charged at the kudus, who quickly ran into the thickets. The boys calmed down once the kudus disappeared.
The herd continued to browse at Kanziku area for the remainder of the day, enjoying the lush vegetation. In the evening, Mageno led the herd back to the stockade.
The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. Shortly afterwards, Nasalot, Nala, Naleku, Nusu, Noah, Musiara, Ishanga, and Mundusi came from the east and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Choka challenged Noah but was pushed away by Nusu. Roho had a brief meeting with Naleku to catch up on how life had been treating her over the past few months in the wild. Naleku told Roho that life was good and that she was happy being the only nanny to Nala, with no competition, unlike when she was with Sities taking care of Sunni.
Suguroi had a chance to play with Nala but shifted to play with Subiri when Sunyei, Siku, and Saba arrived. Her two sisters, Siku and Saba, were not happy about it. Roho challenged Mundusi while Loldaiga had a brief conversation with Musiara before they parted ways.
At the browsing field, Bondeni started his day by engaging Vaarti in a pushing game while Lodo played with Esoit. At eleven o’clock in the morning, Kindani led the way to the noon bottle feeds. After having their milk, the orphans settled for mud bathing at a nearby water pan. Once they had enough, Muwingu led the way back to the browsing field. The orphans browsed calmly west of Ithumba Hill for the rest of the day without any major observations. In the evening, Weka led the way back to the stockade.
Weka left the stockade with a leftover branch in her mouth. She dropped the leftover branch soon after the lucerne was distributed. Shortly later, Nasalot, Nala, Noah, Nusu, Mundusi, and Musiara showed up. Vaarti walked down to meet the Nasalot group and only greeted Noah. Lodo walked over to greet Mundusi and thereafter had a light pushing game. Nusu joined Kinyei in feeding on lucerne. Mukutan joined Lodo in playing with Mundusi. Naleku, Nala, and Noah had a game of rolling on the ground as Esoit settled to scratch on a nearby rock.
When the orphans had enough of lucerne, Suguroi led the way to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse at Kone area. Kindani, Kitich, Loldaiga, Suguroi, and Muwingu came across a valley and decided to have fun by sliding in it. Esoit took a break from browsing to engage Bondeni in a strength-testing exercise.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Mageno led the way to the midday bottle feeds. The orphans had their milk, then jumped into the wallowing water for a cooling-off exercise. Once they had cooled down, Muwingu led the way back to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at Kanziku area. The sun was hot, prompting the orphans to take a break from browsing and relax under trees with good shade. The orphans resumed browsing later when the temperatures dropped to a favourable level.
In the evening, Weka led the way back to the stockade. Shortly before six o’clock in the evening, Kalama and Kapuki passed through the stockade compound heading east as they searched for their group, who had earlier passed a distance away from the stockade heading towards Kalovoto.
Soon after settling on lucerne, the orphans were joined by Nasalot, Queen, Lenana, Wendi, and Lualeni’s families, along with Sapalan, Tusuja, and several wild bulls. One of the bulls was in musth and kept chasing the other bulls away. Mundusi had a brief meeting with Mageno and Choka and thereafter entwined trunks with them before parting.
After lucerne feeding time, the ex-orphans headed west while the orphans headed south. At the browsing field, Vaarti settled to browse with Mayan while Esoit teamed up with Bondeni. Weka took a break from feeding to have a game of rolling on the ground.
At around ten o’clock in the morning, Mayan, Lodo, Esoit, Choka, Roho, and Bondeni came across a shallow water pan with warm water. The orphans decided to have a mini mud bath before heading for the noon bottle feeds. At eleven o’clock in the morning, Mageno led the way to the noon bottle feeds. Lodo and Roho lagged behind and did not follow their colleagues.
The orphans had their milk and thereafter settled for mud bathing. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. The orphans browsed calmly for the remaining part of the day. At five o’clock in the evening, Weka led the way back to the stockade.
Sities, Sunni, Larro, Siangiki, Kuishi, and Sattao joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne in the morning. Larro held a meeting with Roho, as she wanted to find out why he had overstayed at the stockade instead of joining them out in the wild. It is not clear what response Roho gave to Larro.
After having enough of lucerne, Muwingu led the way to the browsing field. Bondeni settled to browse with Shujaa, while Loldaiga teamed up with Mayan. The orphans visited the Kone Dam shortly before ten o’clock in the morning. Olorien, Suguroi, Kinyei, Bondeni, and Kindani got into the dam to drink water and wash their feet.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, the orphans were joined by Mteto. Mteto escorted the orphans to the noon bottle feeds. After the orphans had their milk, Lodo led the team into wallowing.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at the Kanziku area. Weka, Kitich, Mageno, and Esoit took a break from browsing to participate in a game of rolling on the ground. In the evening, Mukutan led the way back to the stockade.
Soon after leaving the stockade, Mukutan, Kitich, Choka, and Esoit walked down to the water trough as they waited for the distribution of lucerne. Kindani and Muwingu settled to scratch their bellies on a nearby rock, while Loldaiga engaged Mayan in a pushing game.
After the orphans had enough of lucerne, Suguroi led the way to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse at the Kone area, where Mukutan teamed up with Lodo and Mayan, then split from the main herd and browsed a distance away. Bondeni took a break from browsing to engage Vaarti in a strength-testing exercise. The exercise ended in a draw.
At eleven o’clock in the morning, Mageno led the way to the noon bottle feeds. The orphans had their milk and shortly afterwards participated in wallowing. After having enough of wallowing, Muwingu led the way back to the browsing field.
The orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Choka and Roho shared a rock while scratching their buttocks, while Bondeni and Vaarti settled to browse on the same shrub. Kinyei peeled bark from a tree using her tusks as Lodo engaged Kindani in a light pushing game. Muwingu had a brief dusting session before leading the way back to the stockade.