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Sometimes now, Lima Lima’s group splits into smaller groups, with each mother moving away with her baby. This leaves Mwashoti and Quanza at a crossroads where they cannot choose which mother-and-baby to follow. This is something Sonje has influenced. Sonje sometimes takes her own side with Sulwe, while Lima Lima never wants the group to separate. She always wants one united family, helping each other take great care of the little babies together.

Today, Zongoloni came along with Kiasa and Quanza, then Sonje arrived a bit later. Eventually, both of Lima Lima’s teams came together as one bigger group that joined Murera and her friends in the Kibwezi Forest.

Faraja joined the orphans at the waterhole. He came with a young wild bull friend. Faraja wanted to bring him into the herd, but when he was spotted by Murera, she skipped away and stayed at a distance from him. Mwana and Amali, however, were not fearful. They went and touched the wild one’s big ears as they tested whether he would allow the little girls to play around him. The young bull was friendly to Mwana and Amali, but as soon as he realised the Keepers were nearby, he left in a hurry. Faraja did not disappoint him; he walked away with him as a great friend, not letting him go off alone, since he was the one who had brought him.

Wild elephants have started streaming back into Umani, unlike a few weeks ago when the first rains began and the wild herds went into hiding. Today, many wild bulls came in just as Faraja arrived behind Mwashoti. Faraja and his friends appeared at the same time Murera and her team were leaving, while Zongoloni and her baby boy Zigi remained behind, smelling the wild bull. The Keepers thought Zigi might be wondering if this could be his father, whom Zongoloni has never identified since he was born.

Lima Lima then signalled Sonje to walk away, and this caused Kiasa, Quanza and the other babies to leave and join Murera, who was already headed into the bushes for the new day. Kapei found his friend Maktao and both began their pushing games, with Kapei hitting Maktao from behind. This forced Maktao to turn around and hit back. Maktao defeated Kapei easily because he has long tusks, while Kapei does not. Kapei then tried a clever trick: he walked up to higher ground so he looked bigger than Maktao, which gave him some hope of defeating him.

A few minutes later, Mwashoti heard them fighting. When he walked over to where Maktao and Kapei were, separated the boys, and they all walked away into the bushes to follow Murera and Sonje, who had just taken off with all the babies towards the Chyulu side of the forests.

As Lenny and Sulwe walked under their mothers’ bellies, Sulwe held Lenny’s tail. Lenny turned around, ready to fight her, but Sulwe stayed close to her mother Sonje, who was watching closely. This made Lenny stop and move away — but he would get Sulwe later.

It has been very good luck for Amali and Enkesha that Lima Lima and her team have continued to visit, which made Amali and Enkesha smile immediately. When Amali saw Lenny and Zigi, both nannies felt very happy and joyful. Enkesha rushed to hug Zigi, but Kiasa warned her to keep her distance and not walk away with Zigi. It is Kiasa’s duty to keep all eyes on what Zigi is doing when he is close to his mother or not. Enkesha forgot this, and when she tried to walk a few metres away from Kiasa and Zongoloni, Kiasa spotted the baby wandering off. She crossed over to get Zigi back to Zongoloni. After Kiasa returned him to his mother, it became hard for Enkesha to walk with Zigi again.

However, Zigi could not hide from his mother. He sneaked out and came over to where Lenny was with Lima Lima, and pushed Lenny to the ground. Lenny, being the older boy, proved himself and chased Zigi back to his mother.

Quanza and Mwashoti saw buffaloes in the open field close to the dust pile area and teamed up to chase them out. Murera and Sonje watched and later walked over to join Quanza and Mwashoti. Before getting close, Murera trumpeted loudly, and Sonje gave her the needed support. This motivated the whole herd of orphans to join in, and the buffaloes sensed danger and cleared the field, leaving Mwana with the baboons out of her way.

Lenny returned to Murera and found she was not ready for him. He kept pleading with Murera to allow him to nurse, but she was not in good moods for Lenny. This forced Lenny to scream very loudly, making all the elephants return to where he was. But when they arrived and found it was Lenny, the nannies ignored him because they knew he was being very stubborn with Murera, which was why he was making such loud noise — not for any real reason, but because Murera had stopped him from nursing.

Sonje walked to the stockade water trough and left Sulwe playing behind the stockades with Zigi and Lenny. Sulwe did not realise her mother had left with Kiasa for the water trough. When she noticed her mother was away, she started to look around. Because she could not locate her, she decided to scream loudly to find where her mother was. From the water trough, Kiasa was the first to reach the screaming baby. Sonje also came running to meet her baby, Sulwe. When Sulwe saw her mother, she felt very happy and went under Sonje to breastfeed, and she was allowed to nurse so she could be calmed.

Kiasa then proceeded to where Zigi and Zongoloni were now relaxing under some shade. As Zigi enjoyed breastfeeding, Sulwe crossed near him, and Zigi came out to chase Sulwe away from his mother. When Amali and Enkesha saw Zigi chasing Sulwe, they were not happy as nannies, and Zigi was warned by Enkesha.

From the thickets, Quanza stepped back into the herd, and behind her was a wild bull. He decided to follow Quanza into the orphans’ herd. Immediately he caught some human smell around the orphans and raised his trunk over his head, trying to find out where the smell was coming from. When he realised he was too close to the Keepers, the bull disappeared into the Kibwezi Forest. Mwashoti and Quanza followed him. We then thought he was Quanza’s boyfriend whom she had brought into the herd for introduction.

Today in the early morning, one huge bull elephant came from the bushes towards the orphans while they were still eating pellets. We first saw Murera raising her trunk high, then Lima Lima also raised hers, and at that moment the Keepers knew something was coming. Sure enough, the bull emerged from the trees and Murera immediately backed off into the stockade compound, with her Keepers following.

Lenny and Mwana became confused and tried running towards the wild bull. Quanza had the courage to go and bring the two babies back to Murera and Lima Lima. When the bull elephant realised Murera and her herd had gone into the stockades, and that he could smell the Keepers nearby, he took off and walked away to the water springs.

Once Lima Lima and Murera felt safe, they came out with the Keepers and everyone headed to the Umani Hills for more browsing in the morning. Quanza, Kiasa, and Kapei took another direction away from the path Murera and her team chose. Later, Kapei found himself the odd one out because he had teamed up with all the girls, who then abandoned him and regrouped. Kapei was left to join Maktao and Mwashoti.

By midday the day had turned too hot, so all the elephants walked to a waterhole filled by recent rainwater. Everyone enjoyed swimming before it was time to return home.

Quanza was not on good terms with Mwashoti, who kept following her from behind. When Mwashoti got too close, he pushed her, forcing Quanza to stay away from the herd. Whenever Mwashoti approached the babies and Quanza spotted him, she had to keep her distance — and Mwashoti would still follow her wherever she went. This time, Quanza was close to Zigi and Zongoloni when she saw Mwashoti heading her way, and she moved off quickly. Zongoloni and the Keepers came to her rescue by warning and shouting at Mwashoti. When he realised he had done something wrong, he looked guilty, and as the shouting continued, he excused himself and disappeared into the bushes. Maktao and Kapei followed him, but the girls did not.

Mwashoti later reappeared with a wild bull who was his friend. He persuaded the wild bull not to trouble the babies or any of the orphans. The wild bull was very humble and friendly, and the Keepers were pleased with his calm nature. Only Murera and Mwana were advised by Murera to stay away from him, while Sonje and the other girls surrounded him and kept him busy. He enjoyed the attention and seemed to feel like a king among the elephants.

In the afternoon, the heat became too much, and Amali and Enkesha went to the little babies and led them to the swimming pool to cool themselves. At this point, the wild bull left, and only the orphans and Keepers continued to the mud bath before walking home.

Elephants had a good start to the morning today. Before Murera and her team had even emerged from their bedrooms, Lima Lima and her team were already waiting at the gate, with Mwashoti hanging behind the stockades, waiting for Maktao and Kapei to come out. As soon as Murera stepped outside and Lenny spotted her, he ran over for milk. He took the wrong approach, putting his head under Murera before she was ready, and she denied him the chance. Lenny screamed in protest, begging for more time, but Murera ignored him. Mwana took control, standing beside her mother to block Lenny and warn him to go back to Lima Lima.

Lima Lima accepted Lenny back after he was turned away, but she was not concerned — she knows he can sometimes be overly demanding. Enkesha and Amali sympathised with him and went over to calm him down.

Zongoloni called her baby Zigi, and Amali and Quanza were not far behind. They all followed the direction Sonje wanted to take, which was different from the route Murera had chosen. When Sonje later saw how many babies were walking her way, she decided to join them so they would not split into separate groups, even though she often prefers to walk away with Sulwe.

Many buffalos had decided to sleep in front of the stockade gate, making it difficult for the Keepers to open up this morning. Fortunately, Lima Lima and her team emerged from the bushes just when the Keepers needed support for their safety. As always, Lima Lima was alert and ready to defend them. The moment she saw the buffalos at the gate, she let out a loud trumpet to scare them off. She repeated it, and the other elephants joined in. Mwashoti and Quanza charged the buffalos, clearing the way so the stranded Keepers could come out and attend to the orphans.

Murera and Mwana then walked out, and the day began with the elephants and Keepers heading towards the Umani Hills within the Kibwezi Forest. Some antelopes crossed near Enkesha and Kiasa, followed by a few baboons. Sonje and Sulwe charged at the baboons when they crossed too close, and Sonje’s loud trumpet alerted Zongoloni, Maktao, and Kapei, who joined her. The baboons quickly escaped up the tall trees, out of reach.

At the waterhole around noon, the mud bath was full of fun. Little Mwana, Lenny, Sulwe, and Zigi found their own small corner to swim under the watch of Kiasa, Amali, and Enkesha, the young nannies. The older orphans enjoyed their midday mud bath nearby, leaving the babies to enjoy their own space.

This morning, Murera and her team walked out together after having their morning bottles. None stopped at the gate; all followed Murera towards the Umani water springs, which she and Enkesha decided to visit as the morning browsing began. Amali and Mwana branched off briefly to drink some water before continuing with the journey to the hills.

Amali and Mwana were both surprised by a crocodile, which darted from the dry land back into the water after noticing elephant movements near the water springs. This caused Mwana to scream, alerting all the nannies to rush to her. Murera charged fully, with all the little nannies running alongside her to help. Sonje and her team arrived from the top of the hills upon receiving news of the elephants charging at the water springs. Lima Lima, Mwashoti, Lenny, and Sulwe also came in support, but the mothers had already taken control.

Amali and Mwana were safely escorted away by Murera and other older sisters, who ensured the babies returned from the water springs unharmed.

Later, as the group reached the Kenzili Hills area, many buffaloes were spotted grazing nearby. Kapei and Maktao, with Mwashoti, were on that side. One buffalo attempted to charge Maktao, but he stood his ground and faced it head-on. With the support of Kapei and Enkesha, the buffaloes were driven back and ran away from the charging elephants.

The Keepers were seated on big rocks as we enjoyed our elephants browsing within the Kibwezi Forests in the greener vegetation around. One Keeper heard some bushes moving as if wind was blowing them down, but we ignored it. Again it happened, and it turned out to be Quanza manoeuvring into the forests to get to where Murera and her team were. Amali and Enkesha were already out to meet them because Amali had heard them long before the Keepers could detect the movement.

When Lima Lima, with other friends who were some distance away, realised this, they blew loud screams to make the Keepers aware that they were also on their way. When Lenny and Sulwe came and spotted Murera, Mwana was away, and Lenny and Sulwe were competing to get Murera to breastfeed. Sulwe stood on one breast and Lenny on the other. Lenny felt it was wrong for Sulwe to nurse as well, and a fight broke out between Lenny and Sulwe. The fight was won by Sulwe, who left Lenny with Murera as she ran away to her mother Sonje.

Mwashoti found himself having an issue with Maktao and they decided to settle it by fighting, which later became serious and aggressive. Zongoloni looked at them and decided to stop them from fighting as brothers. When Zongoloni went and stood between them, Mwashoti sensed that he was doing something wrong and not pleasing. Zongoloni, now acting as a mother for peace, had to stop these boys. Maktao ran away, leaving Mwashoti with Zongoloni under the trees. Zongoloni continued giving Mwashoti a strong warning about the importance of living in peace and that brothers should not fight like that.

Lenny is now having problems with Murera, as Murera has begun the weaning process, stopping both Mwana and Lenny from breastfeeding. Today, Murera repeatedly kicked them away and did not want Lenny to pull at her breast. Lenny persisted with his demands for milk and surprised the Keepers when, after being stopped, he screamed loudly in protest. Even his mother, Lima Lima, did not intervene, as she knows Lenny has been overly demanding of Murera and that Murera is no longer willing or able to give more milk, including to Mwana.

Lenny’s loud screaming appeared to be an attempt to gain sympathy, but no one responded, including his mother. Eventually, he gave up and walked towards the Keepers, demanding a milk bottle. The Keepers were unsure at first what he wanted, but it was amusing to watch him grab a bottle and sip the leftover milk inside.

Amali then moved in and brought both little babies back to the herd, where Kiasa was with Enkesha. Zigi greeted Lenny by climbing onto his back for a short ride. Kiasa and the other nannies followed Sonje and the rest of the group to the waterhole, with the little babies ready for a swim. Quanza entered the waterhole first, followed by Mwashoti, and soon it became a full swimming session. Murera, however, was not in the mood to swim and chose to stay back, watching Zongoloni and the others enjoying themselves in the water. At one point, someone stepped on Zigi’s tiny legs, causing him to scream loudly. Everything stopped immediately, and everyone rushed over to see what was wrong, including even Mwashoti and Maktao, who came to check on the little one.

Early this morning, elephants appeared behind the stockade fence line. At first, the Keepers thought they were Lima Lima and her group returning from a night outing, but when the gate was opened for the babies to go out, it became clear these were not part of the orphan herd. They were part of Faraja’s wild group. The wild elephants ran off, but Faraja stayed behind and joined the orphans at the pellets feeding area.

A few minutes later, the wild herd returned and clearly demanded that Faraja rejoin them. They waited until he finally decided to leave. Murera seemed to be visibly relieved when she saw Faraja walking away to join his friends, as she is never comfortable when he comes too close to the orphans.

Later, Kapei and his close challenger Maktao moved away from the group, starting one of their usual pushing games. They pushed back and forth, but this time did not involve Mwashoti. Their play carried on for so long that they were absent during the midday bottle feeds. As a result, the Keepers gave the two extra bottles to Amali and Murera. Murera was chosen because she needed extra milk for Mwana, while Amali was rewarded for her good behaviour, kindness, and reliability as a nanny. She continues to show strong nurturing instincts and does an excellent job caring for the little babies.

Zongoloni came to the mud bath and began splashing clear water into the much-needed space. Her friend Sonje stood by, waiting for Zongoloni to make the water clean enough for bathing. Some oxpeckers were perched in a nearby tree, watching the buffaloes as they waited to land on them to pick ticks. Zongoloni and Sonje were not happy to see the birds. Their presence made Zongoloni suspicious, and she walked away without swimming.

When Sonje started charging at the birds, the buffaloes were also charged and left immediately, with Mwashoti joining in to back them up. Before the buffaloes disappeared into the bushes, two wild bulls appeared and joined the orphans. The Keepers backed off, giving the wild elephants space to spend time with the orphans. Lima Lima and her baby Lenny lifted their trunks in clear displeasure at the arrival of the wild bulls, which served as a signal to Murera to move away.

Once the wild bulls left, the buffaloes also moved off, leaving the field free of danger for the Keepers. Later in the afternoon, Enkesha walked back and brought little Zigi and Sulwe to the waterhole to play. Zigi, however, walked back to Mwana, looking reluctant, and no one seemed ready for a mud bath. The elephants then left the area.

Later, some white birds came out of the tall grass and followed Mwashoti in search of ticks. They startled him, causing him to run off into the bushes to hide.

The orphans came out of the stockades to find the rooms still wet from last night’s rain and storms. As Amali ran out of her room, she slipped and fell but got up immediately and continued towards the herd.

Mwashoti was found sleeping by the gate entrance. He had not gone off with Lima Lima and her team, instead choosing to sleep by the gate while waiting for Murera and her friends to come out. Quanza then came running out, and before long she and Mwashoti were at the pellets place enjoying their morning pellets.

When Lima Lima arrived with Lenny, Zongoloni followed a few minutes later, which made Enkesha very happy when Zigi appeared. Enkesha moved towards Zigi, and Amali also went to bring Zigi to her side, leaving Lenny with Murera. A struggle then arose as Lenny tried to get under Murera to breastfeed. This led to a small confrontation when Lenny pushed Mwana aside, but Mwana pushed back in defence, refusing to give way as Murera was her mother. When Lenny realised he was defeated, he redirected his frustration towards Zigi, whom he found weaker, and pushed him down. Zongoloni immediately stepped in to protect Zigi.

At midday bottle-feeding time, Maktao and Kapei were missing. Keepers searched for them and found Kapei still celebrating fallen acacia branches brought down by the night’s rain, which had made him forget about his bottle. This resulted in Murera being given an extra bottle, recognising her role as the group’s general leader. Lenny later walked back and began asking for a milk bottle directly from the Keepers’ hands.

It was a big Christmas-come-early celebration among the Umani orphans. Today, the orphans woke up with a sense that this would be a day to remember at Umani. Murera and her team came out and the Keepers gave them pellets as usual. Lima Lima and her team were not around yet. Meanwhile, Head Keeper Philpi was coordinating with the truck driver from the Nairobi Nursery to find out how far the truck was — because today was not any normal day; it was a day when new Nursery graduates would be joining the family!

As the truck drew closer, Lima Lima and her team were seen arriving to join the orphans. Lenny and Sulwe came running to Murera, and Murera welcomed everyone as the leader. She did her best for little Lenny, allowing him close as the truck arrived. Mwashoti ran right up to greet the girls, before the truck door was even opened. The Keepers then called all the babies to get ready to receive the new arrivals: Latika, Kerrio, and Kamili.

Lima Lima and Sonje were surprised to see three girls coming out of the truck, being given milk bottles and pellets. Murera and Mwana could hardly believe their eyes. As soon as the new babies came out, they took off into the orphans’ herd. All the nannies gathered around them as introductions continued. Kapei and Maktao thought about mounting one of the new babies, but both boys were warned by the Keepers not to try this with Latika, as it was bad behaviour towards new friends. Kapei accepted the correction.

Latika, Kerrio, and Kamili began settling in and were clearly happy to find fresh grass that they had not been finding at the Nursery. Both celebrated the new and fresh vegetation they found at Umani. At mudbath time, Latika, Kerrio, and Kamili jumped into the biggest swimming pool they had ever experienced. They found a large pool of water, where Kiasa and Amali joined them with little Lenny and Sulwe. Kamili and Kerrio showed strong swimming skills, impressing even Enkesha and the others.

Today was our second day with the new Nairobi girls, who came down to Umani to embark on a new chapter of life within the Kibwezi Forest. Latika, Kamili, and Kerrio continued to move closely together as a trio, doing most things side by side.

Amali, Enkesha, and little Mwana were still getting to know them, surprised and curious to have more nannies helping with the growing responsibility of caring for little Lenny, Zigi, and Sulwe. Since Umani experienced a baby boom last year, there has been a clear need for more nannies to support Lima Lima, Zongoloni, and Sonje. The arrival of Latika, Kamili, and Kerrio felt like Christmas coming early, with new girls stepping into their roles.

Kamili and Latika began trying to win the trust of Sulwe and Lenny, but Amali and Enkesha were still keen to defend their positions, not ready to hand over the babies too soon. Neither wanted to be left without work, and both remained determined to stay closely involved with Sulwe and Lenny. The competition between Kamili and Amali over little Sulwe was particularly noticeable.

At the waterhole, Latika, Kerrio, and Kamili proved to be confident swimmers, clearly delighted by the large pool, unlike anything they had known before. In Umani, they seemed to find a swimming experience akin to a vast beach. Kapei tried to bully Kamili by jumping on her in the water, behaviour that Quanza was not prepared to tolerate. She intervened immediately, pulling Kapei away to stop him from mounting Kamili.

This morning, after the orphans had their bottles, Murera and her team rushed out for the morning pellets and found Lima Lima, Mwashoti, Zongoloni, and Sonje already waiting. Murera spotted Mwashoti and, clearly in a difficult mood, did not want him near her. Only Mwana and Lenny were tolerated, as Murera became possessive, taking up space and preventing others from accessing the pellets.

The Keepers intervened with a plan to give Latika, Kerrio, and Kamili their own protected area. The Keepers stayed close to ensure the new girls could enjoy their pellets without disturbance. Latika, Kamili, and Kerrio remained guarded until they had finished feeding. Once Sonje rumbled, the group began to move off, preparing for the day ahead.

Latika and Kamili soon found their way forward and took the lead into the Kibwezi Forests for the morning session. Kerrio focused intently on pulling large mouthfuls of grass, clearly enjoying the abundance of fresh vegetation. All three girls showed strong appetites, relishing grasses and browse they had not had at the Nursery. In time, once fully settled in Umani, Kamili and Latika are likely to grow into particularly strong, big elephants.

Kamili, Kerrio, and Latika, having arrived from the Nursery just a few days ago, seem happy and are clearly enjoying their new environment within the Kibwezi Forest. They appear to have found another paradise away from the Nairobi Nursery. Mwana and Amali have been trying to bond with them, although Mwana can sometimes be a little bully, while Amali is more understanding and a very welcoming young girl. With the support of Enkesha, everything seems to be going well for the new girls. Enkesha was occasionally seen engaging Kamili and Latika, perhaps exchanging stories about their names and where they came from.

Kapei was not especially welcome around the new girls, as he can be quite rough with younger babies. This prompted Quanza to watch his movements around Latika and Kamili very carefully, while Kerrio observed from a distance. Sonje and Lima Lima headed off into the bushes, leaving the three new girls separated from the little babies. The Keepers could see how Kerrio, Kamili, and Latika struggled to locate Sulwe and the others.

When they spotted Lenny, Kamili rushed over and blocked him from moving away, with Kerrio following closely behind. The two girls then took on some nanny duties with Sulwe, Lenny, and Zigi. However, Kamili found it difficult to engage with Zigi, as Kiasa would not allow it. There is now strong competition between Kamili, Latika, and Kerrio for nanny roles, but they found Kiasa to be a very strong nanny who would not give them any space to take over care of little Zigi.

The Keepers set aside pellets for the new girls — Latika, Kerrio, and Kamili — in a separate area so they could enjoy them without too much pushing from Kapei, Mwashoti, Maktao, or Murera, who even left her own group and crossed over to where Kamili and her friends were having a peaceful moment. The Keepers stood firmly, ensuring that even Mwana did not cross over to the new girls’ side. Only Lenny and Sulwe were allowed in, and Kerrio, Kamili, and Latika were happy to have the two little babies join them at the pellets.

Before long, Sonje rumbled with Quanza, sending a clear message to Lenny and the others that it was time to move off into the Kibwezi Forest to browse. Kamili went over to Zigi and tried to bring him to her side. When Kiasa and Mwana noticed Kamili engaging with Zigi, Kiasa immediately intervened, sensing that Zigi might follow Kamili. She stepped into the middle and blocked Zigi from going with Kamili, who was very determined to walk away with him. Kiasa was not prepared to lose her nanny role and would rather abandon what she was doing than allow Kamili to take Zigi. She even moved Zigi further away from his mother to keep him safe. Lenny, by contrast, remained with Murera and continued to interact freely with everyone — he does not choose favourites in the way Zigi and Sulwe do.

Later, the orphans walked back into the Chyulu Hills in search of more food. Lima Lima and Quanza made an effort to introduce the new girls — Latika, Kerrio, and Kamili — to new areas so they could learn the landscape and enjoy places with more food. The lava rocks proved challenging for the newcomers, as they were not used to them, but the area is a new paradise full of fresh vegetation that will help especially Kerrio and Kamili grow stronger very quickly. Mwana and Amali stayed close together, with Lenny alongside them.

Latika and Kamili still look to Kerrio as their team leader, trusting her as they did in the Nursery. Since arriving at Umani, Kerrio has continued trying to guide them, while at the same time Kamili has been trying her luck at bonding with Enkesha. Amali, meanwhile, is sometimes a bit of a bully to the new girls.

Latika, Kerrio, and Kamili were worried when Lima Lima and her team failed to come in the morning with Lenny and Sulwe. The girls have proven to be very good with the little babies — but this makes Amali and especially Kiasa feel rather threatened, as they like to be the top junior nannies. Because Kerrio, Kamili, and Latika are still new to the Umani herd, when Amali or Kiasa scare them off they retreat, only to return to the babies again shortly afterwards.

Amali caught the scent from far away that Zongoloni and Lima Lima were on their way to join the babies at mud bath and bottle-feeding time. This prompted Kamili and Latika to follow Amali as they went to receive Lenny and Zigi. Sulwe lagged a bit behind, as Sonje stopped to allow her to breastfeed. Kerrio and Latika decided to walk all the way to where Sulwe and Sonje were. When Sonje saw the girls trying to touch Sulwe, she used a back kick to chase Latika away from her baby.

The weather turned cloudy and rain began to fall. Murera and her baby Mwana, together with Lenny, walked to an anthill and began rolling and playing on it, treating it like a mud bath. All the orphans found the hill and competed for space. Kamili was pushed aside by Kapei due to the limited room.

Murera’s mood shifted when Zongoloni came too close to her. Murera chased her until Zongoloni was forced to leave the area with Zigi. This also prompted Kerrio to leave, walking away with Zigi, Kiasa, and Zongoloni.

Since the arrival of Kamili, Latika, and Kerrio, the Umani babies have grown into a larger herd than before. Amali, who had been a very calm baby girl and had never shown bullying behaviour, has now turned into a bit of a bully. When Kamili and Latika walked over to her side, trying to bond, Amali chased Kamili and Kerrio away. This angered the Keepers, and Amali was warned to move away and leave the new girls alone.

Enkesha and Mwana, however, played well and were friendlier with the new babies. As Keepers, we predicted that once Latika and Kamili settled in and became friends with some of the Umani orphans, Amali would stop pushing the younger ones, as Kamili and Latika are bigger than her in body size.

When Amali chased them away, Kerrio and Kamili moved to the younger babies, Lenny, Zigi, and Sulwe, whom they seemed to like most. Kiasa was unhappy when Latika tried to take Zigi away with her. When Kiasa saw Latika walking off with Zigi, she went to Zongoloni and informed her. Zongoloni then moved quickly and stopped Zigi from walking away with Latika, warning that Zigi should remain with Kiasa or any of the others, but not with the new girls Kamili, Kerrio, and Latika. They were still not trusted to walk away with the babies, as they were still new to the Kibwezi forests.

Kapei and Maktao found a large acacia tree that had been pulled down by wild elephants during the night. Seeing that it offered plenty of food, Kapei walked back and brought Latika with him. Kerrio and Kamili followed, and all enjoyed the fallen acacia. Soon all the orphans gathered there, with Murera and Sonje arriving to join everyone at the tree.

Lima Lima and her team of nightclubbers did not show up this morning, which was unsettling for Latika and Kamili, who wanted to see the babies. Murera and Mwana came out to the pellet-feeding area and found two baboons there. Mwana did not tolerate the baboons lingering while waiting for the Keeper to arrive with the wheelbarrow full of pellets. Amali and Kapei also cornered the baboons, giving them no space to remain. The bushes filled with loud elephant trumpeting and trunk-blowing to drive the baboons away.

After a few minutes, Kapei and Mwana returned to the pellets and ate without the baboons watching. Murera later walked away with her baby, Mwana. Kamili and Latika followed Murera, but they did not get too close, as Murera’s morning mood was worrying.

In the open field during the midday bottle feeding, the elephants found many buffalo at the feeding area. Murera and Maktao began chasing the buffalo away, as their presence posed a risk to both Keepers and elephants. Mwana went back to support her mother, with some help from Maktao, until the buffalo finally left the area.

Enkesha and her friend Amali came out to the pellet feeding area, where Kamili, Kerrio, and Latika preferred to be. Because Amali had been bullying them, Kerrio and Latika became uneasy when they saw Amali and Enkesha approaching. Kamili quickly decided to move away with Kerrio before Amali reached them. It proved to be a good decision, as avoiding trouble was better than confronting Amali.

Amali was about to push one of the girls, but Enkesha stepped in and blocked her way, warning her not to do so. After this, Amali and Enkesha moved away from Kamili and Kerrio.

After the pellet feeding session ended, Kerrio, Latika, and Kamili walked off together as a group of three into the Kibwezi forest. They remained watchful of where Murera and Mwana were leading the herd. Latika later turned back and returned to Mwana as the orphans were being led towards the Umani Hills by Maktao, Kapei, and Enkesha. Lima Lima and her team joined later, as the nightclubbers delayed reporting that morning. This was not welcomed by Kerrio and Latika, who had missed seeing the younger babies around them.

As Christmas Day drew closer, it was noticeable that the nightclubbers arrived early, before six o’clock in the morning. Murera showed no mood swings and was calm and welcoming to the herd. She appeared more settled than usual and moved with the group willingly. Murera, together with Sonje, Lenny, and Sulwe, was friendlier than usual.

Maktao and Kapei moved off into the bushes and went further ahead. At one point, Kapei was pushed into a corner and screamed, which caused Mwashoti to rush in to assist him. Zongoloni walked alongside Quanza, followed by Kiasa with Zigi, as the herd moved towards the Chyulu Hills for extended browsing.

Along the way, several antelopes appeared. Mwana, Amali, and Enkesha spotted them, and loud trumpeting followed as the elephants moved together to chase the antelopes away. Little Sulwe, Lenny, and Zigi joined Mwana in blocking the antelopes’ escape routes as the herd continued on its way.

The orphans met with wild friends who came along with Alamaya, who had been away for some time and decided to join his friends on this Christmas morning. The Keepers welcomed everyone, and both groups were given extra pellets as part of the Christmas celebration. Later, after the midday mud bath, the wild friends walked away and separated themselves from the orphans, leaving Alamaya behind. He later left for the bushes.

Murera stayed close to her baby Mwana, keeping their family together on this special day when families celebrate together. Lenny did not let the opportunity pass. He carefully watched Murera, and when he saw she was settled and calm, he slowly approached and begged for permission to breastfeed. Murera allowed him, and Mwana also accepted him, giving Lenny the green light to proceed. Murera proved to be a kind and generous mother. Sonje and Zongoloni, however, did not allow any calves apart from their own babies, unlike Murera, who allowed Lenny without hesitation.

Zigi found himself a punching bag when he spotted Lenny with Mwana. Zigi went over to Lenny and started play fighting, pushing and punching him. Lenny remained calm, behaving like an older brother. Although he could have fought back, he allowed Zigi to play, knowing that Zigi, the youngest of the Umani group, was still very small. Kiasa and Amali watched closely.

Zongoloni arrived with Quanza to collect Zigi, and the group then moved to the waterhole. The calves jumped into the water, and swimming began. Kamili and Kerrio proved to be the happiest swimmers, even more enthusiastic than Amali and Enkesha. Latika chose not to swim and stayed away from the waterhole.

Amali, together with Kapei, showed no respect to the new arrivals Kerrio, Latika, and Kamili. When Amali spotted Kerrio and Kamili, she chased them away. This prompted the Keepers to intervene and defend Kamili, Kerrio, and Latika from the bullying. Kapei was also given a strong warning by the Keepers and moved away to join Maktao, who was browsing a short distance away.

Maktao and Mwana showed no issue with Kamili, Latika, or Kerrio, but Amali appeared determined to exclude the new girls from the Umani group. The Keepers, together with Lima Lima, worked to ensure that all calves remained safe and included, reinforcing that all the babies belong to one Umani family. Quanza and Sonje continued to behave well towards the new girls and showed them kindness and acceptance.

Kerrio and Latika showed particular interest in the younger calves, Zigi, Sulwe, and Lenny. On days when Lima Lima and Sonje do not arrive with the younger babies, the Keepers have a difficult time, as Latika, Kamili, and Kerrio keep searching the bushes, hoping to find them. When Lima Lima finally arrived with all the babies, the entire herd settled and remained together. If any of the younger calves moved out of sight, Amali, Latika, and Kerrio immediately began searching for them.

When the orphans ran in for their midday bottles, Lenny struggled eagerly to treat himself to a large bottle, while greedy Sulwe also demanded milk from the Keepers.

A very big wild bull today gave the Keepers and all the babies a very big surprise visit. This happened in the mid-morning before mud bath time. Before the Keepers realised it, the wild bull elephant was already among the orphan herd.

Kerrio and Latika were the first to raise their trunks above their heads as they smelled around for a stranger who was still hiding out. Some minutes later, Quanza and Amali raised the alarm to Murera. When Murera got the hint, she rumbled to Mwana, then Lima Lima joined them and took off with Lenny.

There were loud trumpets across the Kibwezi forest as everyone went into escape mode, with the Keepers trying to avoid trouble as Murera also avoided the bull. The bull insisted and kept charging and following the babies.

It was very interesting for the Keepers to see that the bull kept all his attention on Enkesha, the young girl. This was unexpected at her early age. No bull would normally dare her, but today, after Christmas, it was Enkesha’s day. Nothing happened because Enkesha also did not want the bull.

Lenny decided to prove himself to the big bull as a young boy. He wanted the bull to know that he was still young, but that he should not charge at his nanny Enkesha, who takes care of him. Lenny abandoned Enkesha after seeing the giant bull chasing her, while Sonje, Kiasa, and Zongoloni took a very different route to avoid the uninvited guest who was now among them.

At the midday bottle feeding session, the orphans came and finished their bottles very quickly. The Keepers then left with Murera because the wild bull was still with the orphans and did not want to leave.

Zongoloni and her nanny Kiasa, who takes care of her baby Zigi, failed to show up this morning. Sonje, Lima Lima, and Mwashoti came and joined Murera for the morning pellets.

The Keepers wondered why Zongoloni did not come with Sonje, but it was clear that Sonje chose to go her own way. Luckily, Lima Lima joined her while moving separately.

There was joy and loud trumpeting when Zongoloni and Kiasa finally joined the herd. Amali ran to receive Zigi, and Mwana also joined, greeting him with hugs and rumbles. Zigi was very happy to rejoin the little babies.

Kamili and Latika also went to be with Zigi, but Amali shielded him from them, making it difficult for Kamili and Latika to interact with Zigi. When Kerrio rumbled, Kamili and Latika listened to her, as they still respect her as their leader from the Nursery.

Seeing that it was difficult for Kamili and Latika to be near Zigi, Kerrio called them and walked them over to Lenny, who agreed to be with them. Quanza, Kapei, and Maktao later joined Kerrio and her group, but no one was happy to be close to Kapei because he likes bullying new babies. Kerrio, Latika, and Kamili avoided him.

Later, Kiasa welcomed them to her side with Sulwe and Sonje.

All the orphans assembled this morning at the stockade area, waiting for the journey to the new day to begin. Murera and her baby, Mwana, were well and happy to receive Lima Lima and her team returning from the night parties. Kerrio and the team she leads, Latika and Kamili, joined them at the table for morning snacks before the journey to the bushes began, with Sonje and Quanza giving direction.

When Sonje and Quanza decided to lead the babies back into the Kibwezi forests for the new day, Kapei and Maktao left the scene as usual, joining Mwashoti. The three boys separated from the herd, leaving the girls on their own, with Murera taking the lead and guiding everyone towards the top of the Umani Hills. Unfortunately, buffalo blocked their way. Little Lenny stood firmly behind his mother with Zongoloni as they tried to chase the buffalo from their path. With help from Lima Lima and Sonje, the buffalo eventually left, and the elephant path was cleared. As Lenny and little Zigi walked through the tall grass, their tiny heads could be seen moving through it.

The buffalo caused more trouble later when they appeared again at the bottle-feeding field just as the orphans were arriving for their bottles. Enkesha and Latika spotted another buffalo resting near the dust pile, and it left immediately. Kapei joined Mwana and the others, and the area filled with trumpeting and mock charges at anything in their way. Many of the babies almost forgot about their bottles, forcing the Keepers to go and bring them back. Lima Lima picked up her bottle from the ground, and Lenny tugged at her trunk, demanding the bottle when he saw her with it. Lima Lima dropped the bottle, and Lenny immediately put it to his mouth, leaving the Keepers in loud laughter.

Sonje reported early this morning with her beautiful baby, Sulwe, and Quanza as their nanny. Zongoloni and Lima Lima were not seen with the herd at first. A few minutes later, as the babies were preparing to leave and walk into the forest, Sonje and the others lifted their trunks, trying to pick up the scent of Lima Lima and Zongoloni from where Sonje had left them.

Amali rushed into the bushes to try to locate their direction but missed the scent and came back for another attempt. The second attempt was led by Enkesha, joined by Amali and Quanza. This time, they succeeded and found Zongoloni with Lima Lima. Keeper Adan followed and brought everyone back together. Latika and Kerrio celebrated their arrival, which made Kerrio especially happy to see little Lenny and Zigi again.

Lenny, however, was still missing Murera. When she arrived, he went straight to her and slipped underneath for a breastfeed, which Murera allowed, having clearly missed him as well.

The herd then moved off, with Sonje helping to give direction. Today, Kerrio and Kamili joined Sonje and the others in guiding the group on where to browse. The Chyulu side was chosen by the majority, and even Murera was happy with that direction.

Later, two rock hyrax were spotted by Maktao and Mwashoti. Mwashoti tried to chase them and charged, but the rock hyrax were quick and jumped onto rocks that were unsafe for him. Maktao and Mwashoti followed briefly but stopped when the rocky ground became uncomfortable for their feet, forcing them to abandon the chase and return to the herd.

The day began on a lovely note, with all the babies ready to usher in the new year. Everyone looked eager and hopeful for the day ahead. All the night clubbers assembled in the morning and joined Murera with her team from the stockades to the gate, where Lima Lima, Lenny, and the other little babies, Zigi and Sulwe with their mothers, were waiting to link up.

As soon as Lenny spotted Murera, and Murera spotted him too, it was clear how much they had missed one another. Both rumbled, and Lenny quickly tucked himself under Murera to breastfeed, while Sonje and Sulwe were also busy nursing.

Kerrio, with Kamili and Latika, were unhappy to see Mwana trying to charge at Kamili. Mwana was promptly shown the door by Kamili, who was no longer intimidated by her. Both are still new to the Umani orphans, but Kamili stood her ground and stopped Mwana from bullying her again, making it clear that she is now one of the Umani orphans and will not be bullied. The Keepers remained firm with the bullying babies, such as Amali, Kapei, and Murera. Whenever the Keepers spotted any of them trying to run after Latika, Kerrio, or Kamili, they intervened immediately and stopped them.

Given the significance of the following day being New Year’s Day, the Keepers and all the orphans enjoyed an early New Year celebration. The orphans were also given a special treat of their own. Later in the afternoon, Sonje and Quanza were seen lifting their trunks, signalling that they had picked up a wild scent from the bushes. It turned out to be buffalo. This prompted Enkesha and Maktao to move in and chase the buffalo back into the bushes.