Keepers' Diaries, February 2001
Voi Reintegration Unit
The three Nairobi orphans, Kinna Mukwaju and Yatta, are now perfectly settled into the Tsavo orphans, comfortable with elephants of all sizes, and getting used to fraternising with the wild herds. Edo and Lewa returned from a long stretch away with the wild herds, as did Dika and Ndume, with Lissa and her calf (plus her herd) appearing once. Natumi and Yatta have formed a strong bond of friendship, and Salama and Laikipia likewise. Imenti still enjoys "the Uncle role" and enjoys being with the Baby Group rather than the Big Boys, although he spends time with Edo and Lewa. Emily is very fond of "Tsavo" who is very much part of the family now, and it is interesting that when he followed a wild herd, Emily left her family to follow that herd and retrieve Tsavo, bringing him back one hour later. Since then both she and Aitong keep a careful watch over him whenever they interact with wild elephants.
01 February 2001
All the orphans left the Stockades together in the morning. The three Nairobi babies who were moved to Tsavo East last month are now very comfortable with all the other elephants. They all enjoyed a "wonderful" mudbath together, when Aitong kept careful watch over the youngsters, helping any that had difficulty in getting up. Whenever Emily wanders away, Aitong enjoys taking charge of "Tsavo", Emily's current "favourite", who even suckles her. At 3.30 p.m. Emily and Imenti had their usual game, before taking another mudwallow due to the heat.
02 February 2001
All left as usual in the morning, together. Natumi and Yatta were inseparable and spent a long time together a little distant from Emily and the others. At 11.30 a.m. all the orphans swam in the rainwater filled pool below the Headquarters, the youngsters submerging themselves with only their trunks visible. A group of wild elephants joined them, wallowing from the other side. Emily and Aitong were very protective of "Tsavo" (probably fearing that he might join the wild elephants). After the wallow, all the orphans enjoyed a dustbath when Aitong interacted briefly with the wild herd. At 4 p.m. Imenti began "showing off", running here and there and trumpeting loudly.
03 February 2001
The morning was spent as usual, all the orphans feeding together. At the mudbath they met up with a wild bull of Dika's size. The three ex Nairobi orphans (Yatta, Mukwaju and Kinna) were very scared of him, and Natumi's group also seemed nervous. After the youngsters midday milk feed, Nyiro and Kinna had a tussle, which was won by Nyiro. Meanwhile Emily's group left the wallow with the wild bull, Emily and Aitong taking special care of little Tsavo, with Mweiga keeping herself apart. They spent 30 minutes with the wild bull, and later on in the afternoon went back to the mudwallow where they were joined by two other wild elephants, with whom they spent some time.
04 February 2001
Natumi and Yatta again spent the morning close to one another. After the mudbath they took their milk as usual. Emily and Aitong then arrived along with a group of 6 wild elephants. Imenti and the babies seemed a little fearful of the wild elephants, but Aitong and Emily played with those of their size within this herd.
05 February 2001
All the orphans spent the morning together. After the noon milk feed a group of wild elephants came to the mudbath which made Aitong and Emily very happy whilst the younger orphans were very interested in the big elephants and stood looking at them. Emily and Aitong played with wild elephants of their size, whilst Imenti tried to mount a young female of his size.
06 February 2001
The morning was spent as usual and all had a very "spectacular" wallow when Imenti lay down in the water so that all the babies could clamber over him. After the noonday milk session, Emily and Aitong fed a little way from the others, with little Tsavo sandwiched firmly between then.
07 February 2001
The morning was spent as usual, all the orphans feeding together. The wallow at 11.30 a.m. was "jovial and active". When the three Nairobi babies came ahead for their milk, Nyiro came along too, but ran back to the others when his bottle was not forthcoming in this first session. The other youngsters then came for their milk. Imenti and Natumi's group played a lot in the afternoon, with Imenti taking on Emily and Loisaba and Mweiga playing with Salama, Laikipia and Edie.
08 February 2001
All the younger orphans were together all morning, and had a wonderful mudwallow together. Later they spent time with Emily's group, before Emily wandered off, leaving Imenti with the babies.. Kinna and Nyiro had a great play which triggered Edie and Ilingwezi, whilst Imenti charged around with his ears raised, trumpeting. Meanwhile a group of wild elephants made contact with Emily's group and spent some time with them, and later Emily's group met the wild bull (Dika's size) whom Aitong approached first. They spent half an hour with him.
09 February 2001
Today, at the mudbath, the orphans were joined by Edo and Lewa, who have been away with the wild elephants for many weeks now. The orphans were very joyful to welcome Edo and Lewa back. All the babies surrounded him and Edo rested his trunk on them in turn. Emily's group was similarly excited to meet up with Edo and Lewa and later Imenti had a game with Lewa. They all spent the afternoon happily together, returning to the stockades in the evening.
10 February 2001
It was extremely hot today and the babies were joined by Emily's group at the wallow where they all had a wonderful dip. The three Nairobi babies plus Nyiro met the tractor bringing the midday milk supply and Tsavo and Mweiga joined the others for their milk feed, later returning to Emily. Emily's group had a second swim at 2.45 p.m.
11 February 2001
At 7.15 a.m. Edo and Lewa joined up with our orphans, greeted joyfully by them all. They all wallowed together in the presence of their "pioneer mother, Dr. Sheldrick!" Edo and Lewa spent much of the afternoon with our orphans and returned with them to the stockades in the evening.
12 February 2001
All 17 elephants left in the company of Lewa and Edo through the Spring Gate. Edo and Aitong spent time with the young ones whilst Lewa and Imenti spent time together. After the mudbath at 11.30 a.m., Edo and Lewa left the others and went off on their own into the bush.
13 February 2001
Natumi's group played amongst themselves most of the morning. They wallowed at 11.30 a.m. where they continued playing and lying in the mud. They took their milk at noon as usual with Yatta, Mukwaju, Kinna and Nyiro "starting the party". Emily's group then arrived at the mudbath with Edo and Lewa whom they met out in the bush. Aitong was very busy lifting the calves that got stuck. In the afternoon Edo, Imenti and Lewa joined Natumi's group for the afternoon, but at 5 p.m. Imenti returned to Emily's group. It was a great improvement to see him spending half a day away from Emily.
14 February 2001
All the orphans left together, Emily and Imenti leading the way. Natumi and Edie chased each other around playfully whilst Laikipia and Salama did the same. Emily's group left the youngsters in the morning but joined them at the mudbath, afterwards meeting up with a wild group with whom they spent 30 minutes, obviously happy to be with them. Imenti played with Emnily at 3.30 p.m. and then changed partners, taking on Aitong instead.
15 February 2001
All the younger orphans had a "busy" morning feeding with Nyiro staying close to Yatta, Mukwaju and Kinna (the three Nairobi babies). Meanwhile Emily's group had joined a wild herd near the Spring Gate, with whom they spent the morning and who accompanied them to the mudwallow. There a large cow "menaced" the Keepers, who hastily withdrew with the youngsters.
16 February 2001
At around 9 a.m. the younger orphans headed up the hill where they tried to follow a group of wild elephants who had a small calf of about l month old with them. Our orphans wanted to take care of this baby. At the mudbath, Edo and Lewa arrived 15 minutes later and in the afternoon Imenti left the others for two hours.
17 February 2001
All the orphans had a playful morning, at one point frightened by running impalas. They had a wonderful mudbath, submerging in the water, before going for their milk, leaving Emily and Aitong taking a dustbath. Then a wild herd turned up, so Emily and Aitong took a second mudbath along with this wild herd.
18 February 2001
The morning was spent as usual. The orphans wallowed at 11.30 a.m. with Imenti submitting himself to being clambered over by all the babies. In the afternoon a wild group took Tsavo away with them. Emily left Aitong to watch over the others in her group, and went after the wild herd to recover her baby, returning with him after one hour.
19 February 2001
The morning went as usual. At mudwallow the youngsters spent a lot of time splashing water on their bodies and trying to push each other into the water, Nyiro being very active in this respect. Lewa had met up with Emily's group at 10 o'clock and spent the rest of the day with our orphans, as well as the night with them in the Stockade since Edo was not with him.
20 February 2001
All left together, along with Lewa. Nyiro chased Kinna and tried to mount her whilst Imenti did the same to Lewa, returning to join the others after the game that lasted 30 minutes. The babies were joined by Emily's group at the mudbath.
21 February 2001
Nyiro befriended Kinna today. They all wallowed together at 11.30 a.m., Aitong keeping a close watch over Tsavo. Later at 1.30 p.m. Imenti took a leisurely stroll with a wild group, escorted by Aitong, who didn't go far. Imenti returned after 30 minutes.
22 February 2001
The orphans spent a happy morning playing amongst themselves, wallowing at 11.30 a.m. "with full activity". At noon the babies took their milk and then returned to the mudwallow. Emily's group was very excited to reunite with old friends, Dika and Ndume, who turned up and with whom they spent a happy time, returning with them to the Stockades in the evening.
23 February 2001
Salama played with Laikipia for almost an hour this morning. All had a wonderful wallow, and later Nyiro grabbed the first bottle of milk ahead of Mukwaju, Yatta and Kinna. At the mudbath Imenti played with Edo and then Lewa took a turn and in the evening Imenti was very gentle with Natumi, allowing her to push him around.
24 February 2001
This morning, all the orphans grazed together. At 11 a.m. they were joined by Lewa and Edo. Edo rested his trunk on the youngsters' backs. Shortly afterwards, our orphans were joined by a group of 6 wild elephants. They fed together and came to the mudwallow together. The wild elephants were a little nervous of the Keepers, so kept to the far side of the pool.
25 February 2001
The smaller orphans spent the morning feeding together, coming to the wallow at 11.30 a.m. and then taking their milk at noon, after which Ilingwezi and Nyiro played a lot. At 8 a.m. Emily's group met a wild group with whom they came to the mudbath. Imenti seemed a bit scared of this group, but Emily and Aitong enjoyed their company.
26 February 2001
This morning Nyiro wanted to spend time with Yatta, Mukwaju and Kinna rather than with Natumi's group. At the mudbath the youngsters kept near the Keepers, being a little fearful of a wild group. Dika was at the Stockades in the evening, and seemed to have a stomach ache.
27 February 2001
In the morning Natumi played with Mweiga. The orphans had a wonderful ;mudwallow at 11.30 a.m. watched by the children of The Church of England Bury High School, who funded their borehole, the orphans' lorry, the Ndara Windmill and the borehole and Windmill for Aruba. Emily's group joined the babies at the mudbath. Emily and Imenti had a prolonged play in the morning, when they met up with a wild group and spent time together. Immediately after mudwallow, Edo and Lewa arrived and spent the afternoon with our orphans, returning with them to the Stockades.
28 February 2001
In the morning Nyiro played with Salama and then Laikipia took his place. During mid-morning Emily's group met a wild herd, spending time with them. Loisaba played with a wild baby first, and then Mweiga played with the same calf. They all joined our orphans at the mudwallow. After milk Kinna played with Edie whilst Salama and Mweiga did the same later. Lissa and her baby (Lara) came to the Stockades in the evening, receiving a hug welcome from Dika, Ndume, Edo and Lewa, as well as Emily and her group.