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Musiara has been missing his friend Luggard out in the forest. Luggard hasn’t been feeling well for a couple of days now, and although he does accompany the others out to the forest, he does not walk as far as them into the woods. Because Musiara is not around, Luggard seems to be seeking Enkesha’s company; today for example these two spent most of the day together. Maybe Maisha will become one of Musiara’s friends while Luggard is recovering. Maisha is a gentle girl and is not a bully, and Musiara does not like bullies! Kuishi isn’t very social with the other orphans and this might be why when they are having too much fun around her she will chase them away; perhaps she is envious of them! Malima and Jotto are known to be best play mates and were playing hide and seek in the bushes today, chasing each other around. They were playing right in front of Kuishi and at first she was not bothered, but as the games stepped up a level she began to warn them whenever they got close to her. Eventually she couldn’t stand it any further and when they started climbing on each other next to her she took this as an opportunity to push Jotto away to separate the two. Malima was not ready to give up the game and she went to find Jotto to continue her game.

All the orphans in the older herd seemed to want to get to the mud bath area for their milk before it was their time today. As Godoma’s first group was waiting to walk down, Ndotto came out of the forest to join them; fortunately there was still time and he was escorted back to his own group. Godoma’s group were very well behaved at visiting today, and only Enkesha decided to have a mud bath. Maisha was in her usual favourite corner and the visitors were busy taking photos of her. Musiara with his smiling face was having a good time with the school children along the rope cordon. As the group were almost about to leave, Ndiwa, Malkia and Tagwa came running in towards the wheelbarrow. They had sneaked away from their group and arrived early, so the younger ones were all surprised to see them! Enkesha ran out of the mud pool where she had been enjoying a mud bath, and the older three only ended up staying a few minutes before they went back out to the forest with the first group!

Because Luggard has not been feeling well recently, he has not been coming down to the mud bath for the pubic visit. Instead he browses in the bushes nearby in the company of some of the keepers. Maisha’s love for the milk formula grows every day and the little girl always complains that she wants some more when she finishes her bottle. During the 9am feeding today she tried to get some more from Esampu. Esampu was obviously not very happy about this and pushed the little girl away. This in turn annoyed Tagwa who engaged the naughty girl in a brief fight before Malkia stepped in to back up Tagwa to push Esampu slightly away from the scene. Malima and Tamiyoi were charging at Kiko who had joined them in the forest, and he retreated away whilst throwing several back kicks in protest. He settled to browse on some nearby tall trees. As it became hot in the afternoon, all the babies except Enkesha and Mteto sought cover under the trees. The smaller orphans like Ambo, Sattao, Emoli and Musiara took refuge near the keepers. Mapia, Kuishi, Maktao and Jotto fed on some leaves that were falling from a tree that Shukuru was eating from, where she could reach the highest branches.

Kiko woke up in a happy mood today and followed the elephant orphans out to the Park to browse. As usual, he was received differently by different orphans. Playful girls like Malima mock-charged him and sassy girls like Kiasa attempted to touch his lanky feet. So did Enkesha who was greeted with a slight back kick from their tall friend. Esampu did not spare the giraffe and seriously charged at him, a move that forced Kiko to change his mind and decide to abandon the elephant herd and walk back towards the stockades. Before he got there he changed direction and chose to browse at the top of some yummy trees he found. He gave his keeper a very hard time as he was trying to persuade him to go back to the wood, but Kiko went to the milk mixing area where he smelled and licked some of the empty bottles as the mixers prepared them for the next feed. Out in the Park Sattao and Maktao were busy feeding on some branches that had fallen as Mbegu was breaking some down to eat from the top of a small tree. Maisha also joined them to try her luck on feeding on some of the leftovers but the two boys defended their browse and did not want to share with her. Godoma moved in to settle the dispute and poor Maisha was eventually pushed away for complaining.

Enkesha has been a tricky little elephant in the mornings recently when she comes out of her stable. She always tricks her keepers into thinking she is walking out to the forest with Maktao and Kiasa, when really she diverts course and slips between the stables and Kiko’s room and goes to browse in the bush area near the car park. She did the same thing today but blew her cover around 8am when she started charging and trumpeting after the warthogs in the stockade compound. They always come to go and browse on the lucerne pellets in Maxwell’s stockade before he wakes up to chase them. Luggard is looking much better today as his tummy is better and he has more of a smile on his face.

During the public visit today it was so hot that the orphans quickly drank their milk so they could run into the mud pool to quickly cool their bodies. Flapping their ears was simply not enough to get cool fast enough! Esampu, Kiasa, Maktao, Mapia and Emoli who normally hang around the milk wheelbarrow begging for extra milk were also straight into the mud pool today it was so hot, and they forgot their usual greedy ways. Maisha and Ambo who do not really like the mud bath were seen standing on the edge splashing themselves as they did not want to get in. It was funny to watch Maisha take special care not to fall in as Esampu and the rest of the group playfully spun around in the water. What she was not aware of was Esampu sneaking up to the edge of the mud pool and she grabbed one of Maisha’s front legs and pulled her in! She slid into the water and quite deep enough to be fully covered in thick mud. After seeing Maisha in the mud bath Ambo gained enough courage to walk in as well. The whole group was enjoying the mud so much they did not want to leave, and Enkesha the mud bath lover was forced out after the rest of her group had already gone back to the forest.

This morning when the orphans went out to the forest they didn’t seem interested in feeding very much and they started playing and soil dusting. Ndiwa then led a group of big girls like Tagwa, Mteto, Shukuru and Godoma and they started feeding in the bushes close by. Ngilai was excited to be playing with Mundusi and they enjoyed their game for quite some time before choosing to join the rest of the herd. During the public visit today Tamiyoi was very inquisitive and was walking along the rope where the visitors were standing. The visiting school children were very noisy however and this caused Tamiyoi to walk away again. Today Enkesha had to be coaxed out of the mud bath which she loves so much again so that the second group could come in for their milk. She loves the mud so much!

Kiko appeared at the mud bath area during the public visiting time at 11am today. He interrupted the keepers who were busy feeding the elephant orphans and all the keepers kept an eye on him to make sure he did not cause any trouble. The keepers called for some others to come and help watch him so that the visit could go on as usual. Kiko was very well behaved however and the whole visit went smoothly! He even had some of his own milk. When the last group of elephants left he went with them as well into the forest, and did not turn back to the stockades. Godoma is a very caring girl and she showed off this character trait today when she tried to assist Enkesha who got stuck in the mud as she was wallowing. Enkesha got stuck and cried for help until the keepers got in the mud pool and pulled her out. Godoma was very alarmed and was running around the edge of the mud pool trumpeting and trying to assist as well; she will always help any other elephant, especially the youngsters, in need.