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As the orphans arrived out in the woods today there was a small commotion. As they browsed in small groups in different directions, from a distance a baboon started shouting. Shortly later two lionesses came out of the thicket and seemed to be pursuing an impala. Mteto started shouting and Sagala followed her, running out of the bushes to safety. Mundusi, Ndiwa and Kuishi ran right straight past the keepers and seemed to be making for home. All of the little ones in the group like Musiara, Maktao, Maisha, Emoli and Sattao gathered around the keepers whilst the big ones stamped their feet and trumpeted. Calm was eventually restored by the keepers, and we were glad the orphans reacted this way so that they know lions are to be feared and they should keep their distance. While walking down to the public visit today, Malkia left the forest with Mteto, Tagwa, Esampu and Mundusi but on their way, Malkia held up the group and prevented them from going any further. She knew she could get away with it as there was no keeper with them, nor anyone in the group to stop her. After the group struggled to free themselves so they could go down for their milk, she eventually let them go but blocked Esampu. We thought then that Esampu must have been her main target and she was trying to prevent her naughty behavior down at the mud bath area. Esampu kept trying to dodge Malkia all the way down to the empty space. When the keepers who were waiting for them down at the mud bath saw what was going on they went up to free Esampu. When Malkia saw the keeper coming she gave Esampu some space to pass, thus avoiding being told off!

Over the last few weeks we have mentioned how Ndotto is becoming more and more independent. Today was no different and he decided to leave the others and the keepers and browse deep in the forest. When it was time for the second, older group to make their way down to the mud bath for their milk, the keepers realized he was missing from the group. Luckily Ndotto realized from his ‘tummy clock’ that it was milk time and made his way down to the mud bath via an alternative route, just as the first group were leaving. He has his milk bottles and started dusting himself as the others made their way down for their bottles too. As the others arrived Ndotto sneaked closer to the wheelbarrow to try his luck in stealing another milk bottle. Esampu was also there sucking up all the extra milk, but Mundusi pushed her knocking her into the wheelbarrow and causing some of the bottles to fall out. Ndiwa and Sana Sana stayed away from the mud hole, feeding on the green branches put out while the rest of their friends enjoyed a mud bath.

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.

When the orphans came out this morning they were all very busy greeting each other. The young bulls did so in the form of pushing games like Sattao against Emoli, Musiara against Maktao, and Luggard with one of his favourite play mates, Murit. Ndotto and Lasayen were playing together which was no surprise as they have always been best friends, and Ngilai was playing with Mundusi. Funnily enough Malima was also trying to take on Esampu! As these games went on, Malkia, Mteto, Godoma, Tamiyoi and Kuishi were all beside Maxwell’s gate trying to grab piles of lucerne from inside Maxwell’s room. We watched as Malkia and Kuishi blocked little Tamiyoi with their huge behinds, so that she could hardly stretch her trunk through to reach any of the lucerne as well. Their repeated attempts to block her saw Tamiyoi yell out with frustration, which brought Maxwell sauntering over to check out what was going on beside his gate. He was greeted by the commotion of all those elephants struggling to feed on his food. He decided to resolve the situation himself by spraying urine all over that area that quickly saw the four girls retreat at a fast pace! Tamiyoi tried to turn back again to grab a bit of lucerne but she decided against it with the strong smell of urine about now!

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.

Murit sneaked away from the line of orphans as they walked out to the forest today and went into Luggard’s room. He was looking for the delicious lucerne pellets which Luggard and Shukuru are given but the others are not. He spent a lot of time feeding on the pellets there until he was very late and all the other orphans had already gone out without him. He came out of the stockade looking very confused with his ears raised. He made several attempts at trumpeting to call his friends but the keepers in the compound took him out to where they were instead. Esampu was very funny this afternoon because after she finished her milk bottle she decided to run at some nearby foster parents who were taking photos. She mock charged them and trumpeted but luckily she was only pretending and being cheeky and her Keeper called her to come back into her stockade so he could shut her gate.

Ndiwa is well known for sneaking down to the mud bath area at 11am with the younger group. Today she was with Tagwa and the two sneaky girls managed to escape from the keepers watching the older group and join the young ones down at the feeding area. They had their milk bottles and played around in that area and ate the greens. Eventually the younger group walked back out to the forest as the older group, which Ndiwa and Tagwa should have been in, made their way in. The two girls were causing trouble and demanding more milk bottles as they felt now it was their real time to feed, they should have more! Later on Maktao was chasing the warthogs away from the area where the keepers were trying to have their lunch in the bush. He was having a rough time with it though as the warthogs would never retreat that far, as they were hoping for some leftovers! The little boy was going round and round trying to chase them away from his keepers. Esampu joined him a short while later and together they managed to chase the warthogs further away.