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Yatta’s ex-orphan herd arrived at the stockade compound early before dawn and decided to relax until day break. At six o'clock in the morning, the dependent orphans had their milk bottles then left to join the ex-orphans outside. Mapia decided to have a pushing game with baby Yoyo, a game that ended when his big sister Yetu intervened and stopped Mapia from playing with her brother Yoyo. 

After a brief interaction with the ex-orphans, the dependent Ithumba orphans left for Kone area where they settled to browse. Esampu was hesitant to leave the compound at first as she opted to stay with baby Mkuu who she was enjoying playing with. The Keepers didn't allow her to stay with the ex-orphans however as they were going in a different direction to the orphans, and that meant that there was a high possibility of her and the group not coming back until later that evening, and she is still very young. Esampu left Mkuu reluctantly and just hoped that they would bump into each other another time. 

At mud bath time it was very hot and as the orphans were preparing for a cooling-off exercise the ex-orphans showed up with some wild bulls too. Some of the dependent orphans briefly abandoned their mission of getting into the water as the girls scrambled to spend time with the wild born babies. Later as the groups parted ways, Jotto and Enkikwe ended up dodging the Keeper’s and leaving with the ex-orphans. However fortunately the group passed by the stockades in the evening and Jotto and Enkikwe came for their milk bottles and rejoined their friends. The ex-orphans headed east soon after drinking enough water. 

Jotto and his friend Ambo woke up in a playful mood. As soon as they walked out to the bush, Jotto tried pushing Kuishi as a way of inviting her to a pushing game, but Kuishi didn't respond meaning that she was not interested in any games at all. Ambo on the other hand charged and ran through the bushes knocking down any small shrubs that he came across. Ambo was joined by Jotto and they both enjoyed a light pushing game before finally calling off their morning exercise. 

Mundusi and Karisa had their own strength testing exercise that went on for quite some time while Esampu decided to have her own game of rolling on the ground. 

At mud bath time, the orphans were joined by the senior ex-orphans and the wild bulls still following some of the females. Lili, Loijuk's daughter, jumped into the water hole for a swim with the dependent orphans, something that got her mother a little concerned. Loijuk made efforts to get into the water and guide her daughter out of the water. She doted on her as soon as she came out of the water, as if warning her daughter not to repeat such a mistake of getting into the water without an adult accompanying her. Kinna’s baby Kama likes swimming in the water troughs and she got in and started splashing the water. The Keepers intervened by telling her to get out and stop making the water dirty for the rest of her friends. The bulls were still after Yetu but weren’t as aggressive compared to yesterday. 

In the afternoon, the dependent orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Namalok, who had joined the orphans yesterday and spent the night with them, decided to leave with the ex-orphans again. 

The senior ex-orphans were at the stockade compound when the dependent orphans were let out this morning. The orphans joined the ex-orphans and they had a good time together. Esampu enjoyed the company of Mkuu, Mulika’s son, again. Mundusi decided to have a strength testing exercise with baby Yoyo. The clever Yoyo, sensing defeat, started retreating towards his mother. Mundusi unwittingly followed him happily thinking that Yoyo was retreating and he was winning, but got a rude shock of his life when suddenly was pushed almost to the ground by Yoyo’s big sister Yatta! That's when Mundusi came to his senses and realized that Yoyo was retreating as a way of trapping him and winning the game, for he has the fortune to have an older sister who looks after him every minute of the day. Indeed poor Mundusi was duped and learned a lesson the hard way. 

The ex-orphans and the dependent babies settled to browse in Kone area and later attended mud bath together. It’s only after mud bathing that the ex-orphans parted ways with the dependent orphans. 

Kauro and Tusuja had a strength testing exercise that ended in a draw. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse along the western slopes of Ithumba Hill. 

It was a quiet morning as the orphans left the stockades this morning without any disturbance from their seniors. As they walked out into the bush to browse however, they were joined by Mutara’s herd. Suguta, Turkwel and Sities settled to feed with Dololo as they ushered him to be close to them. Dololo was happy because he’s the only one that gets this special treatment and attention from these older girls. The other young bulls perhaps keep wandering what's so special about Dololo that makes the girls favour him! We are not sure why he is so special too, but these older females certainly dote on him, and perhaps can sense some kind of timid nature or vulnerability in him that they want to nurture? 

Shortly later, the rest of the ex-orphans in the company of some wild bulls passed close by. Esampu, who is slowly but surely falling in love with the wild born babies, moved to join Wema and Mkuu and slowly followed them up to the mud bath where she rejoined her friends for her milk bottles. The temperature was moderate and the orphans only quickly waded through the water without playing, and immediately returned back to browsing. 

The afternoon was quiet as the orphans browsed calmly in the company of Mutara’s herd for the rest of the day. 

This morning the stockade compound was full of ex-orphans including Mutara’s herd. The dependent orphans had their milk bottles and walked down to the Lucerne feeding area for some delicious pellets. They met with Mutara's herd and shared the Lucerne together. Later the dependent orphans walked out to the bush to browse, leaving the ex-orphans behind.

Rapa started playing in the soil near the Kone dam. Mundusi came to join him and Rapa played with Mundusi and climbed on him. Pare was browsing with Jotto, while Malima, Esampu and Malkia all shared leaves from the same tree. Pare started a game with Jotto and tried to climb on him to show off his dominance. We watched as Musiara stretched his trunk as far as it would go to browse from a tree which leaves he really wanted. Separately Oltaiyoni comforted Ambo as they waited to head to the mud bath for their milk bottles.

At the mud bath we were joined by the ex-orphans, their babies and some wild elephants again, so the area was full of elephants and there was quite a commotion because Wendi and Kithaka, the naughty ones, were also present. The dependent orphans had their milk bottles and decided to head straight back out to the bush to browse.

There was so much going on and so much socializing that the ex-orphans were disturbing and preventing the dependent babies from browsing too, but the Keepers and dependent orphans ended up going in a separate direction to the ex-orphans, and they managed to continue feeding until it was time to head back to the stockades in the evening.

Soon after settling to enjoy their morning Lucerne, the orphans were joined by ex-orphans Ithumbah and Namalok. It was not clear where the two might have left the rest of their herd! Soon after arriving out in the bush to browse, Namalok and Ithumbah left again. Esampu, the queen of games, spotted a flock of guinea fowls and decided to go for them. Esampu charged and trumpeted as she ran towards the guinea fowl birds. The guinea fowls didn’t hang around to be trampled by Esampu and flew away, leaving Esampu charging at the empty bushes. 

An hour later, the dependent orphans were briefly joined by a wild herd consisting of a mother and her three children, but they left after sensing the Keepers nearby. Mundusi and Roi participated in a light pushing game that ended when Roi saw Galana and her baby Gawa. Roi walked to join Gawa and followed them to Kone dam where Roi played with Gawa for a bit before parting ways. 

At mud bath time the weather was chilly and the orphans only had some water then participated in a soil dusting exercise before going back to browsing. 

In the afternoon the orphans were joined by Mutara’s herd and as the day progressed it became a lot hotter, making the orphans choose to visit the road side water hole for a cooling off exercise. Later in the evening on the way back to the stockade, the herd passed by the mud bath again for an evening cooling-off exercise too. 

Kamok woke up slightly limping but upon inspection, nothing was seen in her foot. Later in the day she was walking fine so she must just have woken up a bit stiff today, or perhaps slept in a funny way. Several orphans woke up in a playful mood. Barsilinga engaged Olsekki in a pushing game while Mundusi played with Karisa. Siangiki decided to have her own game of rolling on the ground as Enkikwe, her longtime friend stood, close by to make sure that no one came to disrupt Siangiki's game. We are not sure what would have happened if the big boy Barsilinga happened to pass by, but we believe Enkikwe has the courage to protect his friend no matter the size of who walked past – but as it happens luck was on his side and no one happened to pass close by or tried to disrupt Siangiki's game. 

The Queen of antics ‘Miss Esampu’ started charging and trumpeting around thinking her friends would join her but no one was interested in her antics. When she grew tired, Esampu simply calmed down and resumed browsing. The orphans settled to browse in Kone area where they found a heap of soil that they used to play on. Kauro took advantage of Naseku lying down and decided to climb on her. They were joined briefly by ex-orphan Rapsu, who was just passing by. 

At mud bath time it felt hot and the orphans participated fully in the wallowing exercise. Later in the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill, while a wild herd showed up at the stockade compound to drink water. At one point the temperature became unbearable, forcing the orphans to seek shelter under a tree. They resumed browsing later when the temperature dropped to a more favourable level. 

Mundusi and Karisa woke up in a playful mood and together engaged each other in a warm up exercise through a pushing game. Mapia loves scratching in the morning, and settled against a rock he came across to scratch his hind. The ‘drama queen’ Esampu tried to start her usual game of charging and trumpeting around but no one took any interest in her. Esampu decided to calm down and browse instead of wasting her energy. 

The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area where Pare had a brief conversation with Karisa. It was a hot day at mud bath again and the orphans even proceeded to jump into the water at their own will after their milk bottles, unlike other days when the Keepers have to walk them over to the water and encourage them to have a swim. Three wild bulls showed up at the mud bath while the orphans were there. They were briefly joined by Sapalan, Mundusi and Tusuja who stood with them while they drank. It appeared the young bulls were in awe. Later, the three wild bulls left. In the afternoon the dependent orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Enkikwe settled to browse with his longtime friend Olsekki and later they enjoyed a light pushing game.