February began with a visit from old friends: After an absence of some months, Ambo and Kithaka reported to the stockades early in the morning.
For new graduates Loldaiga, Mukutan, and Choka, this was their first meeting with Ambo and Kithaka. Predictably, Ambo was welcoming to the three boys and politely introduced himself. By contrast, Kithaka warned Loldaiga, Choka, and Mukutan to keep their distance when he saw them approaching. The three boys made a hasty retreat to avoid trouble with the mercurial bull.
Elephants are a constant source of amazement and consternation. One morning, we were flummoxed to find Naleku and Larro missing from their stockade — while three elephants had been put into their bedroom the night prior, only Roho remained inside! How the girls managed to open the gate and leave remained a mystery. We suspect that Kuishi or another ex-orphan was the ‘jailbreaker.’ A few minutes after the dependent herd was let out, Larro and then Naleku sauntered over, unbothered by the confusion they had caused.
After much consideration, our eldest dependent orphans — nine-year-old Kuishi, eight-year-old Sattao, and seven-year-old Mukkoka — are really starting to embrace their independence. Now, they spend their nights out in the wild, although they continue to join up with the orphan herd in the morning. Even Larro has started to join them for the occasional night out. This leaves Esoit without his two most devoted nannies, but he doesn’t seem to hold it against them. Perhaps he realises that the girls are following a rewilding journey that he will also embark upon in his own time.
Mutara is one of our gentlest ex-orphans — but her rascal son, Mambo, is another story! One morning, sweet Kindani was trying to bond with Mambo, only to receive a sturdy push from the young rogue. He was full of bravado because his mother was nearby and he knew that Kindani would not dare retaliate.
However, things didn’t work out quite so seamlessly when Mambo tried to tackle Loldaiga. Seeing their friend cornered, Choka and Mukutan ran over and ganged up on Mambo. He had no option but to run away from the boys.
Most juvenile bulls are somewhat bolshy, but Vaarti and Mayan have hearts of gold. Vaarti is particularly good-natured. One morning, he left his stockade with a leftover branch in his mouth. He soon met feisty Suguroi, who took the branch into her custody. Vaarti didn’t complain but let it go peacefully, knowing what Suguroi was capable of. Another day, the same situation happened with Lodo. We think Vaarti might be onto something — he is never stressed by the little things!
Some of the orphans adore swimming — particularly water baby Lodo — and others are less keen. Bondeni is known as the ‘water resister.’ Unless it’s very hot, he can usually be found standing on the edge of the pool, cooling his feet but nothing more.
This month was marked by lots of buffalo drama. One afternoon, a lone buffalo strolled by the orphans. Roho, Larro, Kuishi, Sattao, and Mukkoka charged and trumpeted to scare him away, while the rest of the group ran to the Keepers for safety. Another day, their efforts were less successful: Loldaiga, Choka, Bondeni, Lodo, and Roho put up their most impressive defense, but the buffalo remained unmoved. The orphans gave up and walked away in a different direction.
Roho is growing up and maturing, but we still see glimmers of the spoiled Nursery boy he once was. Such was the case one morning, when the Queen — an impressive wild matriarch we have come to know well — came to enjoy supplemental lucerne with her family. All the orphans and ex-orphans present maintained a respectful distance, but Roho showed no such deference.
In fact, he made the error of stepping on the Queen’s lucerne. In one swift motion, the matriarch pushed Roho to teach him to respect his seniors. Smarting from this punishment, Roho decided to take revenge on the Queen’s young daughter. He waited patiently for the right moment, and as soon as the Queen’s back was turned, he ran over and knocked her daughter as hard as he could. Mission accomplished, Roho made a hasty and happy exit.
Nabulu is another orphan who has not quite matured out of her mischievious younger ways. One morning, she and the other ex-orphans reported to the stockades as the dependent herd was having their milk. Knowing the routine, Nabulu planted herself at the compound exit, creating a roadblock as the orphans tried to leave their stockades. The Keepers asked Nabulu to stand down, which she reluctantly agreed to do.
The month ended with a lovely display of trust. Ex-orphan Kinna and her daughters reported to the stockades in the early hours, while it was still dark. Kama, Kaia, and Kito lay down to sleep while their mother calmly stood over them. Kinna clearly brought her daughters ‘home’ for this reason, knowing Ithumba was a safe place for them to rest.