February brought a very sweet moment. Wild elephants visited Kaikai's little mud bath in the night, and by morning, only their tracks remained. When Kaikai arrived for her midday wallow, she inadvertently stepped into one of the giant, platter-sized footprints. It was like she was stepping into her future: Right now, all four of her tiny feet fit inside a single footprint, but many years — and many steps — from now, she will leave her own great imprint on the wilds of Tsavo.
Kaikai also runs a tight ship when it comes to milk mixing. She likes to closely supervise the process from this elevated perch, shaking her trunk and flapping her ears impatiently when she feels David, Jonas, or Joseph are moving too slowly. The actual drinking of the bottle, however, is done at her pace — and not a drop faster. She keeps us all on task!
Over on the big elephant side, our quartet of Korbessa, Toto, Mwinzi, and Natibu are doing well. Of course, Korbessa continues to run the show. While she is still brimming with character and clout, she is starting to develop a more serious, maternal side.
Korbessa still has plenty of time for fun, though. One day, she and Keeper Joseph had the best time playing football with a tyre. He kicked it towards her, she headed it off and pushed it back to him, and so it went for the better part of an hour. There was no clear winner — but these games are never about that!
Toto is such a gentle, peaceful boy. At night, we often find him relaxing in his stockade, back legs crossed and trunk draped over his gate. It's a unique posture, but he must find it very comfortable! As a baby, Toto was obsessed with the Polaris — a small vehicle and a perfect scratching post for a small elephant. Even now, he cannot resist its siren song. If a Polaris is parked anywhere in the vicinity, he will sidle over to it. The Keepers try to head him off, but he is wily and determined in this pursuit!
Natibu continues to demand to be first to every milk feeding. He is a notably leggy elephant, and he puts his assets to good use, sprinting to reach the bottles before anyone else. While he can be pushy and a bit naughty, the others know how to put him in his place if the need arises. To his credit, Natibu knows when he is in the wrong — he just can't resist trying his luck.
The gang have been joined by three fairly new rescues — two older girls recovering from serious human-inflicted injuries, and a tiny neonate who has been in the care of Mishak. We look forward to introducing all three properly and sharing their stories once they have had more time to heal.
In the meantime, Mwinzi has been an absolute hero with the smallest of the new arrivals. He allows the tiny elephant to follow him around and suckle his ear, and his presence immediately has a soothing effect on her. Mwinzi is growing into a large, imposing bull, but he has a heart of gold.
Pips, our newest resident giraffe, is much shier than Twiggy but equally social — an interesting combination. She is quiet and reserved, but clearly enjoys being around the other orphans and her trusted Keepers. We can usually find her with Gruff and Bibi the buffaloes, along with Bombi and Brutus the zebras. Bombi remains obsessed with Keeper Peter, but should he manage to slip away for a few minutes, she happily links up with Pips instead.
Twiggy has not returned to the fold, but several of our drivers have spotted her around Kaluku. She appears to be healthy and happy in her newly wild life, which is all we could ask for. We do still harbour a hope that she will introduce us to her baby when it is born, but that will be entirely her decision.
Chamboi is growing into such an impressive rhino. It was very, very hot in February, which was to his liking. He spent his days napping and browsing in equal measure, finding shady spots to rest away from the blazing heat. At the mud bath, he would recline like a king in the soil and then wait expectantly for his Keepers to shovel cool mud all over his body.
Black rhinos love their routines — and Chamboi is nothing if not a good black rhino. He begins every morning with a long drink at this specific water trough. Once he's feeling sufficiently hydrated, he meanders off into the bush for a day of exploring with his Keepers. We cannot rush the ritual, nor would we.
Over at Rhino Base, Apollo is doing well. He keeps his own schedule, heading out into his boma with the rising sun and returning home long after dark has fallen. He still opts to sleep in his stockade, but it is more out of habit than of need. While he likes to be aware of his Keepers' movements, he prefers to spend the day in his own company, or with his wild zebra friends.
