Our ‘Nairobi Girls’ — Kerrio, Latika, and Kamili — have filled out remarkably since their arrival. They are only two months into Umani life, but already they are growing big-bodied, strong, and fit. The Kibwezi Forest has worked its magic, and our three girls now look healthier and more robust than any of the other orphans.
Latika has shown the biggest change. She arrived with her ears folded flat, which was a lingering symptom of the poor condition in which she was rescued. Now, she can no longer be identified by that trait at all. Her ears have opened up entirely and only her short trunk gives her away.
The bullying that Mwana and Amali had previously directed at the Nairobi Girls has come to a complete stop, and the whole herd now accepts them as family. Kerrio has even become Umani's reigning swimming star, sharing the title with Lenny. The moment her bottles are finished, she makes straight for the pool and lowers herself into the water to keep ticks and flies at bay.
Lenny's appetite knows no bounds — and his scheming to get more of everything has reached new heights. Having already established that Murera is a generous source of milk, and finding his mother Lima Lima's supply insufficient for his ambitions, he decided to search even further afield for more milk. One day, the Keepers spotted him hiding behind Zongoloni while she was nursing Zigi. Before Zigi could reach his mother, Lenny sneaked his mouth to Zongoloni's breast, hoping she would mistake him for her own son. Zongoloni was not fooled for a moment. She watched him attempting to conceal himself and delivered a firm reprimand — she is a no-nonsense mother, and Lenny received the scolding he deserved.
Lenny’s appetite extends well beyond milk. He collects pellets from Murera and Lima Lima, and also positions himself outside the stockades after the herd walks in, waiting at the fence line for the Keepers to pass him more through the gaps. Sulwe and Zigi, by contrast, are quietly private — Zigi stays close to Kiasa, and Sulwe keeps to Quanza. Lenny is very much his mother's son: social, enterprising, and always hungry.
Lima Lima is an interesting mix of mercenary and incredibly caring and protective. She continues to prove herself our most loyal scout. One afternoon, two wild bulls emerged from the bushes, followed shortly by Faraja. The Keepers had barely whispered their suspicion that more wild elephants might be nearby when Lima Lima appeared with Lenny at her side and walked directly to where the Keepers were seated. She had come to deliver a message — and it was an accurate one. Two large bulls emerged moments later.
The little ones — Lenny, Sulwe, and Zigi — remain very happy babies, guided by princess Mwana, who is a year older than them and an excellent junior nanny. Latika has been trying to bond with Sulwe in particular, though Lenny is harder to pin down. He is a very social young boy, as his mother was before him, and prefers the company of Murera or Lima Lima to anyone else.
Like mother, like daughter: Mwana is increasingly showing the same gentle, attentive nature that defines her mother, Murera. One day, Zigi and Sulwe became locked in a tug-of-war over a stick Sulwe had in her mouth. Mwana happened to walk by, assessed the situation, consulted with each of them in turn, and brokered a resolution. A few minutes later, the Keepers watched her convince Sulwe to surrender the stick. Zigi later whispered to his mother about the quarrel, but Zongoloni was unmoved. She suspected her calf may well have been the one in the wrong.
The older boys have been testing the boundaries of home this month. One evening, Latika, Kerrio, and Kamili took it upon themselves to lead the herd back to the stockades, but Kapei and Maktao stayed behind in the bush. Kapei remained hidden with Mwashoti and Sonje, so the Keepers knew he was in safe hands. Late that night, they heard elephants drinking outside the stockades and went to investigate. They discovered that it was Kapei and Maktao, with some wild friends in tow — perhaps the boys wanted to show their new comrades where they had grown up!
The nannies and mothers work as a well-organised unit when there is any threat to their babies’ safety, real or perceived. One afternoon, several wild herds moved into the orphans' group and began drawing little Sulwe and Lenny away. Zongoloni, seeing the two babies drifting into the wild herd without their mothers nearby, stepped in and tried to steer them back. When Kiasa, Enkesha, and Amali realised what was happening, they moved quickly. It was Enkesha who ultimately retrieved both Sulwe and Lenny, using all her skill to bring them safely home.
Around mid-month, a young adult bull — roughly the same size as Mwashoti — decided to join the nightclubbers. The Keepers joked that he decided he too was an orphan and wanted to be adopted by us! quietly into the orphans' herd. While they of course exercised caution in his presence, they found him to be calm and well-behaved, as if he understood how things work at Umani.
February ended with heavy rain. The morning after a particularly wet night, Amali and Mwana came rushing out to join Kerrio, Latika, and Kamili. Kapei, ever opportunistic, made straight for the Nairobi Girls and tried to throw his weight around. Murera was having none of it. She made her authority felt immediately, and Kapei took off at speed, leaving Kerrio and her friends in peace. The five girls headed out together into the fresh, rain-soaked forest — a lovely way to end the month.