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The orphans left the stockade early as usual. Bomani, Shukuru and Orwa scratched on the nearby rocks, which is the normal routine. Seldom do the orphans venture out into the bush without a good sratch down first. This is pleasurable and practical removing any parasites like ticks from the previous day. At the browsing field Narok had a game of rolling on the ground enjoying the earth and attracting others to join her in his frivolous activities. .Sities stopped feeding and came over to where Narok was rolling and decided to scratch against her. Kainuk was also interested in the game and came over to ride on Narok. Later Shukuru and Sities shared the same tree to scratch their trunks and take a rest. Today the afternoon was quiet and hot as the orphans opted to break from feeding and relax under the shade of trees. Even the Keepers were melting and took it easy under the shade of trees watching their charges. Later the orphans browsed quietly without incident. At five in the evening we were welcomed to a wonderful surprise, Kibo, Kalama, Chemi Chemi, Melia, Kandecha, Suguta and Tumaren reported at the stockade. This partially dependent or independent group had last been seen in mid November 2014. This was the longest time they had been absent altogether not visiting the stockades or mixing with the others. The greetings were enthusiastic between the dependent orphans and Suguta’s group, but also between the Keepers who were relieved to see most of them home safe and sound. Still missing from the group were Kilaguni, Kitirua, Murka, Chaimu and Olare.

In the morning, soon after getting to the browsing field, Shukuru and Kanjoro started the day’s activities by scratching against trees. Vuria and Teleki had a brief misunderstanding and opted to settle it through pushing one another pretty ferociously. Today was special because at 8am Chaimu and Kilaguni, who have been absent well over a month turned up at the stockade. Soon Makireti, Kasigau and Kilabasi also arrived and teamed up with Kilaguni and Chaimu. The Keepers were delighted to meet up with their special friends once again. After drinking Makireti led the group away from the stockade. At 11am the weather was chilly and none of the orphans wallowed. Vuria led the group in soil bathing. In the afternoon the clouds cleared and the sun came out. Orwa and Sities relaxed under the same tree before later returning to browse. In the evening the orphans passed by the mud wallow where a lone wild bull was drinking. Teleki and Bongo rushed to join him. Late in the evening Makireti, whose group appears to have increased in number, checked in at the stockade. The group consisted of Makireti, Kasigau, Kilabasi, Chaimu and Kilaguni and it will be interesting to see if Chaimu and Kilaguni remain with the group. Chaimu spent some time chasing off birds today, a pass time she was particularly enjoying. Makireti rumbled as she left with the others streaming behind her and soon disappearing from view.

It was a morning of great activity. Soon after leaving the stockades the orphans where joined by Makireti and her group. Vuria welcomed Chaimu by entwining his trunk with her until Kanjoro, who wanted to play with Chaimu, pushed him away. After a little while Mutara arrived and Kanjoro left, allowing Mutara to have a one to one with Chaimu. Kilabasi played with Bongo as Kainuk rolled on the ground. After Mutara had finished with Chaimu she lay down to play. This attracted Turkwel who came to scratch against her. Laragai tried to play with Chaimu but she was pushed ruthlessly until she screamed. Orwa and Kilabasi had a good game and later Orwa went to play with Chaimu. Garzi challenged Kilaguni, but the way Kilaguni looked and pointed his trunk at him made Garzi coiled his tail and run away. Chaimu finished the morning activities by engaging Vuria in a pushing game. Makireti’s group escorted the juniors to the mud bath. The weather was chilly so the herd just drank some water and were later led away by Makireti. On the way to the browsing field Vuria tried to hold and lift Garzi’s hind leg but Garzi resisted and pulled himself away. In the afternoon the sun was hot so Turkwel, Sities and Bomani relaxed under a tree. In the evening ex orphans Yatta and Mulika’s groups passed by the stockade heading towards Kalovoto area

After their breakfast the orphans dashed to the water trough on their way to the bush. They met Lualeni and Ololoo at the trough and joined up with them for the morning. Ololoo started playing with Orwa and mounting him, Bongo then joined in and they played as they headed to the bush. Back at the stockade Kilaguni and Chaimu came in for water. Whilst Kilaguni was drinking Chaimu scooped and tossed some chunks of soil over her body and into the air, then they departed to go and browse. A little while later Wendi’s group came in with Yatta, her wild born baby Yetu, Kinna, Tomboi and a wild bull. They drank water and Yetu played in the stockade mudbath, tossing soil in the air until they all left for the bush. Meanwhile the orphans were browsing happily. Shukuru had a scratch on a rock, while Kainuk was playing by opening up her ears and flapping them. Shukuru and Vuria started pointing their trunks at the keepers’ camera wanting to touch it but the keepers pointed back at them with their fingers to keep them away. Kanjoro browsed next to Garzi and Narok. Later in the afternoon Teleki led the group to a new browsing area where Bongo started throwing some red soil chunks over himself. Later they met up with Kilaguni, Chaimu, Kilabasi, Makireti, and Kasigau and they browsed and interacted until the evening when Orwa proudly led the group back to the stockade.

The sky was clear as the orphans left to browse early in the morning. It has started to dry up now which is indicated by trees shedding their leaves. The playful boys, Vuria and Bongo had a warm up exercise that involved pushing one another, then pushing down some small bushes. Soon Makireti, Kilabasi and Kasigau joined the juniors. It appears that Kilaguni and Chaimu have gone off with Makireti’s group. Kasigau engaged Orwa in a pushing game while Kilabasi disrupted Bongo and Vuria's game. Kasigau later taught Vuria a few pushing techniques before settling down to browse. Kainuk and Bongo fed from the same tree and they competed to see who could reach the highest leaves. Kainuk won as she is taller than Bongo. Teleki paired up with Orwa to browse and Narok browsed with Turkwel. Makireti, Kilabasi and Kasigau left moments before mud bath time. Ex orphan big bulls Kora, Challa and three wild boys showed up at mudbath immediately after the orphans had their milk. Challa joined the orphans at the edge of the mud bath where they were splashing mud behind their ears. Despite being a hot day only Bongo wallowed then the orphans walked to the soil bath where they formed a circle with Challa in the middle. The afternoon was hot and the orphans browsed as they continuously flapped their ears. Later, Sities and Garzi sheltered from the hot sun and relaxed under a tree until the temperatures dropped to a bearable level. In the evening big boys Kora, Rapsu, along with Makireti, Kasigau, Kilabasi and a junior wild bull came for water at the stockade. Rapsu and Kora had brief strength testing exercise and then left.

Mutara left the stockade with a piece of branch that she continued to chew as she walked towards the water trough. Soon after drinking the orphans left to browse. As Bomani was feeding he developed an itchy ear and used his trunk to scratch it, it was obviously really bugging him as he spent a good long time trying to get rid of the itch. Laragai had a disagreement with Vuria and she decided to push him and take the grass from his mouth but he resisted and walked away. Gentle Shukuru found a fallen tree and tried as hard as possible to push it out of the way. She didn't succeed in removing the entire tree but she managed to break some of the branches. Turkwel browsed close to Sities as Narok opted to scratch on a nearby rock. For the first time this year a herd of ten wild bulls were present at mud bath. They formed a magnificent sight. Shukuru, Sities, Bongo, Teleki, Kanjoro, Laragai and Mutara went into water to wallow as the wild bulls curiously looked at them. Three of the bulls finally gathered courage and moved into the water to join the juniors. This freaked the juniors out abit as they were scared of the big bulls and left the wallow. In the afternoon, the temperatures were still high and Turkwel, Orwa and Garzi relaxed under a tree for some time before resuming browsing. In the evening the ex orphans and the partially dependent group reported to the stockade. Kibo engaged Chyulu in a pushing game as Tumaren played with Yetu. Later Meibai played with Chyulu while Kibo played with Lenana. Kilaguni, Chaimu, Ishanga, Olare, Madiba, Kamboyo, Napasha and Buchuma were missing from the group.

Narok left the stockade with a branch in her mouth but a few meters from the stockade she dropped tossed it. Vuria picked it up hoping to chew it but dropped it again on realizing it was not tasty. At the browsing field the juniors were joined by Makireti, Kilabasi, Kasigau, Naisula, Murka, Kitirua and a wild girl aged about seven years old. It appears that Makireti has dropped Chaimu and Kilaguni from her group or that they were not comfortable being led by Makireti who is much younger than them. Orwa had brief strength testing with Naisula before Naisula moved a few metres away and pushed down a dry tree to demonstrate how strong she was and the techniques she had acquired in the wild. T The partially independent group escorted the juniors to the mud bath but it was cold so no one wallowed. Mutara and the junior wild girl who was content to remain with the orphans and their Keepers drank together at the water trough. In the afternoon, Makireti and her group parted ways with the juniors. Towards evening the sun became unbearably hot and the orphans, led by Mutara, headed for the mud bath to cool off before Shukuru led the first group back to the stockade.