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Narok, Orwa, Bomani and Vuria spent the night outside the stockade. When the orphans were let out in the morning, Olare’s group in the company of Galana, Gawa, Makena and Sidai joined them briefly before leaving. Gawa had the opportunity to interact with the orphans for some time before leaving with her mother. She started her game with Rapa and Maramoja before heading to play with Roi. Tusuja engaged Sidai in a pushing game but Sidai was too tall for him. Galla tackled Bomani but quit the game shortly later and moved to get some pushing lessons from Makena. On the way to browse, Roi played with Boromoko while Oltaiyoni had her own game of rolling on the ground. The orphans were briefly joined by Mutara’s group and Tusuja seized the opportunity to challenge Sities. The no-nonsense Sities, who never entertains small boys, pushed Tusuja out of the way. Shortly later, the junior Ex Orphans left and we did not see them again today. Later Oltaiyoni, Pare and Rapa took a break from feeding to participate in a game of rolling on the ground while Sapalan dusted himself. After mud bath time, Garzi and Kithaka engaged each other in pushing game that ended in a draw.

When the orphans came out of their stockades today they did not stay and eat lucerne from very long as it seemed they were in a hurry to get out to the bush and browse. Kamok led the group to the bush. Galla and Tusuja started twisting each other’s trunks and playing affectionately with each other. Namalok was browsing away from the other elephants flapping his ears to keep cool. Recently independent orphans Orwa, Vuria and Bomani came to join the group for awhile but they carried on walking into the bush. Roi later led the group to the mud bath. The orphans played in the mud today. They were joined by Rapsu and Kenze who were on the other side enjoying quite a serious play fight. Rapsu later walked towards a wild bull and to say greet to him. Kauro scratched his legs and trunk on a tree simultaneously which was quite funny to watch. Ukame and Roi later browsed together. It was very hot and the elephants were sucking water from their stomach and splashing it on their bodies to cool down. This showed the keepers they felt very hot and they decided to walk them to the mud bath again to cool down and have another refreshing drink. From the mud bath they walked to the dust bath and started playing on the big pile of soil like Nursery babies again. When they walked back to the stockades in the afternoon they were accompanied by Siangiki and Laragai who came to their old stable, ate some browse that had been left there for any Ex Orphans that wanted it, before they walked off into the bush again.

Orwa’s group with Vuria, Bomani and Bongo decided to join the orphans in the morning. They drank water first and then moved to join their dependent friends in the lucerne feeding area. After a few minutes Laragai’s group came in and joined them. Now there was a big group present for the feeding. Pare started scratching his belly on the rock there. Bomani met with Gala and they started play fighting. The dependent orphans walk away from the other independent groups, leaving them behind still feeding. Dupotto and Gala were both scratching their ears. Gala started play fighting again with Ukame. Pare and Sapalan browsed together while Roi and Tusuja were playing and kissing each other. Rapa was left behind and when he realised he ran towards the group in an excited trot, shaking his head and trumpeting. All the other elephants were happy and actively browsing. Dupotto was on her own browsing. The orphans later walked towards the mud bath for their milk. They had their milk bottles as usual and then went to the water trough for some water. This is their routine because the keepers need them to move out of the way to feed the next group of 3 coming in for their milk. They decided to go into the mud wallow and again they did not all mess around, they chose instead to swim in a line to the other side. Ukame started scratching her trunk on a bent tree. The group got out of the water and went to dust bath to dry off. The orphans then walked over to the new mud bath area that was being created with a water bowser which is more shaded and under the trees. They started playing in this shallow mud hole again, before finally walking back out to the bush to browse. The orphans thought it was quite hot in the bush, despite having just come from the mud bath, and they hid themselves under the trees to hide from the hot sun. Later they started browsing until they came across a small pool of water and they splashed themselves to cool down again. Kamok was digging the ground near the waterhole as she played in it, seemingly wanting to make the mud hole bigger! Wendi’s group came in with Kinna, Yatta, Nasalot and Mulika and all their babies. They drunk water and walked back out to the bush. Lenana also passed through with her wild boyfriends still chasing her. She looked tired and the Keepers felt for her but this is all a part of her wild life and moving forwards.

Garzi, who left the life of a dependent orphans a few weeks ago, has now joined Narok’s group of Orwa, Bomani and Vuria. Bongo and Teleki who left with Narok and her friends at the same time, enjoy being in the company of the senior Ex Orphans these days. Narok and her team welcomed the juniors out from the stockade in the morning. Usually it is Laragai and her group that welcome the juniors in the morning. They always leave in the evening and return early the next morning but today they were not around yet. Two wild bulls reported for water. Maramoja, Pare and Dupotto went down to join one of the bulls to drink. As they shared water, one could see the thoughts going through their minds, as if they were wondering when it will get to a time when they will reach such a huge size! Pare shook his head as he returned back to his friends, wondering how long it will take to be a fully grown up elephant. Pare hoped the sooner the better! Shortly later, several Ex Orphans reported to the stockade and noticeable were the babies Kama, Yoyo, Nusu and Wiva. The flamboyant Kama tried to challenge Roi. Roi opted to tolerate the games since Kama's mum was close by and she didn't want to do anything which could invite the wrath of Kinna. Kama was upset because Roi didn't respond fully to her game. She later moved to try her luck on the quiet Kauro. Kauro didn't even try to do anything to Kama but continued with his business of feeding. The weather was chilly and gloomy and the orphans behaved like the weather. At mud bath time, only the hot tempered Ukame decided to wallow, the rest enjoyed a soil bath and nonchalantly threw soil on their backs. In the evening on the way back to stockades, the juniors were joined by Laragai and her rebel group who think they are all grown-ups, and can take care of themselves without the keepers anymore!

The sky was partly covered by clouds in the morning when the orphans were let out. Outside the stockade, the orphans were joined by Orwa, Narok, Bomani, Vuria and Garzi who appeared to have been in the company of Laragai and her group the entire night. The herd settled for lucerne and after Narok led the way to the browsing field. Karisa and Rapa started their day activities by engaging in a soil dusting exercise, a game that also attracted Roi who joined them. Roi treated Karisa and Rapa as her younger brothers unlike Ukame, who tries to bully the young boys whenever they join her in whatever activity. If Roi stays like this she will grow up to be a very motherly elephant that will be mindful of her friends, although she still has got a long way to go and only time will tell. An hour after the orphans had left for browsing, Wendi, baby Wiva, Sunyei, baby Siku, Chyulu, Galana, baby Gawa, Kilabasi, Bongo and Tomboi reported at the stockade compound. Tomboi was looking fine after receiving treatment for his arrow wound yesterday. Dupotto and Rapa boycotted the mud bath and opted instead for a soil dusting exercise. After mud bath, Narok and her group parted ways with the juniors. Garzi remained behind with the dependent orphans to share stories of how life has been treating him outside the stockades, and probably to find out whether any of them felt like joining him yet. In the evening, Garzi returned to the stockades where the dependent orphans went to bed and he met up with the rest of his friends, so it seems as if none of these dependent orphans are quite ready for life in the wild yet.

Rapa woke up looking dull in the morning. When the keepers checked where he had been sleeping they found some loose stools with some small white worms as well. When the gates were opened for the juniors to come out, Rapa didn't go for lucerne but headed straight to the water trough where he joined Kilaguni to drink water. Kilaguni moved closer to Rapa and placed his trunk on him for comfort before wishing Rapa a quick recovery, as he could sense he was down. The independent Sapalan separated himself from the rest of the group and spent awhile scratching his neck. Narok joined the juniors with Orwa, Vuria and Bomani, and settled to browse with Naseku and Tusuja. She had a lengthy chat with the two juniors as she tried to explain to them what was best for them during the dry period. Tusuja and Naseku could be seen copying what Narok was doing as far as picking the right vegetation is concerned. Kamok briefly joined Rapa who wasn't in a good mood and was feeding slowly. Kamok took Rapa for a soil dusting exercise to see if she could make him feel better but Rapa didn't feel up to it and stood watching what Kamok was doing. At mud bath time, the sun was really hot. The orphans headed for a drink of water as soon as they finished their milk and then jumped into the water to cool down. They all went to the soil to dry off where Sapalan emerged as the star of the soil dusting exercise by making sure that every part of his body was covered in red soil. In the afternoon, the temperature continued to skyrocket and this prompted Kauro and Rapa to look for a nice tree with shade. They settled to relax until the temperature dropped and they felt like browsing again. In the evening, Tomboi in the company of the Olare paid a visit to the stockade. Tomboi after getting treatment is now walking properly without limping. It is amazing to see how he stays around the stockades and is always looked after by a friend whilst he recovers – he knows he is safe here.

For the second day running, Rapa had some discomfort in his stomach which made him to take just one bottle of milk even after being de-wormed. The other orphans seemed to understand that Rapa wasn't feeling well. The girls Roi, Naseku and Kamok all wished Rapa a quick recovery at different times by touching him whenever they passed close to him. Orwa, Narok, Vuria and Bomani who left the stockades in March last year joined the orphans briefly for lucerne after bringing Laragai and her group back in the morning. Shortly later, Mutara and her group checked in and joined the others for the lucerne. This is the only group so far now that has been left intact without any members trying to jump to another group. The other group that used to be glued together was Olare’s but these days it's slowly disintegrating because whenever they show up these days, several of the members are always missing and later show up in other groups. Mutara’s group is made up of girls with the exception of Kanjoro (Mutara, Suguta, Sities, Turkwel and Kainuk) so this might be why her group tends to stick together. In the near future, Kanjoro will quit the group and team up with other boys as bull elephants do. At the browsing field, the keepers could only pity Rapa because we have all felt ill at one time and they understand how much pain and discomfort one goes through before recovering. At mud bath time, the sun was really hot prompting all the orphans to jump into the water before even being coaxed to do so. Even our patient Rapa wasn't left behind and also got into the water to cool off since the scorching sun had become unbearable to him. After mud bath, Wanjala opted to bully the quiet Sapalan by trying to ride on him. Sapalan bellowed loudly asking for help from his keepers. The keepers responded by shouting at Wanjala, something that made Sapalan happy since Wanjala stopped and walked away. Galla and Tusuja emerged as stars of the day for soil dusting as they tried to compete who amongst themselves knew best how to use their trunk to dust themselves. In the evening, the sun was still hot and so the orphans passed by the mud bath for a second cool-off exercise before returning to the stockades.