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New mothers Sonje and Lima Lima, along with their new babies, have split their original group into two. Sonje and Zongoloni, together with Kiasa, have taken one side, while Lima Lima has remained with Mwashoti and Quanza, who has naturally taken on the role of nanny in their group.

This separation seems to have been initiated by Sonje, who appears to favour her own baby, Sulwe, while showing less interest in Lima Lima’s baby boy. Meanwhile, Lima Lima is inclusive and has embraced all the babies.

Today, Lima Lima saw Sonje kicking Lenny away, prompting Lenny to run to Murera, who was wallowing nearby. Murera welcomed him warmly and even allowed him to suckle. Sonje, however, only nursed her own baby, Sulwe.

In the early morning, neither Sonje nor Lima Lima returned to the stockades as expected. The orphans, anticipating a chance to see the little babies, were disappointed when none of the mothers or calves were near the gate. Amali yelled, calling out, hoping they would appear, but there was no response. It wasn't until later in the afternoon that Lima Lima, Quanza, and Mwashoti emerged with Lenny following behind.

The Keepers were puzzled by Sonje's absence and wondered if the differences in how the mothers handle their babies had caused the split. Lima Lima seemed to believe that Sonje's dismissive behaviour towards her baby required her to find a new way to manage the situation. Eventually, Sonje and her group reappeared, joining the rest of the herd.

Sulwe greeted her stepbrother warmly, and Mwana also went to hug the two calves. Sulwe then moved to Murera for breastfeeding, and Murera welcomed both babies, feeding them while Mwana stood by, watching but unbothered. Mwana has accepted her transition from being the youngest, and has now embraced her new role in the herd.

The orphans were excited to emerge from their sleeping quarters after a long night of light rains. Amali began knocking on her gate early, eager to start the new day and meet the newborns, Lenny and Sulwe. As soon as they stepped outside, Amali eagerly searched for Sulwe and Lenny but only found Murera with her baby, Mwana.

Raising her trunk, Amali tried to pick up a scent to guide her to Lima Lima and Sonje, hoping to find the little ones. She eventually wandered off in search of them, with Kapei deciding to follow. The rest of the herd stayed behind, understanding that Lima Lima and Sonje were still absent and anticipating that Amali would return empty-handed. As predicted, Amali and Kapei soon rejoined the group without the babies.

A few hours later, Quanza arrived, and with her came the moment Amali had been waiting for. This time, the new mothers and their babies appeared, bringing joy to everyone. Amali, Kiasa, and Enkesha rushed forward to greet the little ones, with Murera bringing up the rear. It was a joyful reunion for the whole herd.

Lenny, now one month old, had been feeling quite proud of his position as the second-born boy in the Umani Unit, following Mwana. Sulwe, at just two weeks old, was already being celebrated as the youngest and tiniest member of the group — the new Umani darling.

This morning, Lenny decided to assert his presence by pushing Sulwe as she tried to breastfeed from Lima Lima. But Sulwe, despite her small size, stood her ground and turned back to defend herself. Lenny, acting tough like the little boy he was, tried to intimidate her. However, Sulwe, showing the strength of a determined girl, retaliated. She caught Lenny off guard, pushed him down, and stood victorious.

The commotion caught the attention of both mothers, who almost intervened as they saw their babies tussling. Lima Lima rushed over upon noticing her baby, Lenny, struggling to get up from the ground. But by then, Kiasa and the other nannies had already stepped in. Sulwe had returned to her mother, Sonje, calmly enjoying her breastfeeding session as if nothing had happened.

The incident left the Keepers in fits of laughter, praising Sulwe for her unexpected victory. At just two weeks old, the tiny baby girl had delivered a "knockout" Lenny certainly hadn’t expected!

Lenny and Sulwe drew a strong battle line that neither agreed to cross or step over. It was Lenny who began to play rough with little Sulwe while she was with her mother, and Lima Lima was away. Sulwe tried hard to push back, but when she saw that Lenny was being too much, she decided to give him what he wanted. Sulwe charged at his rear, which made Lenny turn back to see who had pushed him. When he realized it was Sulwe, he decided to fight back.

Again, Sulwe stood her ground and defended herself. Mwana and Amali, the little sisters, stepped in to intervene. Mwana tried to move Lenny away, but the angry Sulwe followed Lenny from behind and pushed him down. Amali and Mwana helped the little boy back to his feet, but when he got up, he saw that Sonje had already taken her baby girl into the bushes to ensure Sulwe was safe and rescued from the angry Lenny. Nannies also blocked Lenny, knowing his intentions toward Sulwe.

Murera and Zongoloni teamed up with other nannies and headed to the waterhole to clean the babies and themselves. At the mud bath, Lenny became even more of a star than usual. Keepers had previously called Mwana the "swimming star," but today, Lenny broke that record by jumping enthusiastically into the mud bath. This encouraged Sulwe to join the swimming stars, and soon Mwana and others weren’t left behind. The waterhole became all-inclusive, with all the orphans joining in, except for Mwashoti and Maktao, who stayed away.

Buffaloes lurking nearby tried to charge at the little babies while Mwashoti was keeping watch. Mwashoti quickly moved to confront the buffaloes, with Kiombo and Maktao following behind. It became a tug of war between the elephants and the buffaloes. When the other orphans saw the situation escalating, the girls joined in to support Mwashoti and the others. Sensing the danger, the buffaloes retreated hurriedly into the bushes, leaving the orphans alone to enjoy the dust pile.

Due to late arrivals today, the new mothers missed the early morning pellets with their friends when the orphans got out from their stockades. None of them were by the gate. Today, the only boy who stayed with the new mothers, Mwashoti, left them after a long walk and later decided to return home. He arrived at the gate very early, waiting for Murera and friends to come out, and they all enjoyed pellets together.

Lima Lima, Sonje, and the other nannies, Zongoloni and Kiasa, arrived three hours late after the orphans had already gone to the hills for the day. Amali seemed distressed at not seeing the little cuties. She raised her trunk in the air, trying to locate them, and when she caught a hint of their scent, she rumbled loudly. Lima Lima and her baby replied with a big rumble that shook our ears. Amali then started running hard, followed by Mwana, as they rushed to meet the babies they hadn’t seen or hugged since morning.

Sulwe and Kiasa walked toward Mwana, and soon everyone had gathered, including Murera, who received Sulwe and breastfed her well while Mwana watched. When Murera tried to move, Sulwe protested with a loud rumble, refusing to let her go while she was still suckling. Sonje stood nearby, watching how Murera was helping her baby get her milk.

A few minutes later, Lenny was also welcomed by Murera to suckle. This time, Mwana stepped aside, allowing the little ones to feed. She understood she was now a big girl, no longer a baby, but a nanny to the little cuties, so she gave them their time.

Meanwhile, Kapei and Mwana had a disagreement that escalated into a pushing contest. Mwana stood her ground and didn’t allow Kapei to push her backward easily. However, when Mwana felt that Kapei was becoming too strong, she complained to her mother, Murera. Murera stepped in to separate Kapei from hurting her girl. Seeing Murera approach with her big ears raised, Kapei quickly retreated behind the bushes to stay safe.

When Lenny and Sulwe walk together, one might think they were twin babies. Sonje does not welcome Lenny to her side, but Lima Lima cares for all the babies. Murera is also very generous. As a baby, little Mwana nursed from all the pregnant girls. Now, Murera is returning the favour by allowing babies Lenny and Sulwe to nurse from her. But Sonje only deals with her own baby, Sulwe.

Today, Zongoloni moved towards Sulwe, offering her the opportunity to nurse. Mwana also followed closely, trying to know how she could help little Sulwe. But Mwana found she could be of no help to little Sulwe, after realising that the baby wanted to breastfeed.

Amali came to Mwana with Lenny, who was eager to play pushing games with the girls. Mwana gave him space to play around, knowing he was just being an energetic baby. 

Mwashoti today came to visit with a friend from the wild side. The boys browsed closely with the other boy orphans, but not the new mothers and Murera. Later in the day, this wild bull disappeared and came back with another bull who was not as comfortable around the Keepers. They caught the Keepers' scent and raised their trunks, cautious and trying to determine where the humans were.

Murera also smelled the bulls and alerted her Keepers to move away with her to an open area, where both could see further. Mwana started blowing her trumpet and charging around, until Enkesha calmed her down. 

In the open area, buffaloes arrived in large numbers. This made all the elephants move closer to their Keepers, giving them full protection so they wouldn't be exposed to the buffaloes, who were demanding more grazing space around the mudbath area. Eventually, we had to admit defeat and give the buffaloes the room they wanted. Some buffaloes then moved into the waterhole and started to roll around, mudbathing.

Mwana did not like seeing how the buffaloes took over the waterhole. She wanted them moved out, but we could not, because we were outnumbered.

Today, Sonje and Lima Lima changed their visiting tactics, arriving late from a very different direction, which is completely confusing the orphans. Amali walked out, trying once again to see if she could find the little babies, Sulwe and Lenny. However, Amali did not find them, forcing her to return without seeing the little ones.

When Kapei saw Amali coming back, he blocked her way. Amali received help from Enkesha, who wasn’t far away. Kapei thought Enkesha would be easy to push around, but he found it very difficult to move her. Enkesha decided to show her true strength, and Kapei quickly realised he had underestimated her. Feeling the pressure, Kapei surrendered and joined Sulwe.

Lenny then moved towards Lima Lima to have some milk, which he was allowed to do. Meanwhile, Amali waited patiently for Lenny so they could go together to the waterhole. However, Lenny jumped into the waterhole before Amali could decide for herself. Quanza and Kiasa also wanted to join Lenny in the waterhole.

Enkesha stayed some distance away from the mud bath, waiting to join the herd after swimming. Mwashoti and Alamaya appeared with some wild friends, approaching the orphans. However, Sonje and Murera moved away after spotting the newcomers joining the group. This behaviour from the wild friends did not sit well with Murera and Sonje. When Alamaya noticed their discomfort, he moved away with his friend, heading back to Chyulu Hills.

Sulwe and Lenny had a good day today when the Keepers came out with coconut oil to apply to their skin. As soon as Sulwe felt the coconut oil on her body, she immediately lay down, rolling on the ground very playfully and scratching against the small rocks around the area. Her friend Lenny soon moved over to join her for some scratching.

When Lenny saw Sulwe using the same rock, the two little babies got into a big disagreement over the scratching spot. Their argument grew loud, forcing every mother to search for her baby. Sonje rushed to the scene for Sulwe after hearing her scream and complain. At the same time, Lima Lima came back for her baby, Lenny.

It turned into a situation where every mother was focused on rescuing her own baby, while the nannies struggled to decide which baby to help. Torn between the two, Kiasa went with Sonje and Sulwe, leaving Amali and Quanza to care for Lenny.

Some nightclubbers, who hadn’t been to the stockades in a long time, finally returned to visit the Keepers and the orphans. For some, it was their first time meeting the new babies, Lenny and Sulwe. Faraja, Jasiri, and Alamaya arrived this morning and were pleasantly surprised to see the tiny, adorable babies with the herd.

Faraja, mistaking Sulwe for Mwana, tried to climb on her, but his tall legs made it impossible. Little Sulwe quickly skipped away to Sonje, who immediately took her baby to safety to avoid any accidents with the much larger elephant.

Alamaya, on the other hand, was very gentle with the tiny babies. After being briefed by Mwashoti about the new additions to the family, he played calmly with Sulwe and Lenny. Mwana stayed close by, carefully watching Faraja’s interactions with the babies. However, Alamaya proved to be a very well-behaved boy around the little ones.

Later, Lima Lima arrived with the other new mothers and their tiny babies for the midday bottle-feeding. The excitement made Lima Lima run off in a frenzy, momentarily forgetting about Lenny. But Lenny, not wanting to be left too far behind, ran hard to catch up and found his mother already drinking her bottle. Lenny went straight to his mother’s breast to nurse while Lima Lima continued enjoying her bottle.

After Lenny finished nursing, Sulwe came over, demanding her share from Lima Lima. Unfortunately, Sulwe found no milk left and turned to Murera instead. Murera, understanding that Sulwe was still young and needed her milk, willingly nursed her. Mwana stood by, observing quietly, knowing that Sulwe needed the care and nourishment.

Mwana and the two babies had a very good morning interaction immediately after Sonje and Lima Lima arrived from their night-out parties. They were accompanied by Quanza, Kiasa, and the ever-faithful old girl Zongoloni, who never missed a chance to return home. Mwana approached Sulwe and Lenny to say hello. Sulwe raised her tiny trunk, trying to reach Mwana’s head for a hug, and Mwana responded in a friendly manner, gently placing her trunk over Sulwe. Lenny then moved in for his hug, and Mwana obliged, hugging both little babies so nicely.

After her affectionate greetings, Mwana left Sulwe and Lenny with their mother Murera and moved off with Quanza to browse in the shrubs for the midday meal.

Meanwhile, Kiombo and his friend Maktao were engaged in a lively pushing and pulling game, which became increasingly aggressive until Mwashoti joined in to try and stop the play-fighting. However, neither of them paid attention to Mwashoti. Kapei then joined Kiombo, but Maktao was not interested in including him in the game and instead kicked him out, leaving Kapei to find something else to do.

The other girls grouped together to protect the babies from the intensifying sun. When Sonje realised the sun was getting too hot, she decided to take Sulwe to the shade. Lima Lima followed closely with Lenny, and all the orphans moved together towards the shade near the Chyulu Hills.

The pace was slow, and the babies didn’t fully realise where they were headed. Sulwe, tired from walking, eventually fell down for a quick nap, exhausted by the journey.

Lima Lima has rediscovered her love for milk bottles since giving birth. As a treat for the nursing new mother, the Keepers have reintroduced her bottles, just as they did for Murera and now Sonje as well.

Now that Lima Lima has her bottles back, her old, greedy-for-milk character has returned. Today, she arrived for bottle-feeding ahead of time, accompanied by Kapei and Enkesha, seemingly unaware that Lenny was still asleep and had been left behind. Murera, upon noticing Lenny’s absence, took the baby and brought him to Lima Lima. Sonje, on the other hand, sticks firmly to her rule: her baby comes first, no matter what.

Lima Lima does care for Lenny, but when there’s a hint of bottles around, her priorities shift to getting her share first. After bottle feeding, all the babies headed to the waterhole. Sulwe, feeling the heat, attempted to get into the big waterhole. When Sonje noticed, she became concerned that Sulwe might get stuck. Acting quickly, Sonje pulled Sulwe back and ensured she stayed close for safety.

Lima Lima acted very strangely today with her baby, Lenny. The orphans were busy traversing the Kibwezi Forest, browsing peacefully. At one point, a massive bull elephant with long tusks emerged from the bushes and approached the area where the Keepers and orphans were browsing. Kiasa and Quanza were the first to notice the wild bull's presence. Kiasa quickly alerted Murera by moving backward to signal the news. Once Sonje and the others caught on, they followed Murera to safety.

Lima Lima, however, was lingering at the back of the group. The Keepers assumed she would wait for Lenny to finish his nap before rejoining the others. Instead, Lima Lima abandoned her sleeping baby under a shaded area and rushed to the milk vehicle when she caught its scent. She completely forgot her motherly duties, leaving Lenny behind. It was Murera who went back to wake the sleeping baby and guide him to the milk vehicle. Mwana also stepped in to help Murera, ensuring Lenny made it to where Lima Lima and the others were gathered at the waterhole.

When Lenny finally arrived, he went straight to Lima Lima to nurse. Afterward, he tried to venture into the swimming pool to wallow. However, when Lima Lima saw him attempting to enter the deeper side of the waterhole, she immediately blocked him with her trunk, preventing him from going any further. Lima Lima seemed to realize the danger of Lenny venturing too far into the deep water. Instead, she led him to a shallow waterhole, where he could safely enjoy a light splash without risk.

Alamaya returned today to be with the orphan herd after being away for a very long time. Since December, he had not been back. Upon his arrival, he was surprised by the new babies and the increased number of orphans in the herd. He found Lenny, now a month old, and the three-week-old Sulwe, a tiny baby girl who is growing stronger and now confidently hangs out amongst the older orphans' legs.

Sulwe, curious and playful, attempted to move under Alamaya's legs. However, her tiny presence startled him and he moved away, unsure of what to make of the little one following him. The Keepers, knowing Alamaya's habits, anticipated that his visit might bring wild elephants to the area. Not long after Alamaya left — he was unsettled by Sulwe’s boldness — two wild bulls appeared, just as expected.

The bulls seemed curious but were cautious. One attempted to mock-charge at Murera, but she wisely kept her distance, retreating slowly and staying close to the Keepers. One bull raised his trunk high, trying to locate the Keepers, whose voices had carried through the bushes.

Sensing potential danger, Lima Lima instinctively moved back towards the Keepers, giving her signature warning to remain alert. The Keepers, who are well-versed in Lima Lima’s signals, quickly repositioned themselves. Moments later, the bull moved closer to their location, but thanks to Lima Lima's vigilance, the Keepers were prepared and avoided any further encounters.

Sulwe got Lenny into a very wrong corner today. Sulwe felt thirsty and she pushed past her ‘little brother’ to feed. Lenny was headed to the waterhole when Sulwe intercepted him, hoping to nurse from her aunt, Zongoloni. She pushed Lenny down to give herself room to go and breastfeed, but Lenny determinedly blocked her way. Then Sulwe became mad at him and started headbutting him.  

The fighting babies soon turned into a herd-wide matter. Zongoloni and Mwana intervened after Lenny was pushed down by little Sulwe. They tried to convince the two little babies not to fight, but Sulwe still wasn’t happy with Lenny. Eventually, Lima Lima came for her baby, leaving Sulwe with Quanza and other nannies. Some time later, Murera, Sonje, and Amali gathered the babies to try to solve Sulwe’s anger at Lenny. 

In the end, Kiasa and Quanza, together with Enkesha, neutralised the situation by taking the little ones to the waterhole to swim. Then all the orphans joined the waterhole for a mud bath together with the babies. The waterhole became all-inclusive for everyone, and this made Sulwe forget about her grievances with little Lenny.

Wild bulls arrived at the waterhole with some of their wild female companions for mating purposes. When they noticed Murera, two bulls attempted to approach her, which made Murera very furious. She rumbled loudly, sounding an alarm to call the orphans near her. Mwana and Lenny responded quickly to her call, while Enkesha and the other younger orphans followed Murera and Mwana. 

Lenny, however, became confused and hesitated between staying with his mother, Lima Lima, and following the wild bulls. Amali noticed Lenny's confusion and, together with Lima Lima, managed to guide him back into the orphan herd. 

After the orphans escaped the wild bulls, the Keepers called them and led them to the Umani Hills for fresh browsing. Later in the evening, as the orphans and Keepers were preparing to head back to the stockades, Alamaya, Ziwa, and a large wild herd joined the orphans, making it challenging for the Keepers to separate the orphans from the wild herd. 

Using a clever strategy, the Keepers called Mwana, prompting Zongoloni to move to the front with Sulwe. This attracted the other orphans to follow, and the Keepers used the opportunity to guide the orphan herd away from the wild elephants. However, Alamaya and Ziwa decided to accompany the orphans back to the stockades.

Once the orphans arrived home and had their evening bottles, Sulwe and Lenny had a disagreement. The two fought for space under Sonje, competing over who could stay closer to her without being displaced. Sulwe eventually won, and Lenny moved to his mother, Lima Lima.

Mwana stepped into action today, trying to solve some issues that were coming up between Lenny and Sulwe after they started bickering over who was to nurse from Zongoloni first. Lenny was the one who started the fight with Sulwe, and then it was Sulwe fighting for her space. Their mothers were unaware of the issues, but Mwana saw them and stepped in. 

After Mwana stepped in, Sonje spotted Lenny being pushed back by Mwana with the help of Kiasa. Sonje moved quickly and grabbed her baby from Mwana and Kiasa. Meanwhile, Lenny took off so fast to his mother, who was at the dust pile. Lima Lima was dusting herself with Amali on top of the hill like a queen of the mountain, while Kapei was looking downhill.

Buffaloes kept watch as the orphans were dust bathing. Then, a family of four warthogs appeared. After the elephants spotted them, they started charging to chase them off. Even the buffaloes supported their efforts, rounding the warthogs out of sight. When the elephants saw the buffaloes trying to help them keep the warthogs away, they upped their efforts and started charging and trumpeting through the forest.

Lenny and his agemate sister Sulwe had a pushing game that almost turned into a real fight today. The two tiny babies began butting each other, while Amali and Kiasa observed. When Kiasa thought things were getting out of hand, she moved in and stopped Lenny's hard pushing, showing him not to hurt little Sulwe. 

Seeing the situation, Sonje joined to help Kiasa. She took Sulwe away and used her stiff hind leg to block Lenny from following. Sonje has done this several times, and now Lenny is aware that whenever he sees Sonje with Sulwe, he must move carefully or Sonje will use her leg against him.

Zongoloni and Quanza escorted Lenny over to Lima Lima, who was wallowing in the waterhole. Sulwe joined after it became too hot. The swimming was very enjoyable for everyone. All the nannies joined the swimming pool, and both the older babies and the little cuties had a great time. Sulwe did not want to get out of the swimming pool. She tried to stay back, but Zongoloni convinced her to move into the shade.

By now, Kiombo has made it clear to Maktao that they must energize themselves in the morning by turning against each other and play-fighting. But today, Maktao wasn’t having a happy morning and tried to avoid Kiombo’s games. It was hard to escape, however, because Kiombo followed him into the bushes, the place where Maktao wanted to be alone. This made Maktao angry, so he turned to teach his friend a lesson. 

When Kiombo pulled his tail, Maktao got much annoyed, turned around, and pushed Kiombo to the ground. This forced the peacemaker, Mwashoti, to help Kiombo get up. The girls watched as the boys fought. When Mwashoti was finally able to move Maktao away from danger, both moved to the Chyulu area.

Then, it was Kapei and Amali’s turn for a fight. The two youngsters had a big disagreement over a stick, with both claiming it as theirs. It later became a tug of war between Amali and Kapei over the stick. Kapei had taken it from Amali and wanted to keep it using force, but Amali stood strong and refused to give it up. The Keepers had to step in and, sour from his defeat, Kapei ran over to his big friend Sonje.

Lima Lima, Sonje, and the new babies didn’t report this morning. Only Quanza and Mwashoti arrived, while the others failed to show up, giving the Keepers a headache about what could be wrong today. Amali and Enkesha were equally concerned, so they took a walk toward the direction Quanza and Mwashoti came from. 

There, they found Sonje and Lima Lima relaxing beneath a tree. When a Keeper followed them, they discovered it was napping time for the new babies. The mothers had decided to stop and wait for Lenny and Sulwe to finish napping before they joined the other orphans. This took a little while, and Amali joined them in the waiting game.

After some time, Lenny then got up, but Sulwe continued napping until late. Murera and the other babies walked away, leaving the little cuties to continue sleeping until they had enough rest.

Meanwhile, in the Chyulu Hills, a wild herd with a few babies moved in and joined Murera and her friends. However, Murera moved backward to distance herself from them. She did not want to be part of the wild herd that came with little babies, as unknown elephants make her anxious. 

Ziwa visited the babies today without his wild herd, whom he always walks with and sometimes accompanies him when visiting the orphans. Today, at the midday bottle feeding time, our old friend linked up with the orphans. Rather than join them right away, however, he stood at the dust bath, waiting for Mwashoti to return so he could play with him. Mwashoti got engaged in a game with Maktao and Kiombo, which caused a delay. This made Ziwa decide what to do next, so he followed Quanza and later left for the Chyulu Hills.

In the afternoon, all the babies moved back into the tall trees to look for more shade and cool off on the hot day. The little babies — Mwana, Lenny, and Sulwe — were on the other side with Amali, who was trying to guide them. She and Mwana are such excellent older sisters to little Lenny and Sulwe. 

While their mothers stayed away, watching how much fun Mwana and Amali were having under the shade with the babies, a moment came when Lenny mounted Sulwe. Sulwe was not happy with Lenny, and it quickly turned into a fight between the little babies. Lenny pushed Sulwe back into a small ditch, but Sulwe, very defensive, refused to go into the ditch alone and instead overturned Lenny.

Early this morning, Alamaya stood by the gate, and later Jasiri arrived with Faraja. It made the Keepers very happy and surprised to see the old boys, as it had been a very long time since their last visit. When Murera came out and found Jasiri by the gate, she backed off, not wanting to approach the big bull in case he was feeling pushy. 

Jasiri seemed to understand. He slowed down and moved backward after seeing a Keeper coming to help Murera get out to the pellets. When Jasiri saw the Keeper motioning him to move back, he walked away and created room for Murera to come out. Things worked out, and the big boys gave Murera and all the new mothers space to enjoy the pellets before leaving for the Umani Hills for more browsing.

At midday bottle feeding, all the Umani orphans reported back and united in front of their Keepers. This was a special moment to have everyone, wild and dependent, along with the grandbabies, together. Even Ziwa showed up for the headcount. The Umani orphans today were a full house, with no one missing. 

The Keepers closely watched for any wild herds that might join them at the mud bath, but no one arrived. It was entirely an orphans' affair today.

Unlike yesterday, only Faraja showed up today, while Alamaya, Jasiri, and Ziwa absconded and did not report back. Faraja came late after all the babies had gone out to start their day along Kenzili. After joining the herd, Faraja was welcomed by Murera, whereas yesterday Murera was not very happy with Jasiri’s presence. It might be that Jasiri felt unwelcome by Murera and decided to skip today.

At the bottle-feeding point, Lima Lima and Sonje moved to the dust and began licking soil for minerals. This reminded the Keepers to go and bring the salt licks from the stores for both the orphans and the buffaloes nearby.

When the salt arrived, the buffaloes came to share the salt licks with the orphans, but the greedy elephants shielded the salt from the buffaloes. Mwashoti, Mwana, and Amali feel that the buffaloes should leave. They sought the blessing of the head girls, and both the new mothers and Mwashoti, along with Mwana and Amali, moved forward, blowing trumpets to chase the buffaloes away from the salt licks. Amali and Kapei were determined, and their efforts paid off as the buffaloes ran into the forest. Kapei and Mwashoti then remained vigilant, guarding the dust bath area to ensure the buffaloes stayed away.

It all started as a very bright morning today, with all the elephants, including the nightclubbers, attending our morning session together with the milk-dependent orphans who had spent their whole night at the stockades. Very early in the morning, the nightclubbers arrived at the gate, waiting for Murera and her friends to come out and join them. Murera spotted Faraja trying to go behind her, and she did not feel comfortable with him being at her back. She wanted Faraja where she could see him. Faraja noticed that Murera did not trust him being behind her, so he changed his position as they scrambled for pellets.

The journey then began to the Chyulu Hills. Before mid-morning, a huge bull invaded the orphans’ herd, which made Murera feel uncomfortable. The bull was old and enormous, and Murera was threatened by his size, causing her to move away. The other new mothers remained by Murera, and everyone disappeared into the forest in order to avoid the wild visitor.

A few hours later, the Keepers heard a big commotion coming from the elephants. The bull, who had remained with the orphans for most of the afternoon, escorted the herd to the mud bath and then rested in the shade. He later moved into the forest without following the orphans back to the stockades.

It seemed like a mating rehearsal, but we are not sure if mating took place or if the bull was just courting Murera for another time.

Enkesha, along with other little nannies — Amali, Kiasa, and Mwana — were very happy after they were handed the tiny babies to play with at the waterhole. Lenny and Sulwe had a very humbling moment at the mud bath: Sulwe screamed after one of the elephants sat on her feet. Everybody, including all the new mothers and Murera, rushed to the waterhole to help their little princess. Murera came in so angry towards little Kiombo and Mwashoti, who were just standing and watching. Kiombo had to run away so fast to avoid the bitter Murera before she got to him.

While the babies walked back towards the Chyulu Hills, Faraja arrived with his huge friend. The bull had massive but shorter tusks, looking for Quanza and Murera. Quanza dodged them, as she isn’t ready to consort with such a big bull, but Murera allowed him to approach. However, Murera soon had enough and ran away, with Mwana in close pursuit. 

After running for some time, Mwana moved over to little Amali so she could rest. Mischievous Kapei moved in and blocked the girls from going any further.

The orphans had a very good morning start, with both the new mothers and the milk-dependent orphans who spent their nights inside the stockades. All were reported and well-received by Enkesha and Amali, who went to greet Lenny and Sulwe, while their mothers took a break to relax after spending the night with them. 

Faraja arrived, but the others were not happy with his entrance into the herd. When Murera saw him, she and Sonje both raised their ears, as if in protest, so that Faraja might leave. However, Faraja walked directly toward Murera, and then Mwana started to yell as she was not happy with how Faraja was behaving with her mother, Murera.

After their midday bottle feeding, the babies moved to the waterhole to splash themselves with mud, as they arrived feeling very hot. Lenny, Mwana, and Sulwe jumped into the mud bath, and Enkesha, with the support of the other nannies, joined the little babies to have fun in the waterhole. Murera did not join them, as she looked annoyed to see Faraja near her again.

We later realised that Faraja was just playing a trick with his wild bull friend, who was still looking for Murera. The bull began chasing Murera, with Faraja behind. This was when it became clear that Faraja was playing a supporting role, as he sensed that Murera was ready to mate. 

Because Faraja is still too young for mating, he called in his friend, who then took off with Murera and destabilised the herd. All the orphans split into two groups, with the new mothers in one group and Murera taking her own direction together with Mwana, who was innocent and did not understand what was happening with the wild bull and her mother. It was a big day for Murera, who was in heat and ready to mate with the wild bull.

We missed the entire herd, as they did not return to the stockades until morning.

Sonje arrived with Sulwe, followed by Lima Lima, who was again with Lenny and Kiasa. Kiasa instructed Amali to take charge of the babies while she browsed on some fresh greens that caught her eye. 

Sulwe and Lenny both tried to suckle from Kiasa and a fight broke out. Kiasa was very comfortable with the two babies who were squabbling over who could faux-nurse from her. Sulwe was so serious and determined not to give up. After Lenny tried to push her out, she chose to fight from within and eventually pushed him away. 

Far in the bushes, the Keepers heard the sounds of elephants yelling, which was proof that Murera and her newfound fiancé were mating. Mwana looked very tired since the mating of her mother began four days ago, which had led to the new mothers separating from Murera to avoid commotion around little babies.

Everyone scattered, so the Keepers tried to gather the orphans back to the stockades. Quanza and Enkesha saw us, and when the Keepers shouted their names, they both responded very enthusiastically because everyone had missed each other.

It was a very warm reunion between the Keepers and orphans. Lenny looked tired from the long day and night they had been away but was still soldiering on with the pace. Sulwe was very composed and still strong. After her night away, Enkesha could not leave the Keepers and rushed back to the stockades in the dark. 

Today, a big commotion was heard close to the stockades. The Keepers went to investigate and found two huge bulls fighting over Murera.

The first bull, who was the first to know Murera was in heat, had a very rough time today when another huge bull came, demanding him to leave. But the first bull was not ready to leave for him, so both decided to settle it by fighting, with the winner becoming dominant and taking it all. 

Mwana was very disappointed over the situation she was currently going through — it had been a long day and night with no time for eating or breastfeeding. Even Murera was very tired, as the long mating period had now lasted about three days. This left the whole herd of Umani orphans separated, no longer united as before, and the Keepers were very worried about everything Murera was going through.

The bulls with Murera kept increasing in number today as another stranger joined them. It was not easy to mate with Murera, as the dominant bull was fighting his rivals tooth and nail. He did not allow other bulls near her, and the fighting was intense, making Murera very worried. Her little baby, Mwana, looked stressed over the situation they were in.

For the past two days, they had not found time to eat or relax because the bulls were constantly chasing them, making it much harder for Murera to settle. Murera was also unable to see the rest of the orphan herd after Lima Lima and Sonje separated themselves, deciding to take the little babies away so they could have a peaceful time. They left Murera to face her own situation with the four bulls, but it was very tough for her. It was different compared to what she went through during her first pregnancy with Mwana. Back then, she was able to sneak away for a few days and return to the herd, but this time, it was not an easy moment for her.

The Keepers found it difficult to be without elephants around them, and their hearts were heavy with concern for what Murera was going through. Though they could not see her, the commotion in the bushes was enough to indicate the struggle she was facing. But because this was nature, there was nothing they could do except let nature take its course.

While we were still at the mud bath, we hoped the orphans would appear for bottle-feeding time after missing it for several days, but none came. The Keepers had to return to the stockades and waited there. The night felt too long without the elephants at the stockades.

Early morning again started with an empty stockade and nothing to do as per our usual schedule. The Keepers set off along the roadside and up the Umani Hills, calling out and shouting names randomly, hoping that any of the elephants would come out of hiding. As the Keepers traced their footprints, it became harder to identify them after coming across many elephant tracks mixed with much larger ones that did not belong to the Umani orphans.

As we continued, some bulls crossed ahead, and we noticed movement on the other side. When we checked closely, it was Murera and Mwana approaching the vehicle, looking for their bottles. However, it was difficult for the Keepers to stop, as the bulls were running, and some even wanted to charge at us. For safety, we had to move away.

Later, all the Keepers returned home. Some elephants were heard on the hills, so we went there but failed to find the babies. In the evening, we heard some squeaky trumpeting, which sounded like Enkesha using her damaged trunk. This signaled that Enkesha might be with Murera and Mwana. We headed out again towards the airstrip area along Chyulu and found Murera, Enkesha, and Mwana, who had been left behind by the bulls. Faraja was the only one still with them.

When Murera saw the Keepers, she was excited, having searched for them for many days without success. We walked Murera, Enkesha, and Mwana home so they could relax and get their bottles.

Today, the Keepers never gave any room for the orphans to move away from their sight since their return and reunion with the herd. Though the new mothers slept and spent the night outside the stockades, Murera, Mwana, Enkesha, Amali, and Kapei were happy to be part of the herd in the morning.

However, Amali was not seeing Lenny and Sulwe, who are now her favourites over Mwana. She kept rumbling and raising her trunk, trying to locate their scent so she could rush to find them. But she was unable to pick up their smell. Meanwhile, Murera and her baby Mwana started to walk and took the babies to browse along Umani Hills.

As they approached the hills, Sonje and Lima Lima were heard rumbling. Kapei and Amali immediately took off, rushing toward them, and soon brought them back to join Murera. The Keepers, happy to see them return, celebrated by giving them pellets and more lucerne.

Later, the Keepers brought all the babies to the mud bath, where they received their bottles along with the new mothers. Sulwe noticed some milk had spilled on the ground and wanted to taste what the mothers were celebrating in their bottles. Lenny, not getting a taste, went to suckle from Murera before moving back to be with Kiasa, who kept a close watch on the babies.

Later, Sulwe and Lenny started pushing each other playfully, but Enkesha stepped in to stop them from fighting. The two then settled, behaving like a brother and sister.