Keepers' Diaries, July 2000
Voi Reintegration Unit
The Big Boys have been present and up at the Stockades almost every day for the entire month of July, often taking Uaso and Lewa off with them, leaving Malaika with the babies. Malaika spends a lot of time with the eight small calves (ex Nairobi Nursery) who are still milk dependent and with their Keepers. This group is led by Natumi who is oldest. In the Stockades at night are Malaika (mainly so that she has some peace from the Bulls since she is pregnant), Emily with Aitong, Mweiga and Loisaba whilst Natumi’s group are in the new Stockades at a higher level. The babies still have a Keeper in with them at night to handle the night feed.
01 July 2000
Natumi’s group spend the morning with Emily’s group before Emily led her group to the Eastern side of the hill. Dika and Edo were at the Stockades for most of the day. Emily’s group joined the others at mudbath and they had a wonderful time together.
02 July 2000
Natumi’s group left with that of Emily and Malaika along with the Big Boys. Loisaba was with Malaika. The Boys left the others after the mudbath and headed towards the Airfield.
03 July 2000
Natumi’s group met up with Emily’s at the mudbath during which Mweiga was very playful with the youngsters. Malaika came back to the stockades with Loisaba at 5.30 p.m. and The Big Boys arrived in the morning and spent the day nearby.
04 July 2000
Everyone was at the mudbath together, including The Big Boys. Uaso and Lewa left with the Boys afterwards.
05 July 2000
Natumi’s group met “Joyously” with Emily’s group at the mudbath after which Emily’s group met up with a wild herd with whom they spent 2 hours. Edo was up at the Stockades all morning, and was joined by Dika and Ndume at 3.30 p.m.
06 July 2000
Natumi’s group and that of Emily left together, but then Emily’s group parted, joining the babies again at the mudbath. Emily showed “motherly love” helping Salama out of the mud. Emily’s group met up with a wild herd at 5.30 p.m.
07 July 2000
The orphans all left together, but Emily and her group parted soon afterwards. They all met up again at the mudbath, joined by Malaika and Loisaba, who spent the rest of the day with the babies. Edo was at the Stockades for most of the day. At 3 p.m. Emily’s group met some wild elephants at the back of the hill and Aitong was the first to make contact. Emily’s group met up with Ndume on the way back to the Stockades in the evening.
08 July 2000
the orphans left the Stockades together but then separated. Uaso, Lewa and Loisaba went with Malaika. Edo and Ndume spent the afternoon at the Stockades.
09 July 2000
Malaika, along with Edo, Uaso, Lewa and Loisaba led all the orphans off from the Stockades in the morning. Emily’s group then separated, but joined all the others at the mudbath, where Loisaba had a very good time playing with the babies. The orphans all returned at different times to the Stockades in the evening.
10 July 2000
All three groups wallowed together and then Malaika and Emily and their respective orphans spent the afternoon together.
11 July 2000
Today Natumi’s group and Emily’s group spent the entire day together.
12 July 2000
Emily and Malaika and their respective charges went to the back of the hill together, but joined up with the babies at the mudbath. Edo and Ndume were at the Stockades most of the morning and were joined by Dika at 4 p.m.
13 July 2000
The orphans all left together and then joined the babies at the mudbath. Dika took Uaso and Lewa off and brought them back to meet Malaika at the Stockades in the evening. Emily and Malaika met a wild herd and Aitong and Loisaba interacted with the wild elephants the most.
14 July 2000
The orphans all met up at the mudbath. Nyiro and Mweiga put on a spectacular show today.
15 July 2000
Emily met up with the babies at the mudbath but then took her group round the back of the hill where they met a wild herd. Aitong spent over l hour playing with a wild calf. Edo and Ndume meanwhile were up at the Stockades from 11 a.m. onwards.
16 July 2000
The orphans all left the Stockades as one group but then Emily led her group off to feed at the back of the hill, joining the babies at the mudbath. Natumi and Mweiga played together and all enjoyed a “wonderful” mudbath. Uaso and Lewa spent the day with Dika.
17 July 2000
Today Malaika spent the day with the babies and was joined by Emily and her group at the mudbath. Later Emily’s group interacted for two hours with a large wild group, Emily playing with another calf of her size.
18 July 2000
The Big Boys were with Emily and Malaika who joined the babies at the mudbath but then headed East.
19 July 2000
The orphans left together as usual, but wallowed separately today. The babies met up with a wild group at 7.30 a.m. Salama played with a wild calf of his size, but Malaika was very attentive of him, standing close to him and guarding him throughout.
20 July 2000
Natumi’s group met a wild herd at the mudbath, amongst whom were two young calves the size of Lewa and Uaso. Dika and Ndume joined them and left with the wild elephants afterwards. Meanwhile Emily met a wild group at 9 a.m. and spent time with them.
21 July 2000
The orphans all left together but then Emily led her charges to the back of the hill where they met up with 10 wild elephants and interacted with them.
22 July 2000
All the orphans left the Stockades together as usual, but soon met up with a wild herd. Most of the babies were fearful, staying close to their Keepers, but Laikipia and Salama made contact with the wild elephants and played with their young. Emily and Malaika went to the back of the hill together and met up with Dika and Ndume back at the Stockades in the evening.
23 July 2000
Today Edie has an upset stomach. The babies met up with Emily’s group at the mudbath who left them afterwards, heading west. Edo spent the morning at the Stockades, joined by Dika and Ndume in the afternoon.
24 July 2000
The orphans all left together, but Edie is unwell, refusing her bottle. Loisaba chased away a waterbuck who was at the mudwallow when the babies arrived and which was scaring them. Today, Loisaba came back to the Stockades ahead of the others and alone.
25 July 2000
Edie is improving now. Malaika and Loisaba spent the afternoon with the babies after the mudbath, but were with Emily and her family during the morning. The Big Boys spent time with Malaika, but then left her, taking Lewa and Uaso off with them. They returned to the Stockades at 4 p.m.
26 July 2000
The babies spent the morning with Emily and her group until 2.30 p.m. and then Emily left them. The babies were alarmed by a waterbuck on their way to the mudbath. Emily’s group met 6 wild elephants. Aitong and Edo interacted with them, whilst Dika and Ndume met all the orphans back at the Stockades in the evening.
27 July 2000
Today all the orphans enjoyed a “marvellous” wallow during which Emily played a lot with Malaika.
28 July 2000
The orphans all wallowed together today after which Malaika and Loisaba spent the afternoon with the babies. Emily’s family past a wild group but ignored them, and then met up with Ndume at 3 p.m. at the back of the hill.
29 July 2000
Malaika spent the day with the babies, escorting them to the mudbath at noon where they were joined by Emily and her family. Dika had Lewa and Uaso with him all day.
30 July 2000
All the orphans, Big Boys included, left together in the morning. Emily separated after the mudbath, as did the Big Boys who headed towards the Airfield. Edo and Ndume returned in the evening without Dika. Emily’s group met two wild herds today, and spent a few minutes with each.
31 July 2000
All the orphans spent the day together, but the Big Boys came back to the Stockades ahead of the others at 2 p.m.