July began in the most wonderful way possible — with the arrival of our newest grandbaby!
On the first day of the month, ex-orphan Kalama arrived at dawn with her precious bundle of joy in tow. The first-time mum wasted no time in introducing her daughter — whom we named Kapuki — to her Ithumba family.
As soon as the orphans were let out of their stockades, Suguroi was the first to interact with newborn Kapuki. Naleku stood aside patiently, waiting for her turn and unsure how protective Kalama might be if she joined Suguroi too quickly. Shortly after, Chaimu, Nabulu, Malkia, Sities, Sunni, Kuishi, Tumaren, Tembo, and Ishanga all arrived. The air filled with joyous trumpeting and bellowing as they surrounded the baby and congratulated Kalama on becoming a mother.
Our recent graduate Mageno is obsessed with wild bulls. After the distribution of lucerne one morning, a bull approached in a slow, measured walk and joined the orphans for breakfast. Mageno walked close to the visitor as if trying to measure himself against him. His fascination continued throughout the month — we often saw him approaching wild bulls to stretch his trunk and touch them, clearly admiring their size and presence. One day, he slowly approached a visitor drinking at the water trough. The bull rumbled, either in warning or in greeting, but it rather intimidated our young boy. Mageno took a quick sip of water, then hurried away to a different trough.
There was some drama when a wild family consisting of a mother and her three youngsters joined the orphans for lucerne. Kitich decided to teach one of the calves a lesson when he tried to compete with him for a pile of lucerne he had his eye on. The calf wasn't about to back down from what he saw as unwarranted harassment. The two boys locked into a proper fight that ended only when the wild boy surrendered. Mageno, Vaarti, and Mayan, who had been standing close by ready to assist if things went badly, cheered Kitich when he emerged victorious.
Our young bulls are certainly full of bluster. Roho loves his 'free rides,' clambering atop his friends and hanging on for dear life as they attempt a speedy exit. Naleku and Olorien have become his favourite sources of transportation. Meanwhile, rowdy Kitich is taking things to the next level, showing signs of becoming a threat to his seniors. He decided to take on Sagateisa head-on, leaving the older girl with no choice but to run away. When they had another disagreement that escalated into a fight, ever-peaceful Sagateisa eventually surrendered for the sake of calm, leaving Kitich under the impression that he had won.
As the month grew increasingly dry, more and more ex-orphans and wild elephants came to the stockades for water. Towards the end of July, dozens of elephants were reporting each day. One memorable morning, thirty wild bulls were present at the mud bath. The Keepers approached and politely requested the bulls to give way for the young orphans. Respectfully, the magnificent bulls stepped aside to allow the little ones space to drink.
The orphans' relationships with visiting ex-orphans continue to warm our hearts. Suguroi nearly got carried away by Subiri, whom she adores. On a day when only Sities, Sunni, Malkia, and three wild bulls showed up at the mud bath, both Suguroi and Naleku tried to hijack Sunni for themselves. However, alert Malkia was having none of it and wouldn't allow the two girls to wander off with her charge.
Some days simply brought pure happiness. Kindani woke up in a particularly cheerful mood and performed an elaborate game of kicking dust, later using her trunk to throw soil high into the air. Vaarti, caught up in the playful atmosphere, returned for more soil dusting fun. Mukutan tackled Esoit in a friendly wrestling match, though their game ended abruptly when they spotted a large wild bull approaching.
It seems courage can sometimes be an illusion amongst our orphans! Muwingu and Kitich spotted guinea fowls coming for water and decided to block them. However, as the birds began making loud defensive noises, both Muwingu and Kitich lost their nerve and zipped away, sheepishly returning to join their colleagues.
In fact, there appears to be a pattern of smaller creatures getting the better of our orphans! One evening, Bondeni spotted monkeys climbing in the acacia tree at the stockade compound. He picked up a flake of lucerne and went to feed directly under the tree, hoping to block the monkeys from climbing down — but the clever monkeys simply jumped over him. Bondeni started chasing them about, but they were far too fast for him to catch. Eventually, he tired of the game and walked away to rejoin his friends.
One afternoon, Kitich, Mukutan, Mageno, and Loldaiga separated from the main herd and browsed a short distance away. It was unclear why they split off or what they intended to discuss amongst themselves. The Keepers remained watchful, suspecting that the boys — who have known each other since their time in Nairobi and are now reunited at Ithumba — might have been plotting a bit of mischief or even thinking of disappearing altogether.
Our newer arrivals are still learning the Ithumba hierarchy. One morning, Muwingu — who only graduated to Ithumba last month — made the mistake of tackling Neshashi. She thought that because they are of a similar size, she could easily bully the ex-orphan. Neshashi, with years of experience in the wild, decided to teach Muwingu a proper lesson. She fought back with all her energy, leaving Muwingu no option but to flee with her last remaining shred of pride.
Choka, who has a few more months of Ithumba life to his name, has already learnt to read the social cues perfectly. When he tried to pinch some food from Larro's mouth one morning, the tough matriarch simply pointed her trunk at him in warning. Wise Choka heeded her signal immediately and walked away to avoid any trouble.
The month ended with a moment that perfectly encapsulated our mission. Dependent orphan Olorien had a peaceful morning with Yoyo — the wild-born son of ex-orphan Yatta — as they settled together to share the lucerne. Looking at the pair, you couldn't see any difference between the orphan and the wild-born baby. It was a reminder of how seamlessly our dependent orphans, ex-orphans, and their wild babies all blend into one big, beautiful family.