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It was the first day of the month, and the month started with a lot of joy when Kalama arrived with her bundle of joy to present it to her human family and her fellow elephant family. Kalama was in the company of Maramoja, Sana Sana, and Kitirua the baby snatcher.

As soon as the orphans were let out, Suguroi was the first orphan to interact with the newborn, Kapuki. Naleku just stood aside, waiting for her turn, as she wasn’t sure how Kalama would react if she joined Suguroi.

Shortly later, Chaimu, Nabulu, Malkia, Sities, Sunni, Kuishi, Tumaren, Tembo, and Ishanga arrived. There was a lot of trumpeting and bellowing of joy as they all surrounded the baby and congratulated Kalama for becoming a new mother.

The orphans decided to quit the lucerne feeding to allow the ex-orphans enough time with the new mother. When the excitement was over, Kalama, Kapuki, Maramoja, Malkia, Kitirua, and Sana Sana left the stockade compound and headed west. The rest of the ex-orphans followed later.

The orphans settled to browse at the Kone area, where Lodo and Roho started their day’s activities by engaging in a pushing game. Later, Roho moved to play with Kinyei, as Mayan played with Mukutan. Esoit played with Choka, but their game was disrupted by Kindani, who passed by and pushed the two boys away.

Vaarti, Oltaiyoni, Mageno, and Kitich took a break from feeding to participate in a soil dusting exercise.

At eleven o’clock in the morning, Muwingu led the way to the noon bottle feeds. The sun was hot, and soon after the orphans had their milk, Loldaiga led the way into the wallowing water. The orphans later settled for a soil dusting exercise before the Keepers requested the twenty wild bulls present to give the orphans space so they could drink water before leaving.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at the Kanziku area, where they browsed calmly throughout the remaining part of the day.

In the evening, Kalama and her newborn, Kapuki, escorted by many ex-orphans, reported again at the stockade compound, where she had water before leading her baby away towards the east.

Kalama, Kapuki, Maramoja, Loijuk, Lili, Lisha, Orwa, Kainuk, Turkwel, and Kuishi arrived at the stockade compound early at dawn and waited for daybreak to get lucerne. The orphans were let out at six o’clock in the morning, soon after getting their milk.

Muwingu headed straight to a nearby rock that she used to scratch her belly. Kindani had a brief conversation with Orwa before Orwa walked down to the water trough to drink. Naleku and Mukutan followed Orwa, as Mayan challenged Lili. Suguroi spent some time with Lisha, as Mageno played with Esroit.

After the orphans had enough of the lucerne, Muwingu led the way to the browsing field. Vaarti took a break from feeding to participate in a soil dusting exercise, while Loldaiga played with Mayan. Muwingu teamed up with Kitich and Olorien in feeding, as Roho held a brief meeting with Lodo.

At eleven o’clock in the morning, Vaarti led the way to the noon bottle feeds. The sun was hot. Soon after the orphans had their milk, Kindani led the way into the wallowing. The orphans had a spectacular wallowing, and thereafter, a soil dusting exercise.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at the Kanziku area. The sun became unbearable, prompting them to seek shelter under trees with good shade. The orphans resumed browsing only when the temperatures dropped to a favourable level. In the evening, Mageno led the way back to the stockade.

Kalama, Kapuki, Sana Sana, and Maramoja joined the orphans in the morning for lucerne feeding. Later, Sities, Sunni, Kuishi, Sattao, Siangiki, and Kainuk showed up.

Sities and Kalama are proving to be good mothers, staying close to the human family for monitoring and to access lucerne and enough water so they can have enough milk for their kids.

After the orphans had enough lucerne, Suguroi led the way to the browsing field. Lodo settled to browse with Esoit, while Mukutan engaged Vaarti in a strength testing exercise. Their game ended in a draw. Later, Mukutan settled to play with Kindani.

The orphans settled to browse at the Kone area, where they were briefly joined by Yatta, Kinna, Sunyei, and Mulika’s families. Muwingu, Mageno, and Kitich had an opportunity to interact with Moe, Yara, Mala, and Yebo.

Suguroi nearly got carried away by Subiri, whom she adores so much.

At eleven o’clock in the morning, Muwingu led the first group to the mud bath, while Kinyei led the second group. Olorien led the third group, and Naleku led the fourth.

At mud bath time, the orphans were joined by Kainuk, who participated in wallowing with them. After wallowing, the orphans settled for a soil dusting exercise, where Roho took advantage of Naleku rolling on the ground to get a tree ride on her.

Lodo engaged Suguroi in a pushing game, as Mukutan tried to challenge Kainuk but ran away when Kainuk trumpeted.

Sities, Maramoja, Sattao, Sana Sana, Kuishi, and Sunni joined the orphans in the soil dusting exercise before parting ways. Suguroi escorted Sunni for several metres but turned back when the Keepers whistled. She understood the Keepers didn’t approve of her leaving with the ex-orphans.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at the Kanziku area and browsed calmly throughout the remaining part of the day.

Sities, Sunni, Kainuk, Kalama, Kapuki, Kuishi, Sattao, Mapia, and Olsekki joined the orphans in the morning for lucerne feeding.

Muwingu and Mageno started their day’s activities by scratching on a nearby rock. Suguroi tried as much as possible to be close to Kapuki, while Naleku took care of Sunni.

Kindani, who had woken up in a happy mood, performed a game of kicking dust and later used her trunk to throw soil in the air.

After the orphans had enough lucerne, Muwingu led the way to the browsing field, where Lodo and Roho engaged each other in a pushing game. The two boys quit the pushing game only when they got tired.

Mukutan settled to browse with Choka and Vaarti, while Muwingu held a brief meeting with Kinyei. It was not clear what Muwingu was asking of Kinyei, but she might have been seeking some advice from the older Kinyei.

Kindani and Naleku browsed a distance away from their colleagues and only joined them at the time of heading to the mud bath.

At eleven o’clock in the morning, the orphans had their milk and were thereafter led by Kinyei into wallowing. The orphans settled for a soil dusting exercise soon after the wallowing and then headed to drink water.

Vaarti, who was in a playful mood, returned for more soil dusting. Mukutan tackled Esoit, but their game ended when they saw a big wild bull approaching.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at the Kanziku area, where Vaarti and Bondeni took a break from browsing to have a strength testing exercise that ended in a draw.

In the evening, Mageno led the way back to the stockade.

Only one wild bull showed up early in the morning for water. The orphans were let out at six o’clock in the morning, soon after having their milk. After the distribution of lucerne, the wild bull approached in a slow, measured walk and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Mageno walked close to the wild bull as if trying to measure himself against it. After some time, Mageno walked away and settled on a nearby rock for a scratching exercise.

Half an hour later, Ithumba, Iman, Kinna, Kama, Kaia, Kito, Neshashi, Karisa, Nabulu, Dololo, Sidai, Sid, Silas, Sita, Sagateisa, Chyulu, Cheka, Charli, Narok, Olare, Ola, Kandecha, Yatta, Yoyo, Yogi, Yara, Enkikwe, Mwende, Mala, Naisula, and Nyx arrived and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne.

Vaarti had a disagreement with Kaia when he tried to take some feed from Kaia’s mouth. Kaia decided to move away since her strength couldn’t match Vaarti’s.

Naleku led the way to the browsing field. Mayan settled to browse with Kitich while Olorien teamed up with Bondeni. Esoit and Loldaiga took a break from browsing to participate in a strength testing exercise.

At eleven o’clock in the morning, Kindani led the first group to the mud bath. The weather was chilly, and soon after the orphans had their milk, Lodo led the team into a soil dusting exercise.

Twenty-two wild bulls were present at the mud bath. The keepers requested the bulls to move aside to give space for the orphans to drink water. The bulls stepped aside, giving the orphans room to drink.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at the Kanziku area. The orphans browsed calmly throughout the remaining part of the day without any major observation.

The day started normally without any indication of a tough day ahead. The orphans left the stockade soon after getting their milk. The orphans settled for lucerne and were joined by Garzi, Kauro, Ambo, Mapia, Kalama, Kapuki, Loijuk, Lili, Lisha, Olsekki, Sities, Sunni, Chaimu, Kainuk, Sana Sana, Olare, Ola, and Enkikwe.

Mageno settled on a nearby rock for scratching. Olorien had a good time with Ola, while Muwingu interacted briefly with Sunni before she was pushed by Suguroi.

After feeding on lucerne, Naleku led the way to the browsing field. The orphans settled at Kone area. Muwingu settled to browse with Mukutan and Mayan, while Bondeni teamed up with Vaarti, Lodo, Roho, and Kinyei.

As the Keepers were relaxing and chatting while the orphans browsed, a wild bull in musth caught them unawares. Everyone stood up running, heading to the rocks close by. The orphans couldn’t understand why the Keepers were running, and this caused tension, prompting the orphans to trumpet while following the Keepers and others taking a different direction.

When all settled down, the Keepers started calling the orphans. When the Keepers managed to gather the orphans, four were missing, and it wasn’t clear which direction they had taken. The Keepers split into two groups. One group headed west, and the other one towards southeast in an attempt to find the missing ones.

What the Keepers didn’t know was there was a herd known as Toothpick that was close by. In the ensuing commotion, Muwingu, Mageno, and Kitich landed into that group heading southeast. It’s a group they had met before and had young ones of their age. The group accepted them immediately and continued with its journey.

Kindani, who appeared to have run towards the stockades, found the rest of the herd in the Kanziku area. Now, we only had to find the three new graduates.

Finally, one group of Keepers caught up with Muwingu, Kitich, and Mageno four kilometres away from the stockade. It was a tug of war between the Keepers and the Toothpick group as the Toothpick group refused to let go of the orphans.

After a long time of seek-and-hide game, the Toothpick group gave up and walked away. The Keepers took their babies with the help of a helicopter that had come to assist. The orphans tried to run away again to rejoin the Toothpick group.

It was a relief and celebration when Muwingu, Mageno, and Kitich arrived at the stockade, bringing a happy ending to the whole drama that had left both Keepers and orphans very tired.

Muwingu, Mageno, and Kitich left the stockade soon after taking their morning milk. The two boys and one girl looked so innocent, you wouldn’t guess they had given the Keepers a hard time the previous day. The orphans settled for lucerne and were joined by Naisula, Nyx, Olsekki, Sities, Sunni, Kalama, Kapuki, Sana Sana, Kasigau, Naboishu, Chaimu, Melia, Milo, and three wild elephants. The orphans didn’t stay for long and left after about half an hour.

They settled to browse in the Kanziku area. Muwingu browsed with Mayan, while Kindani teamed up with Kinyei. Yatta, Yara, Yogi, Kinna, Kaia, Kito, Yetu, Yebo, and Kama briefly joined the orphans. The Keepers watched closely to make sure Muwingu, Mageno, and Kitich didn’t leave with the group.

At eleven o'clock in the morning, Mageno led the first group to the mud bath, while Mukutan led the second. The temperatures were moderate, with the sky obscured by light clouds. The orphans jumped into the water soon after getting their milk, but only Mayan, Kinyei, Lodo, Roho, and Kitich fully participated in the wallowing exercise.

Challa and several wild bulls were drinking at the water trough. The wild bulls stepped back when they saw the Keepers and orphans approaching, but Challa remained at the trough and waited to share the water with the orphans. After drinking their fill, the orphans enjoyed a soil dusting exercise. Mayan and Vaarti lagged behind, having a quiet moment with Challa before catching up with the others.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse along the upper Kalovoto seasonal river. Muwingu engaged Vaarti in a pushing game, while Esoit played with Bondeni. Lodo played with Mayan, but Suguroi appeared out of nowhere and disrupted their pushing game. In the evening, Mageno led the way back to the stockade.

The Toothpick Group reported in the morning as the orphans were busy feeding on lucerne. Muwingu, Kitich, and Mageno got wind of the group and turned to go and meet them. The Keepers blocked them, not wanting to go through what they had experienced two days ago. The Keepers steered the orphans west to avoid any encounter with the Toothpick Group. Muwingu, Mageno, and Kitich were reluctant, but the Keepers stood their ground and made them follow their colleagues.

Choka teamed up with Esoit and Vaarti in browsing. The rest of the team browsed calmly as they slowly headed towards the mud bath. At eleven o’clock in the morning, the orphans had their milk and then jumped into the water for a wallowing exercise.

After wallowing, the orphans were joined by the Yatta family, Galana family, Kinna family, Wendi family, Sapalan, Esampu, Ndiwa, Malima, Nabulu, Mteto, Roi, Kilaguni, and Chyulu family. After a brief interaction with the wild-born babies, Naleku led the way back to the browsing field.

The orphans settled to browse at Kanziku area. Mukutan settled to browse with Vaarti, while Mayan teamed up with Bondeni, Choka, and Loldaiga. Suguroi had a brief meeting with Kindani and thereafter left to play with Lodo. The rest of the day was quiet, as the orphans concentrated more on browsing without any major observation. In the evening, Mageno led the way back to the stockade.

The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. A wild family consisting of a mother and her three kids joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Kitich decided to teach one of the wild kids a lesson when it tried to compete with him for a pile of lucerne he had his eye on. The wild kid decided to defend itself from the unwarranted harassment by Kitich. The two boys locked onto each other and had a fight that ended when the wild boy surrendered. Mageno, Vaarti, and Mayan, who were standing close by to assist one of their own if things went south, cheered Kitich when he emerged as the winner.

Mukutan engaged Bondeni in a strength testing exercise that ended in a draw, while Choka played with Esoit. After feeding on lucerne, Naleku led the orphans to the browsing field. Lodo and Roho took a break from feeding to engage in a strength testing exercise, which also ended in a draw. Mageno settled to browse with Muwingu, while Kinyei teamed up with Olorien and Kindani.

At around ten o’clock in the morning, the sun became hot. This prompted the orphans to browse under trees with good shade. At eleven o’clock, Suguroi led the way to the noon bottle feeds. After getting their milk, the orphans jumped into the water for a cooling off exercise. They were joined by Challa, who supervised their wallowing before parting ways. The orphans settled for a soil dusting exercise, then drank water before returning to the browsing field.

The orphans settled to browse at Kanziku area. Esoit engaged Kitich in a strength testing exercise that was disrupted by Roho. Kindani browsed with Olorien, while Mayan teamed up with Vaarti and Mageno. In the evening, Muwingu led the way back to the stockade.

The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. Lenana, Lapa, Laki, Teleki, Gala, Gawa, Gala, Wendi, Wema, Wimbi, Wiva, Esampu, Naisula, Nyx, Chaimu, Naserian, and Njema joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Mageno challenged Laki, while Kitich played with Nyx. The lucerne feeding session was brief before the orphans were led away by Suguroi.

At the browsing field, Mukutan engaged Mayan in a pushing game that went on for quite some time, until Roho emerged unexpectedly and disrupted their play. Roho then moved to play with Lodo, who quickly surrendered and walked off to join Mageno in browsing. Vaarti teamed up with Choka, while Kinyei browsed alongside Kindani, Bondeni, and Kitich.

At eleven o'clock, Kinyei led the first group to the midday bottle feed, with Roho leading the second. After their milk, the orphans jumped into the wallowing water before settling into a soil dusting session. Roho enjoyed some free rides from Naleku and Olorien. Meanwhile, Mukutan walked over to the water trough and joined a wild bull that was drinking — the bull was gentle and allowed Mukutan to share the water peacefully.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse in the Kanziku area. The sun was very hot, prompting the group to take shelter under trees with good shade. They only resumed browsing once the temperature dropped to a more comfortable level.

In the evening, Muwingu led the way back to the stockade.

Kitirua, Orwa, Ishanga, Loijuk, Lili, Lisha, Chaimu, Kithaka, Roi, Kalama, Kapuki, Sana Sana, and Naboishu joined the orphans for their morning lucerne feed. Mageno and Muwingu settled for scratching exercises on a nearby rock. Shortly after, more ex-orphans arrived, and soon the area was flooded with both ex-orphans and wild elephants.

Kitich, who is showing signs of becoming a future threat to his seniors, decided to take Sagateisa head on. Sagateisa had no choice but to run away. Vaarti played with Sid, while Mayan played with Milo.

The orphans headed off to browse after they had enough lucerne. They settled at the Kone area and enjoyed a quiet, calm morning. Browsing continued peacefully until mud bath time, when Muwingu led the first group for the noon bottle feeds. The sun was hot, and soon after their milk, Lodo led the team into wallowing. Afterwards, Kinyei led the way to the soil dusting area.

In the afternoon, the orphans browsed west of Ithumba Hill. Lodo and Roho engaged in a pushing game before joining their friends to relax under some shady trees. The orphans only resumed browsing once the temperature dropped to a more comfortable level.

In the evening, Mayan led the way back to the stockade.

Mutara, Mambo, Sities, Sunni, Turkwel, Sana Sana, Naboishu, Malkia, Roi, Kuishi, Melia, Milo, Tumaren, Tembo, Wendi, Wiva, Wema, Wimbi, Kibo, Kithaka, Wanjala, Yatta, and Kinna families arrived at the stockade early, before the orphans were let out. The orphans were let out soon after taking their milk.

Sunni was in a playful mood and spent some time playing with Roho. Roho appeared to have woken up in a good mood, as he didn’t play rough with Sunni. Kithaka was chased away by Melia from the lucerne feeding area. It wasn’t clear what prompted Melia to act in such a manner.

More ex-orphans continued trickling in, which prompted the orphans to leave and give space to their seniors. Led by Naleku, the orphans settled to browse at the Kone area. Esoit teamed up to browse with Lodo and Vaarti, while Kinyei browsed with Muwingu, Mukutan, and Choka.

At around ten o’clock in the morning, the sun became hot. This prompted Kitich, Vaarti, Bondeni, Mageno, and Kinyei to take a break from feeding and relax under a tree with good shade.

At eleven o’clock, Muwingu led the first group to the mud bath, while Bondeni led the second group. Soon after the orphans had their milk, Suguroi led the team into a cooling-off exercise. The orphans were joined by Makireti and Karisa, who enjoyed wallowing with them.

After wallowing, Kitich, Mukutan, and Vaarti ganged up to challenge Naseku. Naseku stood her ground, which caused the boys to surrender. The orphans then settled for a soil dusting exercise before returning to the browsing field.

In the afternoon, the orphans were briefly joined by Kilaguni, who was on his way to an undisclosed location. The orphans browsed calmly throughout the rest of the day.

Twenty-five wild bulls were at the stockade compound early before dawn to drink water. As soon as they had enough, the wild bulls joined the ex-orphans and orphans at six o'clock in the morning for the lucerne feeding. Kitich disagreed with Silas over a pile of lucerne. Kitich became upset when Silas took the pile and decided to teach him a lesson by pushing the boy hard. Sita, who happens to be Silas’s brother, saw what had happened and retaliated on his behalf. Sita came running to push Kitich, but Kitich quickly turned and ran away.

Half an hour later, the orphans left for browsing once the area got crowded. The total number of elephants had risen to ninety, and the orphans decided to give space to their seniors. They settled to browse at Kone area, where Lodo and Roho began their day with a strength testing exercise. Mukutan played with Esoit, while Mayan had a friendly game with Vaarti.

At around ten o'clock in the morning, the orphans were briefly joined by Kithaka, who appeared to be on his way to an undisclosed location. At eleven o'clock, Suguroi led the first group to the midday milk feeds. The sun was hot, and soon after receiving their bottles, the orphans jumped into the wallowing water. Mageno, Roho, Lodo, Esoit, Kitich, and Mukutan emerged as the stars of the day, enjoying a prolonged wallow.

After quitting the mud bath, the orphans settled for a soil dusting exercise. Roho took the opportunity to get a free ride from Naleku when she went down to roll in the soil, while Esoit played with Loldaiga as they rolled on the red dust heap. The orphans wound up their mud bath activities with a drink at the water trough, where they were joined by a wild bull. Once they had drunk their fill, Naleku led the group back to the browsing field.

In the afternoon, the sun was still strong, prompting Kitich, Mageno, Mukutan, Esoit, Choka, Muwingu, Bondeni, and Kindani to take a break and rest under trees with good shade. The orphans resumed browsing when the temperatures dropped to a more comfortable level. In the evening, Muwingu led the way back to the stockade for another peaceful night.

Seventy-eight elephants were present in the morning. The orphans left the stockade soon after getting their morning milk and joined the ex-orphans and wild elephants already gathered. The lucerne feeding was brief for the orphans, as the competition was too high. They decided to give space to their seniors and headed to Kone area, where they settled to browse.

The orphans had a quiet morning. Muwingu found a suitable rock and used it to scratch her belly. Bondeni encountered two dik-diks, which bolted the moment they saw him. Bondeni charged and trumpeted, attracting Lodo, Roho, Mayan, and Esoit, who came to investigate the commotion.

On the way to the mud bath, the orphans were joined by Sities, Sunni, Turkwel, Chaimu, Kainuk, and Kuishi. Mageno briefly interacted with Sunni, while Vaarti had a short exchange with Kuishi. Shortly after, the two groups proceeded together to the mud bath. The orphans had their milk and then jumped into the water for a cooling-off session. The hot sun prompted a prolonged wallowing.

Afterwards, Kinyei led the group for a soil dusting exercise. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse along the upper Kalovoto seasonal river. With the sun still strong, they took a break from feeding and relaxed under trees with good shade. They only resumed browsing once the temperatures dropped to a favourable level. In the evening, Mayan led the way back to the stockade.

Two wild bulls were drinking at the stockade water trough when the orphans were let out. After the wild bulls had enough water, they joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Lodo and Vaarti walked down to the water trough to drink soon after having their fill of lucerne. Shortly after, Malkia, Malima, Kainuk, Kuishi, Turkwel, Siangiki, Oltaiyoni, Mambo, and Suguta emerged from the eastern side and joined the lucerne feeding. Mambo exchanged morning greetings with Lodo before settling to play with Mukutan.

Mageno approached one of the wild bulls as if to measure his size, stretching his trunk to touch the bull. The wild bull remained calm, understanding that the boy was simply admiring him. Muwingu and Kitich spotted guinea fowls coming for water and decided to block them. However, as the guinea fowls began making loud noises to defend themselves, Muwingu and Kitich lost their courage and were scared away. They returned to join their colleagues, and thereafter Naleku led the way to the browsing field.

The orphans settled to browse at Kone area. It was a quiet morning as they browsed calmly, slowly making their way to the mud bath. At mud bath time, the orphans were joined by Sities, Sunni, Kainuk, Kilaguni, Malkia, Kuishi, and Mambo. Naleku and Suguroi attached themselves to the Sities group, playing part-time nannies to Sunni. The orphans jumped into the water for a cooling off exercise. Shortly after, Kainuk, Kilaguni, and Malkia joined them again.

After wallowing, the orphans settled for a soil dusting exercise before returning to the browsing field. In the afternoon, they browsed at Kanziku area. Vaarti took a break from browsing to engage Lodo in a strength testing exercise. Mukutan played with Mayan, while Esoit played with Choka. At five o’clock in the evening, Mageno led the way back to the stockade.

The ex-orphans showed up in large numbers in the morning. After getting their morning milk, the orphans walked out and joined the ex-orphans. Lucerne was distributed and shared amongst all the elephants present. Esoit picked on Yara for a light pushing game, while Muwingu played a part-time nanny to Subiri. Shortly afterwards, Mageno led the way to the browsing field.

Mayan settled to browse with Vaarti, as the rest of the herd scattered all over trying to get enough feed for the day. Esoit took a break from feeding to engage Kitich in a strength testing exercise.

At eleven o'clock in the morning, Olorien led the way to the noon bottle feeds. The sun was hot, and soon after the orphans had their milk, Suguroi led the team into a wallowing exercise that lasted for quite some time. Loldaiga, Lodo, and Choka were the last ones to quit wallowing. After wallowing, the orphans settled for a soil dusting exercise, where Esoit engaged Loldaiga in a pushing game.

Only Sities, Sunni, Malkia, and three wild bulls showed up at the mud bath. Suguroi and Naleku tried to hijack Sunni, but Malkia was very alert and wouldn’t allow the two girls to leave with her.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at Kanziku area. Vaarti played Kitich, while Suguroi teamed up with Naleku and Roho in browsing.

In the evening, Bondeni led the way back to the stockade.

Fourteen wild bulls, along with Esampu and Kilaguni, were enjoying water at the stockade water trough when the orphans were let out. Four bulls joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Bondeni saw monkeys climbing on the acacia tree at the stockade compound. He picked a flake of lucerne, then went and enjoyed feeding under the acacia tree — his aim was to block the monkeys from climbing down. But the monkeys were clever and jumped over him. Bondeni started chasing them around, but they were too fast for him to catch. At last, Bondeni got tired and walked away to join his colleagues.

Mukutan engaged Kitich in a strength testing exercise, which was disrupted by Kilaguni. Later, Mukutan moved to play with Mayan, but ended up losing the game to him. After feeding on lucerne, Naleku led the way to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse at Kone area. Vaarti settled to browse with Muwingu, while Esoit teamed up with Loldaiga, Mageno, and Choka. The orphans browsed calmly as they slowly headed towards the mud bath.

At eleven o'clock in the morning, Suguroi led the way to the noon bottle feeds. After taking their milk, Mageno raised his trunk and walked towards the north, as if he had been called somewhere. The Keepers acted quickly and ran to bring Mageno back. After feeding, the orphans jumped into the water for a cooling off exercise. They were joined by Rapsu, who enjoyed a prolonged wallow. After wallowing, the orphans settled for a soil dusting exercise and thereafter returned to the browsing field.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at Kanziku area and browsed calmly throughout the remaining part of the day.

Kalama, Kapuki, Sattao, Larro, Challa, Melia, Milo, Olsekki, Naboishu, Turkwel, Kainuk, Mambo, Sities, Sunni, Maramoja, Chaimu, Chyulu, Cheka, and Charli joined the orphans for their morning lucerne feeding.

Sunni was in a playful mood, moving around and pushing Larro, Suguroi, Naleku, and Maramoja. However, he made a mistake when he pushed Roho, who did not take kindly to his antics. Roho whipped Sunni with his trunk, prompting Sunni to cry out for help. All the nannies came running to check what had happened, but Roho had already moved away, knowing full well the consequences of his actions.

Once the orphans had finished feeding on lucerne, Muwingu led the way to the browsing field. On the way, Vaarti came across some loose soil and took the opportunity to dust himself. The orphans settled to browse at the Kone area, where Mageno teamed up with Kitich before the two engaged in a pushing game. Lodo and Roho also took a break from feeding to test their strength in a friendly match, which ended in a draw.

At eleven o'clock, Olorien led the first group to the midday bottle feeds. After their milk, the orphans walked to the water trough, where six wild bulls were already drinking. The bulls didn’t make room for the orphans until the Keepers arrived and politely encouraged them to step back.

After quenching their thirst, the orphans enjoyed a cooling-off session before heading back to the browsing field. In the afternoon, they settled west of Ithumba Hill. It was a quiet time, and the orphans decided to rest under shady trees until the temperature dropped to a more comfortable level. In the evening, Mageno led the way back to the stockade.

Wendi and her three calves were the first to arrive in the morning. They were later followed by Olare, Ola, Sagateisa, Kilabasi, Kofi, Tumaren, Pare, Tembo, the Galana family, Sunyei family, Lualeni family, Yatta family, Mulika, Kinna family, and two wild herds. All joined the orphans for the morning lucerne feeding.

The wild-born babies were in a jovial mood and spent some time playing with the orphans. Gala played with Esoit, while Luki engaged Olorien in a friendly game. Sagateisa had a disagreement with Kitich that escalated into a fight. Ever peaceful, Sagateisa eventually surrendered for the sake of calm, leaving Kitich under the impression that he had won.

The number of elephants continued to increase until the area became too crowded, prompting the orphans to leave and give space to their seniors. They headed to the Kone area and settled to browse. Lodo and Mayan began their day with a strength-testing exercise, while Choka and Bondeni later paused their browsing to engage in a long pushing game. Their playful bout attracted Mukutan and Kitich, who started their own match. Roho played with Mayan as Esoit tackled Mageno.

At eleven o'clock, Naleku led the first group to the midday bottle feeds. The sun was hot, and the orphans jumped into the wallowing water soon after finishing their milk. After a satisfying wallow, they moved on to a soil dusting exercise before returning to the browsing field.

In the afternoon, four boys—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. The Keepers remained watchful, suspecting that the boys—who have known each other since their time in Nairobi and are now reunited in Ithumba—might have been plotting a little mischief or thinking of disappearing altogether.

In the evening, Mayan led the way back to the stockade.

The orphans left the stockades early as usual, soon after taking their morning milk. Ten wild bulls were already drinking at the stockade water trough, though only two stayed behind to join the orphans for the lucerne feeding. Shortly afterwards, Mutara’s group arrived and also joined in the lucerne feast.

Roho challenged Mambo, while Esoit enjoyed a morning stretch. Mageno found a nearby rock to use for a scratching session. As more ex-orphans continued to check in, the area became crowded, prompting the orphans to give space and make their way to the browsing field.

Along the way, Esoit engaged Muwingu in a strength-testing exercise, but their game was quickly interrupted by Lodo. At the browsing grounds, Vaarti paired up with Mayan for a friendly game, while Roho browsed alongside Loldaiga. Kinyei and Kindani came across some loose soil and made the most of it with a dusting session. Suguroi and Naleku charged at some guinea fowls foraging nearby, but the guinea fowls quickly flew off to avoid confrontation.

At eleven o'clock, Mukutan led the first group to the mud bath, followed by a second group led by Olorien. After having their milk bottles, the orphans jumped into the wallow to cool off before moving to the water trough. 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 bulls stepped aside to allow them space to drink.

Once everyone had quenched their thirst, Naleku led the herd back to the browsing field. They settled to browse in the Kanziku area, where they were briefly joined by the Sunyei family. Muwingu and Mageno appeared eager to follow the family as they moved off, but the Keepers quickly intervened to prevent them from straying.

The remainder of the day passed quietly as the orphans browsed calmly, with no major observations to report. In the evening, Mayan led the herd back to the stockades.

Fifteen wild bulls were busy taking water at the stockade water trough when the orphans were let out. Shortly afterwards, the ex-orphans and their wild-born babies began arriving. Naleku had a brief interaction with Mambo before moving on to play with the ever-playful Sunni.

Meanwhile, Muwingu assigned herself the role of caring for Yara and Kito. She followed them closely around the stockade compound until the Keepers reminded her it was time to join her peers, who had already headed toward the browsing field.

At the browsing grounds, Kitich—who has proven to be quite a tough boy—challenged Esoit, and later turned his attention to Roho.

At eleven o’clock, Kindani led the first group to the midday milk feed. Soon after finishing their bottles, the orphans plunged into the wallowing water for a cooling-off session. Not long after, Mutara’s group arrived, though only Mutara joined the orphans in the mud bath. Sities stayed back, cautious that little Sunni might try to follow her and get stuck in the mud.

The nannies, including Malkia, Sana Sana, Kainuk, and Turkwel, supported Sities by helping to keep Sunni away from the water. The young boy was only allowed to participate in the soil dusting exercise, where he was warmly welcomed by the orphans. In fact, the orphans seemed so thrilled to have him around that they tried to walk off with him.

Sensing their intentions, the vigilant nannies quickly intervened, blocking Sunni from leaving with the orphans.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. The sun was hot, prompting them to take a break and relax under the shade of trees. They resumed browsing once the temperatures dropped to a more comfortable level.

In the evening, Mayan led the way back to the stockade for another peaceful night.

The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. They were joined by Rapa, Kasigau, Kilaguni, Neshashi, and Sapalan. Shortly after, Kilaguni walked down to the water trough to drink. Mageno followed and joined Kilaguni. Orok showed up and settled at a different water trough for a drink. Kinyei, Mukutan, Kitich, Lodo, and Roho walked down to join Orok and exchanged morning greetings before leaving for browsing.

Muwingu made a mistake by attacking Neshashi, thinking that being of the same size meant she could easily bully her. Neshashi, with years of experience in the wild, decided to teach Muwingu a lesson. She fought with all her energy, leaving Muwingu no option but to flee for her life.

Esoit engaged Choka in a brief strength testing exercise before running to catch up with their colleagues. The orphans settled to browse at Kone area. Kindani started her day by engaging Suguroi in a light pushing game. The orphans browsed calmly as they slowly headed toward the mud bath.

At eleven o’clock in the morning, Loldaiga led the first group to the noon bottle feeds. After getting their milk, the orphans jumped into the wallowing water where they were joined by a wild bull. The bull was friendly, allowing the orphans to enjoy wallowing with him.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at Kanziku area. The sun was still hot, so the orphans took a break from feeding to relax under trees with good shade. They resumed browsing when the temperature dropped to a favourable level. In the evening, Mageno led the way back to the stockade.

The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. Mutara’s group arrived minutes later and settled for water before joining the orphans in feeding of lucerne. Mambo challenged Choka, Mukutan, and Esoit, and thereafter ran back to his mother. Suguroi teamed up with Sunni as she played part-time nanny to the little boy. An hour later, Naleku led the orphans to the browsing field.

The orphans settled to browse at Kone area. Esoit started his day's activities by engaging Kitich in a pushing game, and later tackled Choka in a game that ended in a draw. The orphans had a quiet morning and browsed calmly as they slowly headed to the mud bath. The temperatures were moderate, and the orphans only walked through the water soon after getting their midday milk. Vaarti led the team into a soil dusting exercise.

Roho, who had lagged behind when the orphans were running for their milk, checked in later in the company of Kandecha. The two boys walked straight to the water trough, where they joined the rest of the group in drinking water. After taking enough water, Mageno led the way back to the browsing field. In the afternoon, Mayan engaged Roho in a pushing game that lasted for quite some time, and in the evening, Muwingu led the way back to the stockade.

Yatta, Mulika, Wendi, Galana, and Sunyei’s families were present during the morning lucerne feeding time. Kinyei spent some good time with Kito, while Suguroi and Naleku attempted to befriend Subiri. Siku, the older sister, denied Naleku and Suguroi direct access to Subiri. Naleku and Suguroi got upset and walked off to spend some time with Yara. Mukutan had a light pushing game with Moe.

Shortly later, Mageno led the way to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse at Kone area. They browsed calmly up to eleven o’clock in the morning, when Kindani led the first group to the noon bottle feeds. The sun was hot, and soon after the orphans had their milk, Kitich led the team into the wallowing exercise. A wild bull joined the orphans in wallowing.

Later, the orphans headed for a soil dusting exercise, leaving Kitich with the wild elephant. Kitich pretended to be relaxing with the wild bull, but in actual fact, he wanted to run away with the wild bull. The Keepers observed him for a while, and the moment he turned to follow the wild bull, the Keepers swung into action to block Kitich from following.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at Kanziku area. Since the sun was still hot, they took a break from browsing and relaxed under trees with good shade. The orphans resumed browsing later, when the temperatures dropped to a favourable level. In the evening, Mageno led the way back to the stockade.

A few ex-orphans, in the company of several wild elephants, showed up at the stockade compound in the morning. Some wild bulls settled for water, while others joined the ex-orphans and orphans in feeding on lucerne. Mukutan walked down to join one of the wild bulls in drinking water, while Muwingu took control of Subiri and Yara. Loldaiga had a brief strength-testing exercise with Lodo, while Kitich and Mageno settled to share a pile of lucerne.

Olorien had a meeting with Yoyo as they settled in to share the lucerne without showing any difference between a wild-born baby and an orphan. Mukutan returned to join his colleagues in feeding on lucerne and later engaged Esoit in a pushing game. Mayan had a brief interaction with Kapuki, as Kindani settled to scratch her belly on a nearby rock.

After feeding on lucerne, Naleku led the orphans to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse at Kone area and had a quiet morning. They browsed calmly as they slowly headed towards the mud bath. At eleven o'clock in the morning, Loldaiga led the first group to the midday bottle feeds, while Mageno led the second group.

As soon as the orphans had their milk, Lodo led the team into a cooling-off exercise. Tomboi, in the company of three wild bulls, showed up and joined the orphans in wallowing. Only Bondeni, Olorien, and Muwingu boycotted the wallowing exercise. Mageno enjoyed getting free rides from his colleagues who were rolling in the mud.

After having enough of wallowing, Suguroi led the way out and took the orphans into a soil dusting exercise. Mukutan and Choka lagged behind as they tried to familiarise themselves with Tomboi and his friends. One of the wild bulls turned hostile and chased the two boys away.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse north of the Kalovoto seasonal river. Lodo and Roho took a break from browsing to engage in a strength-testing exercise that ended in a draw. The remaining part of the day was quiet, as the orphans browsed calmly throughout without any major observation.

The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. It was a quiet morning, with no ex-orphans or wild elephants present when the orphans were let out. Twenty minutes later, one young bull arrived and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Shortly after, Kalama, Kapuki, Maramoja, Oltaiyoni, and Siangiki arrived. Naleku helped Kalama take care of Kapuki for some time before leaving for browsing.

Bondeni and Mageno settled to scratch on nearby rocks, while Mukutan engaged Choka in a strength-testing exercise. Choka surrendered, prompting Mukutan to look for Lodo, whom they then engaged in a pushing game. The orphans settled to browse at Kone area, where Esoit spent some time in a pushing game with Kitich, while Loldaiga browsed with Muwingu.

At eleven o’clock in the morning, Kinyei led the first group to the noon bottle feeds, while Suguroi led the second group. After taking their milk, the orphans jumped into the wallowing water, followed by a soil dusting exercise. Naleku disappeared into the nearby thickets, and no one followed her. She later returned and rejoined her colleagues. When she appeared, her colleagues got excited and started running, heading to drink water while trumpeting.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at Kanziku area. Lodo engaged Roho in a pushing game that ended when Lodo surrendered. Lodo, Mukutan, and Kitich split from the main herd and moved to browse at a distance. The three boys rejoined their group later when returning to the stockade.

It was a quiet morning. Only Kilaguni joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. The orphans enjoyed every moment, as there was no competition from the seniors. Esoit shared a pile of lucerne with Kitich, and later the two engaged in a pushing game. An hour later, two wild bulls showed up and settled for water. Muwingu took time to scratch her belly on a nearby rock.

On the way to the browsing field, Choka, Kitich, and Mageno had a brief meeting, while Mayan engaged Roho in a strength testing exercise. The orphans settled to browse at Kone area. Kindani teamed up with Olorien and Bondeni in feeding, while Mayan browsed alongside Vaarti.

At eleven o'clock in the morning, Mukutan led the first group to the midday milk feeds. After having their milk, Lodo led the team into wallowing and, afterwards, a soil dusting exercise. Lodo, Roho, and Mageno emerged as the stars of the day for their prolonged wallowing. Fifteen wild bulls were present at the mud bath area.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at Kanziku area. Naleku, Suguroi, Roho, Lodo, and Mayan split from the main herd and browsed a distance away. They later rejoined their colleagues at the time of returning to the stockade. Mageno led the way back to the stockade.

Kapuki was sleeping comfortably outside the stockades under the watchful eyes of Kalama, Chaimu, Maramoja, Larro, Oltaiyoni, and Siangiki. When the orphans were let out, Kalama’s team joined the orphans and settled for lucerne. Kapuki woke up and started interacting with the orphans. She walked straight to Vaarti, but Vaarti paid no attention to her. Naleku came running when she saw Vaarti ignoring Kapuki. Naleku took Kapuki away, showing her so much love by placing her trunk on Kapuki's back. Naleku also allowed Kapuki to play with her trunk. Later, Muwingu came to assist Naleku in babysitting Kapuki.

Choka tried to get some food from Larro's mouth. Larro warned Choka by simply pointing her trunk at her. Choka heeded the warning and walked away to avoid any trouble from the tough Larro.

After the orphans had enough lucerne, Suguroi led the way to the browsing field. There, Muwingu engaged Esroit in a pushing game, but when the going got tough for her, Muwingu ran away. Lodo had a brief strength-testing exercise with Roho, while Mayan played with Vaarti. The orphans then browsed calmly as they slowly headed towards the mud bath.

At eleven o'clock in the morning, Olorien led the first group to the noon bottle feeds. The sun was hot. As soon as the orphans had their milk, Mageno led the team into the wallowing exercise. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Muwingu, Mageno, and Kitich tried to dodge the Keepers by heading south. The Keepers were quick to intercept them before they walked too far. The rest of the day was quiet, as the Keepers kept a keen eye on Muwingu, Mageno, and Kitich to ensure they didn’t attempt to dodge and escape again.

Kilaguni and two wild bulls reported at the stockade compound early before dawn. The wild bulls reported for water, while Kilaguni relaxed at the lucerne feeding area, waiting for the orphans to join him and wait for lucerne together.

At six o'clock in the morning, the orphans were let out soon after getting their six o'clock milk. Shortly later, Olare, Ola, Sagateisa, Enkikwe, Larro, Pare, and Nabulu showed up and joined in feeding of lucerne. Choka and Mukutan settled to scratch on nearby rocks while Esoit engaged Muwingu in a pushing game. Muwingu surrendered, bringing the game to an end.

At the browsing field, Roho had a light pushing game with Kindani, while Kinyei came across loose soil that she used for a soil dusting exercise. Shortly later, a buffalo passed by and was spotted by Kitich. Kitich trumpeted, but instead of going for the buffalo, he started retreating and asking for help from his colleagues. The boys—Lodo, Roho, Mukutan, Mayan, and Choka—ganged up and tried to walk towards the buffalo. The buffalo remained unmoved and instead turned and looked at the orphans, then continued walking away as if he had seen nothing. The boys started trumpeting and knocking down thickets while running in the opposite direction. The Keepers intervened by calling the orphans to calm down.

At eleven o’clock in the morning, Mageno led the first group to the mud bath. The sun was hot, and soon after taking their milk, the orphans settled for a cooling off exercise, followed by a soil dusting session.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Loldaiga took a break from feeding to engage Esoit in a pushing game but ended up losing the game to Esoit. The orphans browsed calmly throughout the remaining part of the day.

The orphans settled for lucerne immediately after leaving the stockade. They were joined by Kinna, Kito, Kaia, Kama, Loijuk, Lili, Lisha, Nabulu, Wiva, Wimbi, Wema, Wendi, Olare, Ola, and Sagateisa.

Kama had a brief meeting with Kitich and Muwingu. It is not clear what the meeting was all about. Wema attempted to bully Choka, but Mukutan and Loldaiga assisted Choka in driving Wema away. Lucky enough, Wendi was not close to see what was happening to her daughter, because she would have chased these three boys away.

When the orphans had enough of lucerne, Suguroi led the way to the browsing field. At the browsing field, Vaarti engaged Esoit in a strength testing exercise that ended in a draw. The orphans browsed calmly up to eleven o’clock in the morning, when Kitich led the way to the midday milk feeds.

The temperatures were moderate with no sunshine. The orphans had their milk, then skipped the wallowing and opted for a soil dusting exercise. After having enough of soil bathing, the orphans settled for water. Shortly later, they were joined by Orok, who shared water with them.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse east of Ithumba Hill. Kitich and Choka took a break from feeding to engage in a strength testing exercise.

In the evening, on their way back to the stockade, the orphans met a lesser kudu that sprinted and disappeared into the bushes, leaving the orphans tensed. The Keepers calmed them down and thereafter proceeded with their journey back to the stockade.

The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. Muwingu, Kitich, and Choka held a brief meeting as they shared a pile of lucerne. After their meeting, Kitich left to engage Esoit in a strength testing exercise.

A wild bull emerged from the eastern side and settled at one of the water troughs to drink water. Mageno saw the wild bull and approached it slowly. When Mageno drew closer, the wild bull rumbled, which intimidated him. Mageno took a sip of water, then quickly turned and left for a different water trough, where he was joined by Muwingu.

Shortly later, Naleku led the way to the browsing field. At the browsing field, Bondeni took a break from browsing to engage Loldaiga in a strength testing exercise. The rest of the orphans browsed calmly as they slowly headed towards the mud bath.

At eleven o'clock in the morning, Mukutan led the way to the noon bottle feeds. After having their milk, Mageno led the team into the cooling off exercise. Shortly afterwards, the orphans headed to drink water and thereafter attended a soil dusting exercise.

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse at Kanziku area. Roho and Loldaiga had a game of rolling on the ground that ended when Loldaiga climbed on top of Roho. Choka settled to browse with Mayan, as Olorien teamed up with Lodo and Kindani.

In the evening, Vaarti led the way back to the stockade.