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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.

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.

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.