In Ithumba, July began with an early morning visit from Mutara's group and Loijuk's family. Babies Mango and Sullivan were in a playful mood and kept chasing each other around. Kinyei stepped in and attempted to settle the two babies, who were having such a good time that they appeared to be running out of control. They were just having fun, but responsible Kinyei wanted to make sure that the two babies did not reach the point of injuring each other.
In fact, every day this month brought ex-orphan visitors. This is typical of the dry season, as northern Tsavo's elephants circle into Ithumba, which they know is a safe and reliable place to find water.
Almost all visitors were welcome and peaceful additions to the group — with the notable exception of Wendi and her daughters! Wendi is an irretrievable rogue, and it seems that her girls have inherited her character. One morning, Wendi stormed into the stockade area and kept chasing any elephant that came close to her, even the Keepers. Her daughters were behaving the same way and even tried to block Mwinzi, Toto, Natibu, and Weka from accessing the lucerne feeding area.
To our surprise and delight, it was sweet Toto who devised a plan to outwit the ill-tempered girls. He retreated as if going back to the stockade, then took a sharp turn around the water troughs and snuck around to the other side, where Wema and Wimbi could not see him. Natibu and Mwinzi mimicked this tactic, but it turned into a game of hide-and-seek with Wema and Wimbi. Once Wendi felt she had caused enough chaos, she strolled down to the water trough, clearing the way for the Keepers and the orphans.
As this anecdote shows, our new boys — Toto, Mwinzi, and Natibu — are fully settled into Ithumba life and continue to impress us with their cleverness. One afternoon, Mwinzi challenged Sana Sana to a pushing game. When he felt that he was about to lose, he climbed onto a rock to make himself appear taller than the older girl. Sana Sana understood Mwinzi's theatrics and walked away, allowing him to feel victorious.
Toto is just one of those elephants that everyone wants to take care of. He is gentle and sweet, and loves to be nurtured — especially by Kinyei and Kindani, who have adopted him as their littlest brother. (They still dote on Bondeni, too, but he's rapidly growing up!) One morning, Toto walked over to Kinyei and Kindani, squeezed himself between the girls, and took a nap standing sandwiched between their warm bodies. He adores them.
With all the visitors filtering through, our dependent boys were thrilled to have older friends and mentors in the mix. While they would never dare challenge a fully grown wild bull to a sparring match — or even elder ex-orphans, like Kanjoro, Kilaguni, or Zurura — they are familiar with the ex-orphans who are slightly older than them, and often try their luck.
One morning, Choka and Kitich ambitiously attempted to challenge Mapia to a pushing game. Mapia was not interested and did not entertain the two boys, warning them instead by pointing his trunk towards them. The two boys understood the message and walked away.
Another day, Mageno, Kitich, and Mukutan jostled around gentle Ambo, as each wanted to have a strength-testing exercise with him. Their interaction was interrupted by Kauro, who barreled right through the group. Once Kauro had passed, Mukutan engaged Ambo in a pushing game as Mageno and Kitich waited for their turn.
On a rare morning with few wild elephant visitors, the orphans were dismayed to find two buffaloes drinking at 'their' trough. Once Muwingu got wind of the interlopers, she decided to go after them. The buffaloes remained unmoved, even after Choka joined in and Muwingu sprayed trunkfuls of water at them. They implacably stood their ground until the two orphans got fed up and walked away.
We were happy to see our 'June grandbabies' several times this month. Young Moon and even younger Tuck, both of whom were introduced to us, regularly showed up with their mothers, brothers, and friends. Both babies are plump, active, and look to be in excellent health.