July began with drama and romance for our Umani herd — which now seems to be the de facto state here in the Kibwezi Forest! This time, bulls gathered to try to win Lima Lima's heart.
It started with eight magnificent bulls, each hoping to emerge victorious. One afternoon, two of the most impressive suitors faced off in a thunderous contest of strength, each refusing to back down. The matter was settled in a final clash that determined victors and losers. The defeated bull walked off, leaving behind a snapped tusk and any hopes he had of winning over Lima Lima. As the Keepers observed, on that day, love went sour.
While Lima Lima was busy with courting rituals, Quanza, Enkesha, and Kiasa were given the responsibility of looking after Lenny. He was tired and overwhelmed by the situation, and appreciated having an opportunity to rest among his trusted nannies. Every so often, Lima Lima would sneak away from the bulls to breastfeed him, before returning to the matters of the heart.
Incredibly, the romantic intrigue wasn't over yet. Having reached an agreement with Lima Lima, the bulls then turned their attention to Kiasa. It seemed that Faraja — who, like Alamaya, Jasiri, Ziwa, and Mwashoti, is too young to mate himself — was helping to identify who might be receptive to the wild bulls. He walked amongst the girls, smelling them inquisitively, before disappearing into the forest. When he returned, it was in the company of several wild bulls, who focused on Kiasa. The Keepers stayed back and allowed nature to take its course. In 22 months' time, we may just have two more grandbabies born into our herd.
Witnessing all this rowdy bull behaviour seemed to inspire Kapei to try some tricks of his own. One day, he boldly tried to mount Quanza. She understandably took this as a sign of disrespect, as Kapei is still very young and she felt it was bad manners for him to behave that way towards an older female. She chased him deep into the bushes, where he remained hidden until she cooled off. Mwashoti, who knows better than to behave in such an uncouth manner, had a quiet rumble with Quanza and helped her settle down.
A few days later, Kapei ran into trouble with Amali when he tried to jump on her. She was shocked by his behaviour and whirled around, knocking him to the ground. Seeing Kiasa and Enkesha circling in to discipline him, Kapei ran off to find Mwashoti and Maktao for protection. Mwashoti accepted him, but with plenty of caution, reminding him to be respectful and not play rough with the younger girls.
Murera's pregnancy mood swings continue to keep us on our toes. Some days, she is perfectly reasonable. Other days, she is on the warpath. One such morning, she would only allow Mwana near her and lashed out at any other elephant who simply passed by. Amali was struck first, followed by Kiasa and Kapei. Soon, everyone seemed to be trumpeting as Murera turned on them. It was time for the Keepers to intervene. They calmed her by calling her name and gently wagging a finger to let her know that her behaviour was not acceptable.
Sometimes, Murera doesn't even have to lash out — her expression says enough! One morning, Latika walked over to Mwana, hoping to play, but found her standing close to her mother. Murera was clearly not in a good mood after emerging into the cold dawn air. Latika caught Murera's direct stare and immediately turned back, understanding that she had been warned to keep her distance.
Only Mwana dares to push the envelope with Murera, as is a daughter's right. Because she is growing big and can no longer easily fit beneath her mother's shoulder, she is inventing new tactics for breastfeeding. Now, she simply lies on the ground to nurse and shimmies beneath Murera, sneaking in as many sips of milk as she can before her mother walks away.
Sonje and especially Zongoloni are very vigilant mothers, but Lima Lima takes a different approach to parenting. We were reminded of this one morning, when the nightclubbers and orphans gathered for breakfast. The Keepers counted the little babies, but found only two. They counted again, and still only found two. Lima Lima was there, but where was her son, Lenny?
As if on cue, a baby elephant started shouting from a short distance away. The nannies, recognising Lenny's voice, responded with rumbles. Lima Lima took off at speed and soon returned with her son on her heels.
The Keepers couldn't believe that Lima Lima had forgotten Lenny. It seems more likely that he was napping and Lima Lima didn't want to disturb his rest — but also, she didn't want to miss breakfast. Faced with an impossible choice, she decided to leave her son within earshot while she enjoyed a meal with friends!
On 21st July, Kamili was moved back to the Nursery. Ever since she took a downturn in late May, her condition hadn't improved quite to the level we had hoped, so the decision was made to bring her to Nairobi, where there is easier access to veterinary care and even greater oversight.
In the weeks leading up to the move, we helped Kamili refamiliarise herself with the truck that moved her and her friends, Kerrio and Latika, to Umani in December. On the morning of the move, she was not nervous at all. Kerrio showed her leadership by comforting her friend, escorting Kamili to the truck and even walking aboard with her. The girls had milk bottles together on the truck before Kerrio went back to the herd. We said our goodbyes to Kamili and feel hopeful that she will get much better in Nairobi.