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For the past week, Lima Lima has been in heat, and her presence has attracted powerful bulls from across the wilderness. Today, around eight magnificent elephants gathered, each hoping to be accepted by Lima Lima, but nature has its own rules.

What started as a peaceful gathering soon erupted into a fierce contest of strength. Giant bulls faced one another in a thunderous battle, each refusing to back down. Dust filled the air as tusks clashed, and the earth trembled beneath their feet.

One determined bull challenged a formidable rival, but the fight ended in heartbreak — one powerful blow, and his tusk snapped. Defeated and injured, he slowly walked away, leaving behind not only the battle but also his hope of winning over Lima Lima.

In the wild, love is not always tender; sometimes it demands courage, strength, sacrifice, and survival. The scars left behind tell stories that words never could. Today's reminder: even the world's largest mammals can pay a heavy price for love. Nature writes the most powerful stories, and today love went sour, as Lima Lima celebrates her beauty being too expensive for bulls.

The week of romance between Lima Lima and the wild bulls continued today. The number of bulls had reduced to four, all of them trying to seize any opportunity to mate with her, although the dominant bull kept the others from getting close. The nannies watched as Lenny became increasingly tired from trying to keep up with his mother and the bulls. Lima Lima then played a clever trick by bringing Lenny back to the nannies so they could look after him while she continued with her romance, taking any opportunity she could to browse.

Faraja kept himself close to Lima Lima, but he made no attempt to mate with her. Instead, he acted more like a gatekeeper, denying the other bulls any opportunity to approach. Lima Lima never attempted to allow Faraja to mate with her, as she seemed to regard him as a brother, and it would not be right for a brother to mate with his sister. Quanza, Enkesha, and Kiasa were given the responsibility of looking after Lenny, who had become too tired to keep up with his mother. The Keepers called Lenny over, and although he came willingly, he kept to himself all that he had witnessed since his mother had invited the bulls. Kerrio then walked over and collected him.

The bushes were full of commotion as the wild bulls continued chasing Lima Lima. The constant running unsettled Murera, who remained hidden with Mwana and stayed alert, making sure the bulls did not find her. All the bulls remained focused on chasing Lima Lima, trying to persuade her to stop so one of them could mount her. The pursuit was relentless, forcing Lima Lima to keep running in the hope that the bulls would eventually tire and leave her in peace.

Many wild bulls continued trying their luck with the orphan herd. Having reached an agreement with Lima Lima, they now turned their attention to another female they believed might be ready to mate. The Keepers believed that Faraja was helping to identify females who might be receptive to the wild bulls. Whenever Faraja returned to the orphan herd, he could be seen smelling around the females before disappearing again. When he returned this time, he was accompanied by about five wild bulls, and the dominant bull identified Kiasa as his new focus. Kiasa quickly moved away from the herd, drawing the bulls away from the other orphans.

Murera, together with her baby Mwana and Kamili, walked away to give space to the younger females involved in the courtship, as Murera wanted nothing to do with the bulls running around. Zongoloni moved away with Amali, and then invited Amali to help look after Zigi because Kiasa had visitors and would be too busy to care for him. Zongoloni decided that Amali was the right nanny to step in while Kiasa was occupied.

The bulls began chasing Kiasa, and the bushes became very tense. The Keepers stayed back and allowed nature to take its course. Faraja ran with the wild bulls, but he could not keep up with Kiasa's speed as she dodged through the shrubs. The wild bulls temporarily lost track of where she had gone, but later managed to find her again.

The orphans were joined this morning by Ziwa and his wild herd. Ziwa looked very big, with long tusks, and after being away for so long he almost confused the Keepers. His wild friends waited for him until he had spent enough time with his orphan friends. Mwashoti tried to join him, together with Maktao, while Kapei followed Maktao, as the boys appeared to be having their own gathering so that Ziwa could tell them more about life on the wild side, where he had been for so long.

Sonje was not as fortunate. She tried to join a group of wild elephants with little babies, but one wild mother thought Sonje intended to take an interest in her calf. As soon as the mother warned her, Sonje retreated and left the area with her baby, Sulwe. Kerrio, Latika, and Enkesha also changed direction after seeing how aggressive Ziwa's wild herd had become towards them, choosing to leave the wild herd in peace.

Later, the elephants came with their Keepers for the midday bottle feed. The Keepers thought they would go for a mud bath, but the weather was too cold and none of the orphans wanted to enter the water to swim. Instead, some simply rinsed their mouths before returning to the bushes.

Later, Latika touched Mwana on her back. Mwana did not appreciate this and turned around to see who had touched her. When she realised it was Latika, Mwana pushed her. Latika immediately pushed back, warning Mwana not to push her again and reminding the younger elephant to show respect to her elders.

All the babies woke up well, with everyone ready to celebrate the new day. Amali came out of her room after taking her milk bottle, running out to join Kerrio, Kamili, and Latika, who were already outside with Murera. The morning was still very dark, and the Keepers could not see well because of the fog. Before the night clubbers arrived, we heard trees breaking within the bushes and stepped back to be cautious. Then a huge bull emerged, followed by Faraja, and later Lima Lima arrived with Lenny and her friends.

The Keepers kept their distance to see who had come with the night clubbers, and we found that Faraja had brought along a wild bull friend. Later, we realised that Faraja had introduced his wild friend to the herd so he could choose a female of his choice. We then realised that Faraja was watching over his sisters who were likely to be chosen by the bull. Murera stepped away when the bull began looking for his chosen female, and he appeared to settle on Kiasa. The Keepers were lost for words after seeing the bull develop an interest in the young Kiasa. We believed Kiasa was still very young to mate, but there was nothing the Keepers could do against nature.

Immediately, the Keepers moved into the bushes with the other orphans, while Kiasa and her suitor headed off in their own direction to hide. Lima Lima and Zongoloni had only recently been through the same situation that Kiasa had now found herself in, and they knew better than anyone how aggressive it could become. All they could do was wish Kiasa well with her suitor.

As time went by, more bulls began to arrive in large numbers, leaving us wondering just how lovely Kiasa was to be attracting so many bulls within the forest. Soon there were five huge bulls with the longest tusks the Keepers had ever seen in Kibwezi Forest. Each bull tried to win Kiasa's attention, and eventually it was decided through a fierce fight between the bulls. The winner was recognised by the herd and took over to mate, while the defeated bulls looked on in disbelief.

For the past two weeks it had been Lima Lima in this situation, and we saw how love went sour when one bull fought until he lost a tusk in pursuit of her. With Kiasa, however, the winning bull secured his place without a fight like those we witnessed during Lima Lima's courtship.

The cloudy morning made it difficult to see outside as the orphans were already coming out and getting ready for the new day. The Keepers and the orphans were still in darkness because of the heavy fog, which made visibility very poor. Murera and her baby, Mwana, took a wrong turn when the Keepers opened the gate. Instead of heading towards the pellets, Murera turned back towards the pellet store, with Mwana following behind. The Keepers had to move back and guide Murera in the right direction. She soon found Kerrio, Latika, and Amali already eating pellets.

Meanwhile, a baboon was trying every possible trick to get some pellets. Mwana and Kamili spotted the baboon, and Mwana went around and cornered it near Amali. The baboon found itself trapped and quickly ran away to safety, away from the elephants.

Trumpeting loudly, Sonje, Faraja, and the whole group of boys joined in chasing the baboons. Some baboons climbed into the trees, only to find that elephants had already surrounded them, making sure no baboons were allowed near the trees occupied by the elephants.

Lima Lima, together with the other females, was later joined by Murera, who followed Kiasa and Lenny into the bushes to browse on fresh vegetation. Sonje did not follow the rest of the herd but instead chose to move away with Sulwe, away from the nannies who wanted to stay close to Sulwe and Zigi. When Sonje decided to leave, she made sure Sulwe went with her rather than staying behind with the nannies. She walked away with Sulwe, leaving the nannies with only Zigi and Lenny. The younger nannies came to look after the two babies, but Kiasa chose to remain with Zigi, while Lenny went with Lima Lima and Enkesha.

Faraja did not return today with the wild bulls he had brought along to negotiate a deal with Kiasa. As soon as Kiasa had finished her courtship with the one dominant suitor, the pair left, and Faraja, their long-time companion, also did not visit today. This came as a relief to the herd, and Kiasa was finally able to relax after the difficult time she had gone through during her honeymoon with the bulls.

Murera stayed close to her baby, Mwana, until Mwana left her mother to play with Sulwe. Amali was once again competing with Mwana for Sulwe's attention, and Mwana tried to stop Amali from taking Sulwe away. However, Sulwe chose Amali over Mwana. Enkesha joined Mwana to console her because she was unhappy about Amali keeping her away from little Sulwe. Murera called Mwana back, telling her to stop fighting over Sulwe and come back to nurse. Mwana was given the chance to nurse before the pair headed into the forest to browse.

Later, as the babies and Keepers waited for the midday bottle-feeding time, the Keepers called Lima Lima and her group so they could come for their bottles. After finishing their milk, Latika, Kerrio, and Kapei approached the waterhole, but none of the orphans went in to swim. They tested the water with their trunks and found it too cold for a mud bath. Instead, Sonje and Zongoloni walked over to the clean water trough to drink. Zigi and Sulwe both tried to step into the trough but were stopped by their mothers before they could get into the water.

Lenny came running to the water trough to find a place to drink but found Zigi blocking his way. This marked the beginning of another quarrel between the two young boys, each determined to prove himself. Lenny stood his ground, refusing to let Zigi push him around, and the pair fought until two nannies stepped in to separate them, bringing the disagreement to an immediate end.

Two buffalo crossed over to where the elephants were getting ready for pellets and lucerne. When Kapei spotted them, he walked back to join Maktao and Mwashoti so they could come up with a strategy. After consulting with the other boys, they approached the buffalo together. They knew the buffalo would disrupt the peace Murera was enjoying while eating her pellets, and that if she saw them approaching, she would leave, as she did not like buffalo coming into the herd. Since the babies were not yet ready to move away, Mwashoti and Maktao were sent to keep the buffalo at a distance before they reached the herd. Acting on behalf of Sonje and Lima Lima, they successfully drove the buffalo away.

Lenny walked over to Murera, but when she saw him approaching, she moved away to avoid him demanding to be nursed. Instead, she welcomed Mwana, and the pair set off to begin their day. The rest of the herd joined Murera and Mwana, leaving Mwashoti and Kapei to finish chasing the buffalo away before they caught up with the others.

One of Kiasa's suitors, who had left a few days earlier, returned to the herd to check on her and see whether she was all right or needed his attention. Kiasa stayed close to Enkesha, Quanza, little Sulwe, and Kerrio, all of whom showed little interest in the wild bull. The nannies had not forgotten how aggressive Kiasa's recent courtship with the bulls had been and had no desire to experience it again. Sonje and Murera also avoided the bull, leaving only the boys to spend time with him before they, too, moved away.

Later, when the orphans arrived at the mud bath for their bottles, the bull reached the area ahead of them. However, as soon as he caught the Keepers' scent, he hurried away, leaving the way clear for Latika, Kerrio, and Amali to come for their bottles. Afterwards, the elephants entered the waterhole but did not swim because the water was too cold. They simply drank before walking over to the dust bath. Amali climbed onto Kerrio's back as she stood on top of the dust pile, and Kapei joined her. Kerrio soon found the pair too heavy and gently stopped them.

A disagreement arose between Kapei and Quanza when Kapei tried to mount Quanza. Quanza took it as a sign of disrespect, as Kapei was still a very young boy and she felt it was bad manners for him to behave that way towards an older female. Quanza turned on him and chased him away.

Mwashoti followed Kapei to where Quanza was, making sure Kapei had been pushed well away into the bushes. Mwashoti then approached Quanza to help Kapei by persuading her to stop the chase. When Mwashoti walked up to Quanza, the two rumbled softly, and the Keepers could see them communicating in low-frequency sounds. Mwashoti seemed to be asking Quanza to leave Kapei to him so he could discipline the young boy himself. Shortly afterwards, Quanza returned to Zigi.

Maktao joined Mwashoti as they both went looking for Kapei, but Kapei had tricked them. He had moved away and hidden before they reached the place where they expected to find him, knowing they were coming to discipline him.

Later, as the mud bath was underway and all the babies were enjoying the waterhole, buffalo refused to leave the dust-bathing area. One large male buffalo stood watching the elephants from beside the waterhole. Murera and Zongoloni, accompanied by Mwana and little Lenny, had already finished wallowing and were making their way to the dust bath when they spotted the buffalo standing in their path.

Mwana and Lenny began teasing the buffalo. When the buffalo realised the two youngsters were serious, and then saw Lima Lima joining them in support, he decided not to stand his ground. Instead, he ran away, leaving the dust pile free for the elephants. Lenny, Mwana, and Lima Lima climbed to the top of the dust mound and enjoyed playing together, while the buffalo watched the orphans from a distance.

Kamili crossed over to spend time with Zigi today, even though everyone knew that Zigi's favourite companions were Kiasa and Quanza. Kamili wanted to take Zigi away with her, but things did not go as she had hoped.

When Kiasa saw Kamili trying to charm Zigi, she immediately walked over and confronted her. Kiasa pushed Kamili from behind with her tusks, forcing her away from Zigi. Kamili screamed loudly for help and was fortunate that Murera and Sonje were close by. Both responded immediately, while the Keepers also intervened, shouting loudly until Kiasa stopped what she was doing.

When Kiasa returned to the herd, the older girls ignored her because of the way she had treated Kamili. Kerrio and Latika then went to console Kamili before walking away with her through the Kibwezi Forest towards the Chyulu Hills.

Kapei and Mwashoti led the way towards Chyulu, following the scent of wild elephants from their fresh dung. They eventually found the wild herd, which included Alamaya, Jasiri, and their wild companions. Jasiri warmly welcomed Mwashoti, but Alamaya did not want Mwashoti to join them. He blocked their path, forcing Mwashoti to turn back to where Sonje and Lima Lima were. Kapei also returned with Mwashoti after Alamaya refused to welcome them.

The affection between Murera and Lenny remained strong, even though Murera's moods continued to fluctuate with her hormonal changes. Some days she was gentle and affectionate, while on others she was less approachable. Despite this, she still cared deeply for Lenny, and he continued to find quiet moments to nurse from her whenever she allowed it.

Mwana was not happy to see Lenny going to Murera to nurse, but Murera remained loving and accepting. She continued to care for all the babies equally, never placing her own calf above the others, and always willing to share her affection and attention so that every youngster felt welcome in her presence.

Faraja returned to the herd accompanied by two bulls of a similar age, one of whom had exceptionally long tusks that intimidated many of the orphans. Any youngster that wandered too close quickly ran away.

One of Faraja’s companions approached Lima Lima, but she would not entertain him. He then turned his attention to Quanza, only to find that she was equally wary of him. None of the females welcomed the newcomer into the herd. Faraja did everything he could to help his friend strike up an acquaintance with one of the girls, but this time they were unsuccessful.

Murera and her calf, Mwana, kept well away from the young bulls that had arrived with Faraja. When Faraja realised that the orphan herd was not receptive to his companions, the three bulls left together and headed back towards the Chyulu Hills, allowing the orphans and their Keepers to continue browsing in peace.

Later, Alamaya also left the herd. Many of the orphans seemed to have grown tired of him, as he had become much more forceful in recent days and was pushing others around, making many of the herd unhappy whenever he was nearby. In contrast, Mwashoti remained as humble as ever and continued to be a favourite among the Umani herd, as well as with the Keepers.

Kamili, Kerrio, and Latika remained close companions. Kamili and Latika trusted Kerrio's judgement completely, and whenever Kerrio headed off into the bushes, the other two faithfully followed to see where she was going or what had caught her attention.

Mwana tried to cross in front of Kerrio but was blocked, so she turned back and rejoined Amali. Later, a flock of crane birds flew over Kiasa and Zigi. Startled by the birds passing overhead, Zigi did not know what had flown above him. Kiasa immediately hurried over to shield him and gently escorted him to his mother at the waterhole, where she was still swimming.

Maktao and Quanza were the first of the nightclubbers to arrive after spending the night away from home. Before the milk-dependent orphans had walked out of their rooms, Murera, Kerrio, and their teammates found Quanza and Maktao already waiting outside the gate. The arrival of fresh lucerne had clearly drawn them in, as it smelled especially sweet that morning. Maktao and Quanza had caught its scent from afar and returned ahead of the others to enjoy it before Limalima and her team arrived.

As the Keepers were still outside the gate with the elephants before the orphans started walking away, Limalima and Sonje arrived with their babies. They all wanted their share of the lucerne, but by then almost all of it had been eaten, leaving only a few leftovers for Kiasa and Enkesha to finish while some of the elephants were already heading back into the Chyulu Hills with the Keepers.

Kapei and Amali had a brief disagreement when Kapei jumped on top of Amali. She was not expecting him to do that and quickly turned on him, knocking him to the ground. Kiasa and Enkesha also stepped in to discipline him. When Kapei got up, he 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. The older girls kept a close watch over the little babies as their nannies, and Kapei, being a young boy, should not have been upsetting the younger girls as he had done with Amali.

While the elephants were enjoying their day deep in the forest, a group of wild elephants joined them. The herd included several mothers with two young calves. Mwana walked over to one of the wild-born babies, thinking it might be little Sulwe. Instead, one of the mothers turned her away, warning her to leave the calf alone. Mwana promptly ran back to where Murera was.

This morning, as the elephants prepared for the new day, many of the babies found Murera difficult to be around. She only wanted Mwana close to her and kept chasing away any elephant that came near. Amali screamed first, and shortly afterwards Kiasa and Kapei also found themselves being chased. Soon, everyone seemed to be trumpeting after Murera turned on them.

Murera appeared to be experiencing strong mood swings and was especially irritable this morning, chasing away any young elephant that simply passed by her. The Keepers stepped in and calmed her by calling her name and gently wagging a finger to let her know that her behaviour was not acceptable. Murera gradually settled, but the other elephants remained cautious, quickly moving aside whenever she turned towards them.

Latika joined Kerrio, Kamili, and Enkesha as they made their way to where Sonje and Sulwe were exploring an anthill, seemingly hoping to climb on top to scratch themselves. Instead of using the anthill, Sulwe climbed onto Kerrio and used her as a scratching post for her belly. Latika became jealous and joined in, rubbing her belly on Kerrio as well. Kerrio soon found the two girls too heavy, stood up, and walked away, leaving them behind at the dust pile as she headed into the bushes to spend some quiet time by herself.

Maktao has become rather greedy when it comes to the midday bottle feeds. These days, when the Keepers begin gathering the orphans for their bottles, Maktao is nowhere to be seen. However, as soon as the Keepers start leading the group to the feeding area, he races ahead. Even when the Keepers call him back to wait for the others, he only speeds up, determined to beat everyone to the bottles. By the time Enkesha and Kiasa arrived, Maktao had already finished his milk and had moved on to the water trough.

Once all the babies had finished their bottles, Murera and Sonje led the little ones to the mud bath. Lenny, Sulwe, and Zigi thoroughly enjoyed the swimming session. Kiasa and Mwana tried to make space for Zigi so that he could enter the water comfortably without being squeezed. When Zigi became crowded and rumbled in protest, the older girls quickly came to his aid, encouraging everyone around him to move aside and create plenty of room for him. Murera, who was again in one of her bad moods, trumpeted loudly and chased away those she thought were bothering Zigi, sending them towards the dust pile and leaving Zigi and Zongoloni to enjoy the waterhole in peace. Lenny and the other nannies followed the elephants Murera had chased away.

After the afternoon dust bath, the elephants moved the babies into the shade to escape the hot sun while they waited for the temperatures to cool before heading home. Later, two wild bulls arrived with Jasiri and attempted to join the herd, but Murera quietly moved away, avoiding any interaction with them.

It was cold today from morning through to the waterhole. The elephants came for their bottles, and none of them tested the water because it was too cold. Sonje then split the group into two. One group walked away with Sonje to get clean drinking water, while another group walked away with Murera and Kerrio to another waterhole to drink. None was interested in swimming.

Kapei pushed Mwana into the water, and she immediately ran out rather than swim. Murera, with the support of Sonje, then stood at the dust bath pile for a dusting exercise before Kerrio and Latika were able to persuade Murera and Lima Lima to join them in the bushes, prompting all the little babies to start walking away.

Lenny stopped Murera, pleading to nurse, but Murera did not give him any attention. Instead, she ignored him and left him to go to his mother, Lima Lima. Sonje remained behind with a few of the boys, together with Mwashoti and Maktao. As Sulwe stepped out and Sonje positioned her in front of her, two bushbucks crossed in front of Mwashoti. When Maktao and Mwashoti spotted the bushbucks, they gave chase with loud trumpets behind them.

The elephants continued trumpeting loudly and charging through the bushes as some played with one another. Mwana and Amali went around with Lenny and Zigi on patrol. Zigi stopped very suddenly when he realized his mother was not with him.

When it was time for everybody to get ready to go back home after the long day, Kerrio was tasked with leading the orphans. They formed a long line heading back home. Quanza, with the support of Lima Lima, then made a change of guard and took over the leadership of the herd, while Sonje and her close, almost same-age friend Murera followed slowly from behind.

At the midday bottle feeding time, the orphans delayed in arriving for their bottles. When they finally started walking in with the Keepers, only Murera came along with Mwana, Enkesha, Maktao, Kerrio, Latika, and Kamili, while the bigger number of those now called the nightclubbers failed to attend the midday milk session.

After having their bottles, Maktao and Mwana walked into the swimming pool and wallowed well. Murera was then encouraged and joined them in the swimming pool. Kerrio, Kamili, and Latika later changed their minds and walked away from the waterhole to another bigger waterhole that was only for them. The Keepers went to the dust bath to join Murera and the others and found Mwashoti, Murera, and Maktao enjoying a dust bathing exercise.

Later, while the Keepers were still seated having their lunch, they saw movement coming out of the bushes. When the elephants emerged into the open area, they saw Lima Lima, and behind her were the little babies Lenny, Sulwe, and Zigi, followed by all the nannies in a very long line, with Sonje bringing up the rear. Lima Lima led the orphans who had missed their bottles and had now come running to the milk truck for their share. Lima Lima spotted the milk truck and led all the orphans behind her to it. The Keepers had nothing to do but give Lima Lima and her friends their milk bottles, which they could smell inside the truck.

Maktao tried to come back and check the empty bottles to see if there were any leftovers, but he was not lucky and found nothing to be given by the Keepers.

After getting her bottle, Sonje walked away with Sulwe all the way to the clean drinking waterhole for fresh water. Kerrio and Latika later came over and joined Sulwe, but Sulwe was not ready to play with the nannies. Instead, she chose to be with her mother, Sonje, who made a little rumble that spoke volumes to Sulwe. The Keepers then saw Sulwe hurry away from the nannies to catch up with her mother, who was calling her.

Mwana is now inventing new tactics for breastfeeding. She is becoming very big and cannot fit well under her mother's shoulder to reach the breast effectively because she is now taller.

Today at the dust pile, when the babies were busy dust bathing after mud bath, the Keepers saw Mwana breastfeeding from her mother while lying on the ground so that she could reach the breast more easily. She knew that if she got up, she would not be able to reach her mother's breast, and Murera would simply walk away. The Keepers were surprised and left laughing at what they had seen from Mwana and Murera.

Amali spotted what Mwana was doing while lying on the ground and attempted to touch Mwana to see if she would get up and stop disturbing her mother. However, Amali found it difficult because Murera defended her baby and allowed Mwana to continue, ignoring Amali.

After dust bathing, the elephants walked back into the bushes with Quanza and Kerrio in the lead and the young babies following the nannies. Sulwe stopped when she could not see her mother, Sonje, turned around, and ran back to find her before setting off again to where Kapei and Enkesha were already enjoying the acacia pods that had been pulled down by a wild herd.

A fierce fight broke out between Mwashoti and Maktao as both fought for a bigger feeding space. Maktao refused to give Mwashoti the space he wanted. This prompted Zongoloni to come and shield Maktao, blocking Mwashoti. When Mwashoti saw Zongoloni step between them, he left the area for his own peace and avoided any further confrontation.

This morning, when the Keepers counted the little babies outside enjoying the pellets with their mothers, they found only two. They counted a second time and still found only two.

Then, from the bushes around Umani Water Springs, they heard a little baby elephant shouting. Many of the nannies, recognizing that it was Lenny, responded with rumbles. The Keepers then saw Lima Lima running back into the bushes after realizing she had come without Lenny.

The Keepers were surprised that Lima Lima had left her own baby behind without realising it until Lenny made a loud call. They thought Lima Lima might have left Lenny while he was asleep and did not want to wake him. When Lenny woke up and found himself alone without his mother, he screamed loudly so that the Keepers and the nannies could hear him.

Lima Lima came back with Lenny running beside her, and the nannies welcomed him back into the herd with loud rumbles and trumpets. Murera then walked over to him with comforting gestures before they all prepared to leave for Kibwezi Forest.

Faraja arrived with some wild friends and joined the orphans. Some of the wild elephants were not peaceful and came to disrupt the calm environment Sonje was enjoying with all the babies around her. Kerrio and Kamili walked back to join Latika, who was with a wild family, but the wild elephants became jealous and decided to chase the orphan family away. Faraja, despite arriving with them, could not stop them.

Murera and Lima Lima then persuaded all the young babies to move away, leaving Faraja and his wild friends on their own, away from the orphan families.

Latika and her friends, Kerrio and Kamili, came out but did not stop where Murera was with Mwana, as Mwana was seen trying to scare Latika. Kerrio led the three girls away as they avoided Murera and her daughter, Mwana, who were watching them closely from the corner of their eyes.

Quanza and Mwashoti came out of the bushes after their morning arrival and moved to bring Kamili back into the herd. Quanza brought them back and left Latika close to Amali, but Amali was not happy with Latika. She tried to block her from the pellets so that Latika could not get the morning snacks that everyone was enjoying. When Latika felt she was not welcome to eat the pellets, she walked away. Kerrio followed her, with Kamili joining the two girls. Kiasa and Enkesha then went after them, and the group later agreed to continue the journey together.

While browsing in the Kibwezi forest, two bulls about Jasiri's age joined the herd. Soon afterward, Jasiri was spotted entering the herd, trying to get to where Murera and Kiasa were quietly browsing while the Keepers sat under the trees talking as they passed the time.

Suddenly, the Keepers spotted Murera hurrying away. Looking more closely, they saw that Jasiri was accompanied by a wild bull with torn ears, which explained why Murera was keeping her distance. After such a long absence, Jasiri had finally returned to visit, but Murera avoided him because of his behaviour during his last visit. She clearly remembered his previous conduct, and whenever she saw Jasiri with the wild bull, she turned away and kept her distance.

Murera blew loud trumpets as she tried to send a strong warning to the other girls to be careful of the wild bulls that had come with Jasiri. A few moments later, all the albinos were together after Faraja joined the herd. Faraja has become a frequent visitor in recent times, but Jasiri takes much longer between visits. Whenever Jasiri does return to visit his orphan friends, he is usually accompanied by wild companions, as he was today.

Zongoloni and Zigi were absent when the ex-orphans gathered that morning. After looking more closely, the Keepers realised that Zongoloni, Zigi, and Kiasa were away from the herd. When they counted the little ones, only Lenny and Sulwe were present.

Amali joined the youngsters and was becoming increasingly attached to Sulwe, especially as her usual companion, Zigi, was not there. When Sonje decided to move away with Sulwe, Amali was reluctant to be left behind with Mwana and Lenny. She rumbled softly, trying to call Sulwe back, but Sulwe stayed faithfully by her mother's side. Amali eventually accepted this and followed Sonje and Sulwe.

Meanwhile, Kapei and Maktao wandered towards the Kenzili Hills with Kerrio and the others for a morning of browsing, hoping to reunite with Zongoloni's group later in the day. Along the way, a rock hyrax appeared on the rocky hillside, watching the approaching elephants before darting away across the rocks. Kapei noticed the little animal disappearing and tried to alert Maktao, but Maktao could not see what had caught his attention. The two boys quickly abandoned their search and returned to the herd, where they found Mwashoti and Quanza. Reassured by their companions, they settled down to browse peacefully alongside Murera and her group in the Kenzili area, where food was plentiful.

After more than four hours of browsing, Murera decided it was time to begin the long walk home. She preferred to leave early so everyone could return at a comfortable pace without becoming too tired. The herd appeared to agree with her decision, and together they slowly made their way back, browsing as they travelled.

When they finally reached home, they found Mwashoti and Jasiri already at the lucerne feeding area with several wild bulls that had accompanied Jasiri to enjoy the afternoon snacks alongside the ex-orphans.

Early this morning, 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.

For a couple of weeks now, Kamili has been refamiliarising herself with the truck that moved her and her friends, Kerrio and Latika, to Umani in December. This morning, 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.

The day otherwise unfolded normally. It was a joyful moment when Lenny spotted Murera while Mwana was some distance away from her mother. Seeing an opportunity, Lenny hurried over to nurse. However, as soon as Mwana noticed him, she came over and chased him away, shielding her mother and making it clear that Lenny was not welcome.

Before the elephants left the area, two buffaloes approached from behind. Kapei, with help from Quanza, quickly moved to chase them away, while Zongoloni joined in to assist. Together they drove the buffaloes into the bushes, leaving the herd in peace.

Later, the Keepers drove a tractor from the greens. Sonje and the other girls spotted it and eagerly followed, expecting it to be carrying lucerne. At first the tractor was empty, but it was soon loaded with fresh lucerne for the elephants. Lima Lima and her group followed it as it made its way to the feeding area. Some elephants even blocked the road, demanding to be given lucerne immediately. Mwashoti and Faraja stood directly in front of the tractor, giving the others the chance to begin pulling lucerne from the load before it could be unloaded. In the end, the driver decided to distribute the lucerne where the elephants had blocked the road so he could continue his journey without any roadblocks.

Kapei and his close friend Maktao separated from the herd and went off to join a young wild friend who was waiting behind the bushes. The young elephant appeared wary of the people gathered near the orphans. When Kapei spotted him hiding in the bushes, he alerted Maktao, and the two boys went to greet their friend before browsing together. They soon wandered off with him to join his wild family, which was not far from the orphan herd.

Sonje and Quanza did not recognise the young wild elephant that Kapei and Maktao had brought back. When he approached the lucerne feeding area, Sonje noticed him trying to join the group. She and Quanza were reluctant to welcome the unfamiliar youngster to the feeding area and moved to shield the lucerne from him. Murera soon joined them, and the three older females stood their ground, preventing Kapei and Maktao's wild friend from joining them at the lucerne.

Later, buffaloes and several wild warthogs wandered into the lucerne feeding area. When Enkesha spotted a warthog, she raised her ears and prepared to charge. Kiasa quickly joined her to help chase away both the warthogs and the buffaloes. The warthogs sensed the danger and fled as soon as Enkesha trumpeted, not waiting for a second warning. The buffaloes proved more stubborn and lingered, playing a game of hide-and-seek with the elephants. Eventually, however, the elephants united and put enough pressure on them to drive them away, allowing the herd to enjoy the lucerne in peace.

Lima Lima caused some confusion for the Keepers this afternoon when she emerged from the thickest bushes to rejoin the orphan herd, but they could not see her son, Lenny, with her. Sonje and Zongoloni were both with their babies in front, but Lenny was missing from the group. This prompted the Keepers to begin searching for him. They called out to all the orphans to help find little Lenny, and everyone joined the search. Lima Lima appeared completely relaxed, browsing with the herd and seemingly unconcerned about where she had left Lenny.

The Keepers walked in all directions, loudly calling his name: "Lenny! Lenny! Lenny!" As the calls continued, Lenny rumbled from where he had been left sleeping. Lima Lima had not wanted to wake him before he had finished his nap. The moment Quanza and Kiasa heard his rumble, followed by his scream, Zongoloni and Lima Lima rushed to collect him and brought him safely back to the herd. Zigi and Sulwe welcomed Lenny back as their playmate. Zigi turned around to block Lenny's way, but Lenny was ready to fight back. Zigi was pushed back toward his mother, Zongoloni, while Kiasa stepped in to help him. Sulwe simply watched the boys playing with great energy.

The entire orphan herd later gathered under the watch of Murera and Sonje at the waterhole. Enkesha excused herself to drink, only to find a group of bushbucks waiting patiently for their turn. As soon as Enkesha arrived, she charged at them. The bushbucks did not go far but stood at a distance, waiting for Enkesha to finish drinking and leave so they could quench their own thirst. Enkesha remained there for quite some time and was soon joined by Sulwe and Amali. Kapei also came over to join them, while the bushbucks continued waiting patiently for the orphans to make space in the water.

Faraja and Quanza were the first of the nightclubbers to report back early this morning, before Lima Lima and her team arrived. Murera and her group were already outside the gate enjoying pellets with Faraja and Quanza. The Keepers kept watching the bushes, expecting Lima Lima and her team to appear, but the forest remained quiet. Eventually, it was time for Murera to lead the babies out through Umani Springs to begin browsing.

Faraja stepped in front of Murera, causing her to stop and give way. Mwashoti followed behind him. Rather than getting close to the boys, Murera chose to change direction, guiding Mwana away instead of following the route Faraja seemed to be suggesting. Faraja appeared disappointed when Murera led Mwana in another direction, leaving the boys on their own. Kerrio, Latika, and Amali followed Murera in the direction she had chosen for the herd.

Deep inside the Kibwezi forest, loud trumpeting and crashing through the trees suddenly caused everyone, including the Keepers, to prepare to run. Before the Keepers had a chance to react, Lima Lima and her team emerged and joined the group with Murera. Lenny walked straight over to Murera in search of milk. Enkesha and Kiasa also arrived with little Zigi and Sulwe, while Sonje and Zongoloni followed behind. Amali was delighted to see Zigi back and immediately went over to him. Together, Amali, Kiasa, and Enkesha led the little babies to the waterhole for a swim, as the day had become too hot to remain out in the sun.

Jasiri and his wild bull friends came to visit while Faraja was still with Mwashoti. The moment Faraja spotted Jasiri approaching the herd, he walked away, avoiding any interaction with Jasiri and his companions. The Keepers wondered what had happened between the two, as they now seemed to be enemies, with Faraja unwilling to face Jasiri. Mwashoti, however, stayed behind with Sonje, Murera, and Quanza as they watched over the babies.

When Jasiri entered the herd, Murera quietly moved away, as she still did not trust him or the wild bulls accompanying him. The babies were unconcerned and continued playing with their nannies and mothers until Kapei pushed Zigi, causing him to scream for help. Mwana hurried over to stand with Amali and Zigi before Murera, with the support of Lima Lima, led the herd back into the bushes to begin the day's browsing.

The Keepers guided the elephants from the front, but Kerrio was seen heading in the wrong direction. Sonje and the Keepers called her back after spotting buffaloes hiding ahead. Kerrio quickly turned around, with Latika following her back to the rest of the babies. The orphans then continued along the safer route that Murera had chosen for both the elephants and the Keepers.

The wild elephants accompanying Jasiri soon left Murera's herd, much to her relief. Murera then confidently resumed leading the group toward the Umani Hills, where there was plenty of browse for everyone.

Later, Maktao walked over to Kapei while he was scratching himself against a rock and mischievously grabbed his tail. Startled, Kapei ran off before he had finished scratching, rumbling loudly as he expressed his annoyance with Maktao.

Lima Lima and her team failed to report this morning, leaving only Murera, Kerrio, and Latika enjoying the pellets. In the darkness, a baboon crept in, believing Mwana would not be able to see him because the heavy morning fog had reduced visibility. Thinking he could sneak in unnoticed, the baboon reached for the pellets, unaware that Mwana and Amali had been watching him closely. Mwana quickly turned and chased the baboon away. Startled, the baboon fled and leapt into a tall tree, leaving Murera standing guard over the pellets.

Murera then led the babies away to browse toward the Chyulu side, hoping they would come across Lima Lima and her team while moving through the bushes. Despite searching, Murera was unable to find them. Amali and Latika spent a long time looking for the little babies. Amali eventually raised her trunk to catch their scent and was able to locate Zongoloni and Sonje, together with Sulwe and Zigi. Finding the two babies reassured Amali, who was especially pleased to see Zigi again.

Amali did not worry too much about Lenny, believing that he was probably still asleep somewhere with Lima Lima, who would not have wanted to wake him. She and Latika decided not to continue searching through the Kibwezi forest, convinced that Lima Lima would bring Lenny back once he had finished his nap. After finding Sulwe and Zigi, Quanza was also satisfied and left Lenny in Lima Lima's care until he woke up.

Later, the orphan herd returned to the Chyulu Hills, where they spent more time browsing. As it neared the time to return home with the Keepers, Enkesha and Kapei joined the group, ready to head back for the evening snacks at the stockades. On the way, Faraja appeared with two wild bulls. By now, the wild elephants seemed to know that returning with the orphans meant they would also be rewarded with lucerne. Faraja led his companions back alongside the herd so they could all enjoy the lucerne waiting outside the stockade fence.

Mwana woke up and immediately went off to play with Amali and the other little babies who had just arrived with their mothers. Murera seemed less attentive to Mwana than usual this morning. The Keepers thought Mwana may have spent much of the night nursing, giving Murera the chance to enjoy some time away from her daughter. As a result, Mwana stayed busy playing with the nannies and the other babies, allowing her mother to spend time with her companions.

Mwana also seemed to realise that Murera was not in the mood to let her nurse and kept herself occupied with the other young elephants instead.

While browsing in the Chyulu Hills, the herd encountered more buffaloes and several elands. Sonje and Faraja stood their ground and prevented them from approaching the herd. Lenny and Sulwe eagerly tried to join Faraja, but Kiasa stepped in and shielded the little ones from getting too close to the buffaloes and elands. Lenny repeatedly blew his tiny trumpet, trying to show the nannies that he was ready to help chase them away, but they stopped him, reminding him that he was still too young. He was gently guided back and would have to wait until he was older before taking on such a challenge.

The waterhole was a quiet place today. The weather had turned cold, and none of the elephants wanted to swim. After receiving their bottles, the babies walked to the clean drinking water trough, drank their fill, and then followed Sonje and Zongoloni back towards the browsing grounds.

Murera lingered behind for some time, watching as Sonje and Quanza led all the babies, including Mwana, back into the bushes. Only after the rest of the herd had disappeared into the forest did Murera begin following them at her own relaxed pace, confident that Sonje would wait for her. After a few minutes, Murera rumbled softly, signalling to Sonje and the others to slow down so she could catch up. Mwashoti then joined Murera, keeping her company as they made their way back to the herd.

In the early morning, Maktao was the first to be waiting outside the gate for Murera and her team. The Keepers thought he must have spent the night nearby so that he could be first to enjoy the morning pellets with Murera and the others. Murera, Amali, and Kerrio came out and found Maktao already waiting. Kerrio walked over to greet him, and the elephants settled down to enjoy the pellets together.

As the morning gathering continued, Faraja arrived with a wild elephant behind him. The Keepers remained especially alert, watching the surrounding bushes to see whether Faraja had brought a wild bull companion. At first they saw nothing, but a few minutes later a wild bull emerged and attempted to join the herd. As soon as Murera noticed him, the Keepers called her away while shouting to drive the wild bull back. The bull quickly retreated, leaving the herd in peace.

The orphans then made their way toward the Umani Springs area to begin a long day of browsing. Lima Lima and her team had still not arrived, which was unusual for them. Amali, Latika, and Kerrio ventured deep into the forest in the hope of finding Lima Lima and her companions, but their search was unsuccessful. They eventually returned to rejoin Mwana and Murera at the top of the hills, where Murera rumbled to guide them to her location.

Later, Kapei was heard screaming after Mwashoti pushed him aside while hurrying to join Murera on the hill. Hearing Kapei's cries, Amali and her friends realised that Lima Lima and her team were finally on their way. They eagerly prepared to welcome back Zigi, Sulwe, and Lenny after missing them for much of the morning and unsuccessfully searching for them. Amali was especially happy to know that Zigi and his friends would soon be reunited with the herd.

Mwashoti and his friend, Faraja, returned with the long-time absentee Ziwa, who was accompanied by two other females and their young babies. The young elephants later approached Mwashoti, but he avoided them, wary of their mothers, who were watching him closely.

Lima Lima walked over to welcome Ziwa, but as soon as she reached him, Ziwa ignored her. Lima Lima then returned to her baby boy, Lenny, who had been watching her closely but had not followed her to greet Ziwa. Mwana moved over to bring Lenny back towards her mother, Murera, as Lenny looked stranded among the young wild females that were trying to hug and play with him. Lenny was not interested in playing with them, while their mothers stood close by, preventing Lima Lima from reaching him.

Baboons suddenly made a loud commotion where the babies were spending time together, frightening everyone and prompting all the mothers to rush to their calves. Zigi was unable to reach his mother immediately, but Kiasa was nearby and stepped in to protect him. The baboons fled as the elephants trumpeted and charged towards them. They scrambled up the trees while the elephants continued charging through the Kibwezi Forest, making sure the babies were safe.

Murera and Quanza then brought all the activity in the forest to a halt. Murera trumpeted, and Quanza followed, prompting all the elephants to stop what they were doing and gather around them. As soon as little Lenny and Sulwe reached Murera and Mwana, Lenny happily slipped beneath Murera to nurse, which she allowed. Mwana watched Lenny nursing but did not seem bothered.

At midday, Lima Lima and her team returned after spending the previous night away from the herd. Before they reached the others, Amali and Kerrio sensed that they were nearby. The Keepers saw Amali running while trumpeting, with Kerrio following close behind. Shortly afterwards, Kapei appeared with Maktao, followed by Lima Lima and the rest of her group. They joined Murera, as if reporting that everything was well despite their late arrival. Murera acknowledged them and welcomed Sonje and Sulwe as the elephants continued browsing while waiting for bottle time.

Lima Lima timed her return perfectly and did not miss the bottle feed. Kiasa escorted Maktao, who has become increasingly greedy when it comes to milk bottles. These days, he always tries to be first in line, followed closely by Kerrio. After finishing his bottle, Maktao would often demand another one. If he was refused, he would try to block Kerrio's way instead. The Keepers remained firm, ensuring that every elephant received an equal share. Giving one elephant an extra bottle would mean another would go without, so everyone received the same amount.

None of the babies entered the waterhole because it was too cold. Sonje tested the water with her trunk, found it too chilly, and simply drank before rinsing her mouth. The herd then returned to the forest to browse for the remainder of the afternoon before making their way home.

It was a very cold morning, prompting the Keepers to bundle up in heavy clothing. Murera also seemed to feel the chill and walked out of the gate very slowly, where she found the Keepers distributing pellets from a wheelbarrow.

Latika walked towards Mwana and found Murera standing very close to her daughter. Murera was clearly not in a good mood after coming out into the cold. Latika caught Murera's direct stare and immediately turned back, taking it as a serious warning to keep her distance.

As some of the elephants stayed with Murera and the other orphans, Kerrio and Latika chose to go their own way and joined Enkesha and Quanza at a branch that had been pulled down by wild elephants. The group happily fed on the fallen branches together.

Kiasa was with Zigi when the little boy tried to make more space for himself, causing him to squeal for support. His cries immediately attracted several nannies, who hurried over to investigate. When Zongoloni realised it was her son, she quickly pushed her way through to help him. Kiasa stepped aside to allow Zongoloni to reach Zigi, and the little boy was then given some space to nurse. Shortly afterwards, Sulwe came over and joined him, together with Amali.