Keepers' Diaries, June 2004

Voi Reintegration Unit

Nursery Elephants:- The morning of the l8th was a momentous day, heralding a fundamental change in the lives of 6 of our Nursery Elephants. The time had come for Naserian, Wendi, Tomboi, OlMalo, Taita and Selengai to graduate from the Nursery, and begin the long gradual process of integration back where they rightly belong – amongst their own kind and the wild elephants of Tsavo East National Park. After a great deal of discussion and heart searching, the decision was taken to move them to the new Orphans’ Facility that we have established at Ithumba, in the Northern Area of Tsavo East, rather than to Voi, mainly for two reasons. (1) The Voi unit (31 elephants) was becoming unwieldy for our Keepers to handle during the long dry seasons, something clearly illustrated last year when the October rains did not arrive until mid January 2004. (2) We would like to allow the calves under Emily and Aitong’s care to grow up to the point when they need no longer be enclosed in the Stockades at night – in other words of a size that they will no longer be vulnerable to attack by lions. At the same time, it was urgent to transfer four middle sized females from Emily’s group to the North, to be young Matriarchs for the new babies, and to comfort and care for them in an elephant way. The Nursery six are, of course, still accompanied by their favourite Keepers, with several from Voi awaiting their arrival at the other end, but now behaviour has to be taught by other elephants in an elephant way prior to their association with wild herds, when the wild Matriarchs take over. Targeted for this assignment were Yatta, Kinna, Mulika and Nasalot, all firm friends from their own shared Nursery period, and a self contained little unit, sufficient unto each other, who are yet to make lasting friendships amongst the wild herds. Deciding on these four females entailed a lot of discussion with the Keepers, for we had to be careful not to remove from either Emily or Aitong any of their particular favourites which might result in a major psychological upset at the Voi, de-stabilizing that unit.