Keepers' Diaries, June 2008

Ithumba Reintegration Unit



The arrival of Makena, Chyulu and Lenana at Ithumba was the highlight of the month for the Ithumba elephants, and especially those who had “mothered” them in the Nursery when they were very young, namely Naserian, Lualeni, Loijuk and, more recently, Sian who used to share a night stockade with Chyulu following the departure of Lualeni. Recognition was instant, and the joy and delight of the older elephants palpable. Sian immediately firmly attached herself to Chyulu’s side while Makena was busy with Naserian and Lualeni, both of whom adored her and viewed her as “theirs” during their Nursery time. Lenana, who came into the Nursery older and also near dead from milk deprivation, spent her early Nursery period concentrating on simply recovering, but she ended up the main Nursery Matriarch.

01 June 2008

The orphans greeted the new day in a joyful mood, expressed through the swinging of trunks as they emerged from their Night Stockades. After taking water the usual Stockade activities took place; Rapsu rubbing his bottom against the water trough sides, Kamboyo and Zurura, old pushing partners, engaged one another in a test of strength while others took a soil bath. The orphans browsed until noon and it was time for the milk venue and mudbath.

02 June 2008

As usual, the orphans split into two groups once out in the field, Yatta leading her group towards the Kalovoto river while Sunyei and Galana took the Juniors to the Kanziku area where they browsed up until mudbath and milk time. As the Keepers were taking their lunch after the mudbath, a very large wild elephant bull with one tusk emerged from the thickets and strode to the mudbath to spray himself with mud. The trunks of all the youngsters were raised, but Rapsu was courageous enough to walk up close to the bull, but lost his nerve when the stranger turned to look at him, prompting him to retreat to join his colleagues at the dustbath. The wild bull remained close by for another 5 minutes before disappearing as he had come. Once the Keepers had completed their lunch, the entire orphan herd returned to the Kanziku area.

03 June 2008

Challa led the youngsters westwards today, whilst Nasalot, accompanied by two of her favourites, Orok and Buchuma, headed eastwards. At noon Kamboyo, Zurura, Sian and Loijuk led the first group to the milk venue and mudbath. Later all the youngsters enjoyed the mudbath. An hour later Yatta and the older group turned up for their mudbath, and later joined the youngsters at the Kanziku area, where the entire herd browsed calmly for what remained of the day.

04 June 2008

It was another cloudy morning. At l0 a.m. Nasalot led the older orphans towards the Kalovoto watercourse, leaving the youngsters with their Keepers. After the mudbath, the youngsters browsed in the Kanziku area for the rest of the day, meeting up with the older elephants back at the Stockades in the evening.

05 June 2008

The orphans left the Stockdes as usual. At l0 a.m. Kora and Challa had a disagreement, something of which Sunyei disapproved. She ran to separate them. All enjoyed the mudbath today, it being a hot day, and the entire herd enjoyed the afternoon feeding together until it was time to return to the Night Stockades.

06 June 2008

As it was a warm morning, the orphans took water before leaving for the field, where they browsed calmly, moving from one area to another as a herd. All enjoyed the mudbath, after which Nasalot and the older elephants separated from the youngsters, meeting up with them again only at the Stockades in the late evening.

07 June 2008

It promised to be another hot day, so all the orphans had a drink before leaving. They browsed calmly out in the field until Challa happened to step on Zurura’s trunk during a soil dusting exercise. Zurura bellowed loudly, which drew the attention of the entire herd. Mulika, Nasalot, Kinna and Yatta surrounded Zurura, touching his mouth with their trunks to comfort him. Kamboyo led the milk dependent youngsters to the milk and mudbath venue.

08 June 2008

At 9 a.m. Kora and Tomboi engaged one another in a strength testing exercise, which was short-lived because Kinna intervened to separate them and drove them in different directions. It was not such a hot day, so the orphans only took water at the mudbath before returning to browse for the rest of the day.

09 June 2008

It was a cool morning, the mist obscuring Ithumba hill, so the orphans began browsing close to the Stockades, slowly working their way towards the hill. By 9 a.m. the day began to warm up. At l0 a.m. Kora was disciplined by Yatta and Mulika for attempting to mount onto Loijuk. He went to feed on his own, isolated from the rest of the herd.

10 June 2008

Soon after coming out from their Night Stockade, Kora and Ndomot engaged one another in a pushing game, which ended with Ndomot victorious. At 9 a.m. the orphans split into two groups, Yatta’s group heading towards the Kalovoto plains, leaving the youngsters with the Junior Matriarchs and their Keepers. After the mudbath, the youngsters joined the older elephants out in the bush. Kora and Tomboi had a strength testing exercise which lasted for about l0 minutes, and ended with Tomboi winning the bout.

11 June 2008

Having emerged in the morning, Yatta led the older elephants to the Kalovoto area, whilst the youngsters and Keepers went to the Kanziku area to feed. Shortly before 4 p.m., to the Keepers’ surprise, Yatta and her group brought a wild bull friend to the Stockade compound. The wild bull enjoyed a drink at the trough while Buchuma, Napasha, Yatta and Mulika stood nearby. The wild bull took his time and remained at the trough for about l0 minutes before wandering off, followed by Yatta and the older orphans who returned to the Stockades at 5 p.m., minus their wild friend.

12 June 2008

Having taken a morning drink, Kamboyo, Loijuk, Lualeni, Wendi and Sunyei enjoyed scratching themselves on the nearby rocks whilst Kora and Tomboi indulged in a pushing game. Once out in the bush the orphans split into two groups, the older orphans leaving the youngsters with their Keepers. It was a cool day, so the orphans enjoyed a dust-bath instead of the mud, meeting up with the older set back at the Stockades in the late evening.

13 June 2008

The orphans left the Stockades in a jovial mood, swinging their trunks and bumping into each other as they left for the bush. At about 8 a.m. a large wild bull passed about l00 metres from where the orphans were feeding. All trunks were instantly raised and the orphans followed the wild bull to the Orphans mudbath, where he had taken water from the drums before heading towards the Imenti waterhold. As it was too cool for a mudbath, the orphans enjoyed a dust-bath stead before returning to browse for the remainder of the day.

14 June 2008

Shortly after leaving the Stockade, the orphans were steered by Yatta to a rocky area nearby. At l0 a.m., Zurura, Kenze, Kamboyo, Kora and Challa (all boys) played a funny game within the thickets, trumpeting and knocking down small bushes – a sign that they had all had enough to eat! Only a few orphans took to the mud at the mudbath hour, since it was a cool day. In the afternoon, they fed near the mudbath, slowly moving towards the Kanziku area until it was time to return in the evening. At 7.30 p.m. two large wild bulls came to drink at the Stockade trough by the light of a full moon. Yatta and the older elephants rumbled to them in low tones, which they answered, and then spent several hours within the Stockade compound before moving off.

15 June 2008

After the usual Stockade activities, the orphans were led by their Keepers out into the bush to feed. It was too chilly for a mudbath today, so once the youngsters had taken their milk, the herd headed off to browse again. Mulika kept following her favourite, Selengai, wherever Selengai went, while Orok and Kenze, favourites of Nasalot, remained close to her. The entire herd returned to the Stockade at 6 p.m. in the evening.

16 June 2008

The orphans seemed to know that it was a special day. They remained close to the Stockades because it was the day that Makena, Chyulu and Lenana were en route from the Nursery to Ithumba. The first lorry carrying Lenana and Chyulu arrived at 1 p.m. followed by the second one. As soon as Lenana and Chyulu stepped out of the first lorry, they ran to greet Makena as she was emerging from the second truck. Lenana and Chyulu then took their noon milk feed, but Makena declined her rations. Soon afterwards, to their surprise, they saw Loijuk, Zurura, Lualeni and Kora approaching. Lualeni went straight to greet the newcomers, intertwining her trunk with that of Lenana, whilst the others opted for their milk first before greeting the newcomers. Soon the rest of the orphan herd arrived, Kinna trumpeting, charging and bellowing with excitement, as each orphan competed to be close to the new arrivals. Even the wild elephants seemed to know that a special event was taking place at the Stockade compound, for 4 large wild bulls turned up to see what was going on, but at the last minute were scared off when they spotted the humans. Later the newcomers, along with the other orphans, went off to feed for the first time at Ithumba, before returning to the Night Stockades in the late evening. They enjoyed all the new greens and the Grewia bark very much indeed.

17 June 2008

First thing in the morning, Makena, Lenana and Chyulu were introduced to the Stockade water trough under the watchful eye of Loijuk, who has taken them under her wing. Yatta and the older elephants did not separate from the youngsters today, but remained close to the three newcomers, following them wherever they went. At noon, all the orphans went to the mudbath, where Lenana, Makena and Chyulu enjoyed wallowing before leaving with the others to continue browsing for the rest of the day.

18 June 2008

It turned into a hot day, so the orphans sought shade early under the trees as they browsed throughout the morning. Nasalot supervised the newcomers and the younger orphans and there was drama when Kora pushed one of the newcomers as he tried to squeeze into a shadier area. He was instantly sent off by Nasalot to spend “time out”! At noon Nasalot escorted the new babies to the mudbath, leaving the rest of the group behind with Yatta, who appeared half an hour later just as Nasalot and the newcomers were preparing to head back to the browsing area. However, Nasalot changed her mind, and decided to wait for the entire herd in order to leave all together.

19 June 2008

Having taken water, Chyulu, Makena and Lenana kept close to one another until Sunyei led the herd out. The day turned very hot, forcing Chyulu, Makena and Lenana to draw water from their stomachs to cool themselves down. Having taken their milk, the three newcomers were first in the mudbath to cool off, soon joined by all the others. All spent a long time in the mudbath today before leaving to browse for the rest of the afternoon. At around 9 p.m. a lone wild bull visited the Stockade water trough for a drink and spent a long time in the compound before leaving.

20 June 2008

The orphans left in a happy mood, bumping into one another and swinging their trunks from side to side as they headed out to feed in the morning. It is the fourth day since Lenana, Chyulu and Makena arrived, and the older orphans remained glued to them. Kamboyo and Zurura opened up the field activities with a pushing match which attracted Kora, who came and pushed both away. Since it was a cool day, the orphans took a soil bath instead of a mudbath and then resumed feeding for the rest of the afternoon.

21 June 2008

The orphans left the Stockades on another cool day, so to warm themselves up they began playing, rolling on the ground, while the boys challenged one another to pushing matches. After this Yatta led the group to the slopes of Ithumba hill where they fed throughout the morning. Being cool, none of the orphans was in a hurry to go to the mudbath until the Keepers called the milk dependent group to have their noon bottle feeds. In order to take the milk, the orphans are split into three groups for ease of feeding – Lenana, Chyulu, Makena and Loijuk being in the first group followed by Lualeni, Sian, Kora, Zurura and Kamboyo in the second batch, and Yatta bringing the rest.

22 June 2008

It was another cool morning. Yatta, Kinna and Nasalot agreed on the route to take the herd today, whilst Loijuk remained glued to the new arrivals, following them wherever they went. The orphans settled down to feed at the Kanziku area until noon when the youngsters went in their respective batches to take their milk. It was too cold for a mudbath, so the orphans enjoyed soil dusting instead until Wendi and Galana led the herd back into the bush to feed.

23 June 2008

It was a sunnier day as the orphans headed to the slopes of Ithumba hill, which is well pastured for feeding. Just before 11 a.m. Challa and Kora engaged one another in a pushing game, closely monitored by Mulika. En route to the mudbath, Chyulu, Lenana and Makena competed for leadership of the group. Again it was too cold for a mudbath, so the orphans opted for soil dusting until Naserian and Galana led the herd back into the bush to feed for the rest of the afternoon.

24 June 2008

On another lovely morning, the orphans left the Compound having quenched their thirst and indulged in the usual Stockade activities as they waited for all to be ready to leave. Today Kinna led the way, with all the others filing behind her. At the mudbath Kamboyo and Zurura (old Nursery rivals) decided to have a pushing match, which was cut short by Kinna who parted them.

25 June 2008

The orphans left the Stockade compound early as usual, Loijuk still glued to the three newcomers with Nasalot following at a distance. The older group have spent the day with the youngsters ever since Lenana, Chyulu and Makena joined the herd. Rather unwisely Sunyei challenged Napasha to a pushing match, but soon decided to quite, not being strong enough, but Kora, who was watching, took over but had to surrender to the bigger bull. At the mudbath only Chyulu, Lenana and Makena went in, all the others of the opinion that it was not hot enough.

26 June 2008

Having taken a drink at the Stockade trough, Makena, Lenana and Chyulu accompanied by Loijuk led the group out today, all the others streaming behind them. All fed quietly throughout the morning, and during the afternoon, the youngsters having enjoyed their noon milk feed.

27 June 2008

Having taken a drink at the Stockade trough, Makena, Lenana and Chyulu accompanied by Loijuk led the group out today, all the others streaming behind them. All fed quietly throughout the morning, and during the afternoon, the youngsters having enjoyed their noon milk feed.

28 June 2008

The orphans woke up in a jovial mood and headed to the water trough as soon as the stockade doors were opened. While the other elephants had their fill of water, Yatta was busy sniffing the dung of a wild elephant that had come to the stockades in the early hours of the morning. The younger orphans then followed Sunyei, whilst the older ones, led by Yatta, went in the direction taken by the wild bull. At noon the younger group went to the mud bath for their milk and a soil dusting session before heading back to the browsing field. Yatta’s group returned to the stockades for some water at 3pm before heading back out.

29 June 2008

It was a cold morning with most of the orphans forgoing the water trough. The group headed out together towards the Kalovoto River where they spent the day browsing. At noon, instead of going to the mud bath, the orphans chose to return to the stockades for some water. As the day progressed it got hotter, forcing the orphans to seek refuge under the acacia trees.

30 June 2008

Soon after arriving at the browsing filed Yatta led her group towards Kone while the younger group remained with their keepers. It was a hot day and Chyulu, Makena and Lenana were not used to the temperatures and resulted to drawing water from their stomachs to spray under their ears. The three thoroughly enjoyed the mud bath before taking their noon feed. Challa and Tomboi engaged in a pushing game which Challa won. Challa then took on Kora but the result was a draw.