Ithumba Reintegration Unit

June 2017

Daily updates

June 2017

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June 3rd

Mutara’s group and part of Narok’s group joined the orphans in the morning soon after leaving the stockade. The dependent orphan herd were in a playful mood. Sities engaged Orwa in a pushing game while Kithaka played with Barsilinga. Boromoko tackled Vuria but lost this wrestling match. Out in the bush the orphans were joined by Olare’s herd, a wild elephant and a wild orphan. Kalama and Barsilinga spent some time engaged in a light pushing game which continued when they were at mud bath. Later Barsilinga quit playing with Kalama and went to play with Sities. The no nonsense Sities didn't entertain Barsilinga's games and pushed him away. Barsilinga didn't give up though and went to play with Chemi Chemi as Garzi played with Kitirua. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse in the Kanziku area. Olsekki took some time off from feeding to engage Bomani in a strength testing exercise. Kilaguni and Chaimu, who have been missing for quite some time, showed up at the stockade in the company of a wild herd.

Suguta in Mutara's group

Kalama playing with Barsilinga

Kitirua playing with Garzi

June 4th

The juniors were welcomed outside by Narok’s group who had spent the night just outside the stockade. Orwa engaged Garzi in a pushing game, a game that attracted Barsilinga and Kithaka. Later Orwa played Vuria in a game that saw Orwa fall down when Vuria successfully dodged him when he was about hit him. Orwa fell down after missing his target and once he was up on his feet, Orwa decided to quit the game that caused him some embarrassment. Half an hour later, Galana’s group consisting of her baby Gawa, Loijuk, Lualeni, Sidai, Lenana and Naserian showed up at the stockade and left immediately after drinking water. Galana’s group met up with the juniors and Gawa spent some time greeting them all. As the orphans waited for the arrival of the new babies from Nairobi, they decided to keep themselves busy by participating in a mud bathing exercise at Kone dam. There was a delay because of a problem with the lorry but by 12.40 the lorry arrived and the orphans disembarked to be met by refreshing milk bottles. Boromoko, Lemoyian and Sirimon were the first ones to meet with new babies. Later, the entire group came and then Narok’s herd, who have only been independent for the last 2 months, followed by Mutara’s herd who have been in the wild for one year and three months. Also present was the wild orphan who kept its distance and was wary of all the keepers and elephants around, and Ex Orphan Rapsu too. Narok and Naseku settled with Wanjala as Sities and Suguta settled with Ukame. Rapsu briefly sniffed at Galla then walked to the water trough where he had some water before leaving the stockade area. The orphans settled to browse several metres away from the stockade compound. Out in the bush, Narok and Oltaiyoni spent some time with Wanjala while Mutara engaged Olsekki to a light strength testing exercise. Later, Kithaka climbed on Sirimon as Siangiki and Shukuru enjoyed a soil dusting exercise. In the evening, Wanjala, Galla and Ukame joined Kamok, Naseku, Tusuja and Roi to return back to the stockade for their milk and to go to bed.

Narok and Kithaka

Orphans leaving for browsing

Galana and her herd in the stockades

June 5th

Soon after leaving the stockade in the morning, the orphans were joined by Yatta, Olare, Mutara and Narok’s Ex Orphan herds. They escorted the dependent orphans out of the stockades where Wanjala took some time to familiarize with himself Kibo. Sities became the nanny to Kama while Garzi tried to challenge Kitirua. Boromoko attempted to climb on Tusuja, which made him angry. Tusuja turned and tried to defend himself by engaging Boromoko in a strength testing exercise. An hour later, the Ex Orphans parted ways with the juniors. At mud bath time only Narok, Garzi, Vuria and Barsilinga decided to wallow in the mud bath. Later, Barsilinga, who is trying to establish himself as the most dominant bull, challenged Orwa, Narok, Vuria and Garzi. Out of the four challenges he only drew with Garzi but lost to the other three. In the afternoon, Galla spent some time communicating with Shukuru while Ukame settled for soil dusting. In the evening the orphans passed by mud bath where the orphans enjoyed an evening cool-off before heading back to the stockades.

Sities being a nanny to baby Kama

Wanjala greets Kibo

Ukame and Galla in their new environment

June 8th

Olare, Mutara and Narok’s groups spent the night just outside the stockade. Laragai repeated what she apparently loves doing most done what she loves most and opened the gate during the night to let everyone out. Galla had a brief chat with Tusuja as Kithaka and Barsilinga concentrated on picking leaves from the tall trees. Later, Barsilinga had a lone game of rolling on the ground. His game attracted Garzi though, who came over and started rolling close to Barsilinga. Lemoyian stepped forward and accidentally stepped on Garzi who was lying on the ground. As soon as Barsilinga was through with his game, he went straight to engage Kithaka in a pushing game. Kithaka surrendered, forcing Barsilinga to move to play a pushing game with Garzi, who was standing now, in a game that ended in a draw. Later, Kithaka tried his hand on Garzi but ended up losing miserably to him. Boromoko, who was feeding close to Kamok, tried to remove some leaves from Kamok's mouth. This annoyed Kamok but there was nothing she could do about it because he is older so she quietly left to feed somewhere else. Enkikwe engaged Sirimon in a pushing game, a game that saw Sirimon bow out when the going got too tough for him. Shukuru took some time off from feeding to participate in a soil dusting game. At mud bath time, the orphans were joined by the Ex Orphans and wild elephants totaling up to eighty in number. Orwa played with Olare while Kanjoro tackled Kalama as Bongo settled to play with Kainuk. Half an hour later, the mud bathing came to an end as the orphans headed to Kanziku area while the Ex Orphans headed towards the Imenti area. The afternoon was quiet as the orphans concentrated on browsing without any major observations.

Tusuja having a chat with Galla

Barsilinga rolling on the ground

Kithaka playing with Barsilinga

June 11th

After leaving the stockades in the morning, the orphans were joined by Mutara, Kanjoro, Sities, Suguta Turkwel, Kainuk, Chemi Chemi, Murka, Kalama and Kibo. Kalama started a game of rolling on the ground and Chemi Chemi took advantage by scratching on her and later riding on Kalama. When Kalama was up on her feet, Kanjoro came forward and engaged her in a pushing game that ended in a draw. At mud bath time, only Murka, Mutara, Suguta, Kanjoro and little Wanjala decided to go into the mud bath. Later Orwa engaged Sities in a pushing game with Sirimon standing to the side, acting as a referee. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse in the Kanziku area where Tusuja and Galla took a break from feeding to participate in a soil dusting exercise. Later in the evening the junior Ex Orphans like Murka parted ways with the orphans and left to go out into the Park.

Chemi Chemi scratching on Kalama

Wanjala going out to browse

Sirimon, Sities and Orwa

June 15th

Galana, her baby Gawa, Loijuk with Mutara, Makireti and Olare’s groups spent the night just outside the stockade last night. When the orphans were let out this morning, Sirimon walked straight to greet Gawa as Garzi had a strength testing exercise with Kasigau. Shortly later Gawa, under the escort of the wild orphan, moved to play with Wanjala. Their game was short-lived since the wild orphan intervened by taking Gawa away from Wanjala. Out in the bush, Barsilinga settled to browse with Shukuru while Kamok shared food with Tusuja. At the mud bath the area was flooded with senior and junior Ex Orphans in the company of fifteen wild elephants. There was some excitement as one of the big bulls chased Sidai who appeared to be in season. Only Siangiki was brave enough to join the Ex Orphans to wallow in the mud bath. Chemi Chemi engaged Ishanga to a pushing game while Tumaren played with Orwa. Half an hour later, the groups parted ways with the Ex Orphans and wild elephants heading east of mud bath while the orphans headed north, where they browsed calmly until five o'clock in the evening when Tusuja led the first group back to the stockades.

Wanjala says hello to Gawa

Zurura with Mutara's group

Kamok relaxing with Nasalot in the shade

June 21st

It was a cool morning today as the dependent orphans walked down to the lucerne field and met with the Ex Orphans from Wendi's group .They all started interacting with Zurura play fighting with Orwa and Wendi playing and carrying big bunches of lucerne in the air with her trunk. Wiva started playing with Wanjala and followed him as he headed out to the bush. Wiva was being guarded by Nasalot and Narok while Wendi was eating lucerne separately. Chyulu on the other side was play fighting with Barsilinga and the orphan group later walked back to the bush for browsing. Out in the bush all the elephants were busy browsing while Shukuru was busy soil dusting. Barsilinga was having a chat with Garzi and started sharing food from one branch. Galla on the other side was scooping and tossing soil in the air and on his back, while Olsekki watched him. Later on, Olsekki walked to the same dust bathing area and started playing and rolling on the ground while sitting. The group later headed to the mudbath area. At the mud bath area a wild bull came in first for water, he was followed by the Ex Orphans led by Galana and her baby Gawa, Lualeni and Narok's group. Afterwards Sidai came in running as she was on heat and being followed by a wild bull. She came and hid amongst the younger Ex Orphan group near us, so that she couldn’t be reached easily. When they went back out to the bush all the dependent orphans were busy browsing. Ukame is not as settled as the others and is often moving around and walking away from the rest of the group. Galla and Wanjala are settling slowly however, into their new environment. The group later headed back home in the evening. Back in the stockade Kinna's group arrived with her baby Kama and with Yatta and Mulika’s group with their babies. They all drank water and went back to the bush.

Kithaka plays with Garzi in the early morning

Shukuru soil dusting

Galla soil dusting

June 24th

This morning Garzi and Orwa started play fighting for some morning exercise whilst the other elephants went straight to the bush to browse. They met with a few Ex Orphans along with Bomani, Orwa, Vuria and Narok. The dependent group was busy browsing while Bomani sprayed himself with dust. Orwa play fought with Barsilinga and Laragai came in to separate them but they started charging as she tried to cool them down. Vuria was digging at the ground to get fresh loose soil to throw on his back, later he finished that and started play fighting with Kithaka while Naseku and Wanjala browsed up on top of the rock together. The orphans later met with Makireti's group of Ex Orphans including Kasigau and Kilabasi and started interacting with them. Lemoyian later led the whole group to the mudbath. It was not a very busy or very hot day so not many of the orphans played in the mud bath but there was good interaction between the dependent orphans, the Ex Orphans and Buchuma, the big Ex Orphan bull around the mud hole. Later the group went to the soil mound to dust themselves and then they went out into the bush again.

Bomani soil dusting

Orphans soil dusting

Barsilinga playing with Orwa

June 26th

This morning Lemoyian started play fighting with Sokotei and they pulled vigorously at each other’s trunks. Some Ex Orphans from Mutara's group with Orwa, Vuria and Bomani in the group arrived. They drank water and joined the orphans. After few minutes Kilabasi, Makireti and Kasigau also came to join the orphans group too. Orwa was being friendly with Garzi and then they started playing. A while later the whole group walked to the bush for browsing. They all browsed together until Olare's group came to join them. Now the big family was all together and they all spread out to interact with each other. The orphans were very happy and comfortable in their company. Roi later led the group to mudbath. There were a few wild elephants wallowing and some of the orphans joined them, however it was not very hot today and most of the elephants chose not to swim. Bomani, Vuria and Narok came in later and join the wallowing group. Olare was rolling on the ground playing. Boromoko started play fighting with Lemoyian and he was enjoying the wrestling game as his tusks are longer than Lemoyian’s. Kithaka and Garzi were busy scratching on the fallen trees while Orwa and Kitirua started play fighting again. The group later headed back to the bush.

Lemoyian playing with Boromoko

Sokotei browsing

Enkikwe in the bush

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