This was a joyful month at Umani given that the two new arrivals, Luggard and Enkesha, were delivered and settled into their new home. From the very first day it was clear how Murera and Sonje were going to fiercely guard and look after Luggard, and Murera in particular dotes on the little one from morning when they first come out of their night stockades, until when they return home at night. She can even be seen communicating to other females such as Quanza or Sonje to watch over him if she ever wants to do something herself. Similarly, we have often seen Luggard looking up at Murera as a calf would their mother, so comfortable in her presence that he can happily fall asleep leaning against her shoulder. A bond has been struck that is so beautiful to behold and we could never have hoped for a happier outcome for Luggard.
It’s been a very happy beginning of the month for the orphans and Keepers alike. With the arrival of two new babies from the Nairobi Nursery, Enkesha and Luggard, the Umani herd has expanded and given Murera the joy of enhancing her nurturing skills.
There was tangible excitement as the lorry drove up to Umani. Lima Lima was the first one on the ramp, with the rest of herd and Keepers looking on - she had already sensed the new arrivals. As the lorry doors opened to let out the weary travellers, Lima Lima was right there to welcome them and the Keepers ready with milk bottles for Enkesha and Luggard. Another surprise awaited the Umani family. Edwin, our beloved Nairobi Nursery Head Keeper had decided to visit us! He was overjoyed to see how Murera and Sonje were faring, as well as all the others of course, but the oldest Murera and Sonje had passed under Edwin’s care when they first arrived at the Nairobi Nursery too. It was a joyous and celebratory moment for all!
Once Enkesha and Luggard had their milk, they seemed a bit more relaxed. Murera and Sonje couldn’t wait to adopt one of the babies and the popular choice seemed to be Luggard, as they were immediately mindful of his compromised leg. Both girls jostled to get close to Luggard, as he enjoyed the undivided attention from the older girls. They were curious about his bad leg and reassuring as well, comforting him with gentle rumbles and touching of trunks. Enkesha, with her independent spirit seemed to settle into her new environment very quickly, embracing her new home. All in all, today was a great success and the new babies settled in for the night quite comfortably.
Faraja emerged from his hideout this morning and joined the Umani herd. Zongoloni, who had already arrived a little earlier than Faraja because she wanted to meet the new babies, welcomed Faraja into the fold eager to introduce him to the new arrivals. Seeing that Zongoloni was now busy with Luggard and Enkesha, Lima Lima decided to take charge and lead the orphans to a new browsing spot.
Murera and Sonje, being the matriarchs of the herd, considered their role most important in securing Luggard’s welfare. They stayed close to him, doting on him and reassuring him constantly.
Enkesha has taken to her new home quite well, interacting with the orphans, including Alamaya, who can be a bit pushy with the little ones; but the older girls are always at hand to ensure this bull does not get too carried away.
Faraja teamed up with Lima Lima today as they browsed through the Kibwezi Forest. Enkesha and Luggard also found themselves a nice quite spot to browse. These two new babies have very healthy appetites and looking at how comfortable they are in their environment, you wouldn’t think they only arrived two days ago!
When it was time for their midday feed all the orphans rushed to their Keepers, Enkesha turned out to be the fastest, getting to her bottle before everyone else. Luggard arrived at the mud-bath at his own pace with his Keeper.
Enkesha has found in Sonje and Murera two doting motherly figures who look out for her. After their midday mud bath, Enkesha decided to rest under the shade of some acacia trees. Sonje, not wanting Enkesha to get embroiled in the older boys’ rambunctious games, followed her and stayed close to her to ensure the boys stayed away from Enkesha.
Luggard remains his calm, gentle self, settling very well under Murera’s guardianship. Any time Murera sees Luggard, she stops whatever she is doing to cuddle with him. Luggard is flourishing under all this care and attention and we have often observed Luggard looking at Murera as a new born baby would look at its mother.
Alamaya, who is considered to be a boisterous bull, is kept well away from Enkesha and Luggard by Murera and Sonje. The older girls are very protective of the two new babies. We can see that Lima Lima is desperate to get close to Luggard. She is often seen idling near Luggard, but Murera is quick to ensure her baby remains under her care, despite Lima Lima’s persistence. Perhaps one day it will pay off and she will have a chance to look after Luggard too!
Alamaya came down from the Umani Hills chewing a very tasty branch. He walked over to where Murera and Luggard were to share with them the adventures of his day so far. Murera then decided to move Luggard and all the orphans to the waterhole once they were done with their milk bottles. Ngasha and Enkesha were already at the waterhole and Enkesha was splashing water on her chest. As midday drew closer the temperature got hotter. Murera ushered her new babies to cool off under the shade of some trees near the waterhole. The rest of herd had already made themselves comfortable with some of them settling for an afternoon nap.
Lima Lima was like a class monitor keeping time for the orphans. As soon as she felt they had napped for long enough she nudged them awake to then carry on with their browsing activity for the rest of their day. She lead them to the Chyulu Hills where they continued browsing, filling their bellies with enough browse before they made their way home.
After the death our of beloved wild elephant friend Ndugu, Faraja was seen in the company of another wild bull this morning. It seems they must have spent the night out in the forest together.
As Faraja approached his stockade friends, the wild bull stayed away. The Keepers were at the entrance of the stockade unaware of Faraja’s friend. Lima Lima, the ever vigilant girl, alerted the Keepers of this new visitor’s presence. It seemed as though the wild bull was curious, but bearing in mind Enkesha and Luggard’s safety, and them not used to being around wild bulls, Sonje and Murera ushered the babies away from the Faraja’s new friend. Picking up on their cue, Ziwa, Ngasha and Faraja lured him away, further into the forest. We suspect Faraja met this young bull last night close to where Ndugu died, where other wild elephants must have congregated to mourn the loss of their friend.
After the orphans’ midday feed, Enkesha took it upon herself to lead the orphans towards the Umani Hill to browse for the rest of the afternoon. Sonje kept Luggard company as they brought up the tail end of the herd and made their way slowly to the foot of the hills. Luggard walks at his own pace and Sonje was very happy to keep him company.
Luggard stayed in the centre of the herd today, to avoid boisterous boys like Alamaya and Mwashoti; these big boys can sometimes get carried away with their pushing games. Luggard also knows, keeping close to Sonje and Murera ensures he is always well protected. Zongoloni has been trying her best to get a few minutes alone with Luggard so that she can get to know him as well, but Sonje and Murera are very good at keeping Luggard close to them.
Enkesha chose to be at the front of the herd today. She was holding onto a few sticks and chewed them as she followed Ziwa. Ziwa led them in a different direction where he knew they would get ample vegetation to browse on. Lima Lima and Murera stayed back with the younger babies, slowly making their way to join the rest of the herd but at their own pace.
After a lengthy browsing session, the orphans sought out acacia trees to rest under. Orphans like Shukuru and Luggard welcomed this break from the heat. The Keepers also took a well deserved break and soon it was time to go home.
Sometimes Luggard will alternate between his two adopted mums, Murera and Sonje, but today he chose to spend all his time staying close to Murera, not letting anyone get to close to her. Murera showers the young boy with a lot of love and attention. Enkesha on the other hand seems to be showing her independent streak; she frolics and engages with all the orphans in the herd, except Alamaya. Enkesha knows to keep away from this rather energetic bull who hasn’t quite yet figured out how to play with this little girl.
After their midday bottles, all the orphans made their way to the water hole. A few crane birds decided to join the orphans. Alamaya was in a particularly mischievous mood and decided to chase after the birds. As he ran towards them, Enkesha and Luggard, slightly startled by this unexpected activity, ran to Murera and Sonje for safety.
Today the orphans chose to browse along the Chyulus, not too far from the Kibwezi Forest. Zongoloni and Faraja came upon the water pipe that supplies water to the neighbouring community; the water pipe had been broken, perhaps by a wild herd passing through. The two night-clubbers (so named because the Keepers say they stay out all night and make a lot of noise in the forest!) were quite thirsty, so they decided to help themselves to the fresh water. Soon the rest of the orphans caught up with them and enjoyed the fresh water too.
The Keepers moved with the orphans as they moved onto their afternoon browsing activities. Little Enkesha found a sweet branch that she carried in her mouth as she moved around. As evening fell, the Keepers and their babies slowly made their way back to the stockades.
Enkesha has made great progress since she arrived a few days ago, she is settling into the herd and proving to be a very curious little girl too. She interacts very well with all her new friends, is playful, and often wants to be right at the front of the herd. She’s well protected by Sonje and Murera which has given this little girl the freedom to explore her surroundings. Big boys Alamaya and Mwashoti are also quite curious of this little elephant, but also wary of Sonje and Murera’s protectiveness of her, so whilst they do interact with Enkesha, they are careful not to get too excited around her.
Quanza, who tends to keep to herself, played the role of bodyguard to Enkesha today. Enkesha was quite thirsty, and Quanza happily escorted the little girl to the water trough to ensure she got there safe and was able to reach the water comfortably. Enkesha took a long well deserved drink after having been out in the hot sun.
Alamaya accompanied Zongoloni to the Chyulu Hills in search of the thickest bushes to browse on. Zongoloni also wanted to see if she could spot her friends, Jasiri and Ngasha, since they hadn’t made an appearance this morning to join the herd for their morning activities.
The orphans took a break from the scorching heat and cooled off under the shade of some trees. With Sonje’s help Murera showed the two new young babies where they could browse, whilst still remaining in the shade. Enkesha was a little impatient and snuck off to join where Lima Lima was browsing. Murera was too busy cradling Luggard’s head to notice. It was as though she was talking to him, giving him a heads up that they would be moving soon, since he cannot walk as fast as the others.
Ziwa wallowed in the mud for quite a while today, covering his entire body and managing to get some thick mud on his tusk too. He made his way to the dust pile where he found Ngasha lying on his side, and Jasiri eagerly waiting to play mounting games with Ngasha.
Murera ushered her herd down from the Umani Hills after a long day of browsing. She wanted to direct the orphans to browse at a location closer to home so that there would be less walking for the younger ones. The night-clubbers seemed to have other ideas. They converged to discuss whether or not to join Murera or go their own way. Sonje watched, whilst Murera waited patiently with her trunk wrapped around Luggard. Murera eventually decided to make a move and Lima Lima took the lead whilst Murera brought up the tail end with Luggard as they walked at a pace that was comfortable for Luggard.
At the dust bath today, both Jasiri and Faraja opened their ears wide and blew dust into them to keep away the flies. Luggard is bonding very well with Sonje and Murera. Lima Lima, at every given opportunity, also tries to bond with him, but can only do so when Murera and Sonje step away from Luggard.
Alamaya looked tired from all his patrolling with Zongoloni. Since the two new babies have arrived, Murera has encouraged Alamaya to connect with the rest of the herd, in an effort to make Alamaya more independent. Alamaya has welcomed this new phase in his life and is seen spending more and more time with Zongoloni, but always comes back looking sleepy and tired.
As the babies moved through the bushes, Lima Lima was seen trying to catch a scent with her trunk. The wind was blowing quite strong so Lima Lima had trouble catching this scent, and seemed confused, but after a little while all was revealed. Lima Lima had been trying to locate her beloved Keepers, and as soon as she did, she made her way over to them.
When all the elephants came out from their night stockades, Murera walked over to Luggard ‘s room to say good morning and inquire after his night’s sleep. The Keepers were opening the doors for all the orphans to come out, and they began to file out one by one to begin their day. Murera walked beside Luggard as usual, keeping him company and making sure none of the other orphans tried to bother him, while Enkesha happily walked off on her own to browse on some grass. Shukuru walked over to join her then Mwashoti walked over to Enkesha for company too.
The time for the midday milk bottles was just around the corner and as usual Lima Lima’s tummy keeps her as the herds little time-keeper, and she began signalling to the herd to be ready. Without delay Enkesha led the herd to where the Keepers were waiting with the milk bottles and the other orphans were happy for her to lead them there.
When the orphans are out browsing, Sonje and Murera always stay very close to Luggard. In fact, from the time the orphans exit their night stockades to when they go back home, both these matriarchs are always seen with or near Luggard. They are very protective of him and dote on him.
This has given Enkesha the freedom to get acquainted with the rest of the herd. She spends time with all the orphans, walking and browsing with them. She is quite taken by Ngasha. Ngasha is an older boy but also very gentle and humble and if often seen keeping the little girl company. This has worked very well for Enkesha as all the females in the herd are busy trying to take turns looking after Luggard.
The orphans continued to browse together until it was time for their midday milk bottles. Mwashoti made a run for the mud-bath area and Enkesha, not to be left behind, was in second place. Both got there before the others did. A few crane birds, who were searching for grasshoppers in the nearby tall grass, decided to join the orphans at the mud-bath but soon took off, scared by all the running and trumpeting.
Today Lima Lima decided they ought to find a different place to browse and she directed the herd towards the Umani Water Springs, where fresh greens are plentiful and soon everyone settled in to browsing quietly. Lima Lima made sure she got her fill.
Later in the day Murera had to intervene and put a stop to Ziwa and Alamaya’s naughty behavior. The big boys thought perhaps little Enkesha and Luggard were ready to play. Before the two boys could make a move, Murera sensed their intentions and gently urged the boys to take their pushing games elsewhere. As soon the boys took off, everyone settled near the waterhole area to continue browsing. Enkesha must have been watching the older orphans pull out roots from the ground, because today she demonstrated the same quite skillfully.
Lima Lima, as per her usual morning ritual, went out to receive Ngasha and Zongoloni as they arrived from their night adventures and then returned to the stockades to join the rest of the orphans to begin their morning browsing activities.
Whilst they were browsing, Murera gently pulled Luggard close to her, to show him where to find the sweet and soft branches, as Enkesha dashed around all over the place with Alamaya, who was in search of some soft acacia that he could browse on.
A herd of buffalo were spotted some distance away. Normally the older girls, Murera and Sonje would not be bothered by buffaloes but because of the two new babies, they were being cautious. Ziwa, Zongoloni and Ngasha needed no encouragement, as they soon stepped into bodyguard mode and chased away the buffaloes, ensuring the two new babies were safe.
Enkesha is a very social girl - she continues to interact with all the orphans very well but prefers the company of the bigger boys, especially Ngasha, as he is a far more gentle bull and not prone to the boisterous pushing games like the other. He understands how to be with a little girl like Enkesha.
Ngasha arrived a lot later than usual today. Usually the night-clubbers tend to make their way to the stockade in the morning together and more often than not, Ngasha will always accompany Zongoloni if they others decide to stay away. The Keepers think Ngasha misses his wild bull friend Ndugu, who passed away this month, and continues to perhaps look for another wild bull to show them the way of living life in the bush. Ndugu was a very caring and friendly giant and very gentle with the Keepers. Ndugu is sorely missed by all.
Enkesha being the outgoing girl that she is, showed off all the new skills she’s learnt since she’s arrived at Umani. Today, she didn’t wait for the older orphans to show her where to browse, but instead broke away by herself and found the sweetest and softest shrubs to browse on. She now knows which bark to chew on for medicinal purposes; she’s obviously been a keen student when Sonje and Murera have been imparting this wisdom on her.
Today it was Luggard’s turn to show everyone how capable he can be. He proved to the herd that he could move around comfortably by himself and was able to forage without the help of Murera or Sonje.
At the waterhole, Faraja surprised everyone by doing something the Keepers have not witnessed him doing recently. Faraja placed his trunk gently over Eneksha’s body in a comforting manner as if to say, “welcome to the herd”.
Murera made her way to where Quanza was browsing quietly. It seemed as though Murera was whispering something to Quanza, after a few minutes we saw Quanza walk towards Luggard. It seemed as though, Murera had given Quanza permission to look after Luggard whilst she busied herself peeling some acacia bark.
This morning, as Enkesha was foraging in the Umani Springs area, she came across a fallen tree blocking her path. She tried to climb over it, but failed, so instead settled for peeling the bark.
It is obvious that Murera has claimed Luggard to be her special baby and very few of the other matriarchs get a chance to get close to him. So today when Sonje and Murera got carried away browsing, Lima Lima, upon finding Luggard by himself, seized this small window of opportunity to care for him and bond with him. As soon as she saw Murera approaching them, Lima Lima started to walk away, but Luggard continued to follow her. Murera soon took over and the orphan herd made their way back to the stockades after having spent a lovely day out in the forest.
Jasiri was very late joining the herd today. He made his way to the Chyulus, where he knew he would find his friends Ngasha and Ziwa after they too had spent the night walking in the bush with their wild friends. They all made their way to the mid-day milk feed area where they knew their Keepers would welcome them with bottles of milk and they could then cool off at the waterhole.
Lima Lima decided to wade deep into the waterhole and get some mud on her body. Murera and Luggard decided to join in the activities too. Both Murera and Lima Lima wallowed and rolled in the mud and Luggard, unable to roll very well yet, stood beside them and enjoyed splashing himself with mud.
As the orphans began their new day, Enkesha took off straight away towards the forest; she was in a very jovial mood and was doing her best to trumpet with excitement. Luggard walked to Murera and they both followed behind the leader Enkesha.
A short while later, from the far end of the thickest bushes, Jasiri arrived from his night out. He was the last one to arrive because Zongoloni had arrived earlier with the three other boys, leaving Jasiri behind with their wild friends. It wasn’t long ago that Jasiri was too afraid or apprehensive about spending nights out, and now he is the last one to arrive back sometimes!
When the orphans arrived for their midday milk bottles, Faraja and his friends walked to go and wallow in the waterhole, and later went to the dust bath piles of loose soil to dry their wet bodies.
In the afternoon Alamaya and Mwashoti walked with Enkesha to the mudbath for a second time. The bulls put Enkesha in the middle between them to give her strength and bolster her up, and she felt much loved and protected by the junior boys.
Quanza moved along the Umani Hills this morning, looking for all the different kinds of vegetation she could eat to get her fill. The other orphans were very busy trying to fill their stomachs too and find what they enjoy browsing on, before the day became too hot. Some buffalos found their way to where Quanza and Ziwa were enjoying peeling the bark from some acacia trees, which had been pulled down by some wild friends. The elephants ignored the buffaloes however who walked on past.
It was a hot day today and at the waterhole all the orphans drank as much water as they needed to quench their thirst. As the orphans began to move back to the forest, it seemed Alamaya had not had enough as he turned back to the water for more, and Jasiri and Mwashoti followed him. Luggard waited for the older bulls to leave and make space for him, and as soon as they did he went to have some more water too.
Alamaya woke up this morning full of energy and eager to start his day. He marched on ahead of the rest, wanting to be right at the front of the herd and first to get to the forest. Enkesha, just as eager, ran up to join Alamaya. Mwashoti, who had been watching, wasn’t sure if Enkesha accompanying Alamaya was such a good idea. Whilst Alamaya’s intentions are meant well, this big boy doesn’t always understand his own strength. Mwashoti was concerned that Alamaya might be a bit too boisterous for the little girl. Alamaya put up a fair fight to keep Enkesha with him but eventually relented when he saw Mwashoti was going to give up. He left Enkesha with Mwashoti and carried on into the forest. Enkesha unperturbed by all of this was happy to “hang out” with any of the orphans.
Seems like all the information Murera and Sonje have been sharing with Enkesha is paying off. Enkesha ventured into the thickest of bushes this morning, almost as if she knew what she was looking for. Enkesha’s foraging skills have improved greatly since she arrived at Umani; her appetite continues to grow and is looking quite healthy.
Later, the herd made their way to the waterhole. Soon after their midday milk bottles Lima Lima spotted Luggard standing on his own. She quickly looked around to see if Murera and Sonje were anywhere nearby. They were busy dusting and so without wasting another moment; Lima Lima spread her big ears and gave out a soft happy rumble welcoming Luggard towards her.
Luggard welcomed this new attention from Lima Lima. They walked together and joined the others at the mud bath. Lima Lima kept a keen eye on Luggard, hoping none of the other older orphans would try and steal him from her. The rest of the herd was too busy, either wallowing or at the water trough, so Lima Lima relished the time she got with Luggard and watched him roll in the mud, at the edge of the mud-bath like a proud parent.
As the evening came to a close, all the orphans slowly made their way home from the Chyulus, Luggard stood on the path waiting for Murera and Sonje so that they could walk home together.
Shukuru loves her Keepers and always stays close to them. Today she ventured out into the hills and after a while when she heard them calling out her name, she quickly made her way to where her Keeper was waiting. She saw that he was calling her because it was time for the midday feed. She had completely lost track of time, but now followed him to the feeding area.
After their milk bottles, Faraja walked over to the waterhole. It was quite a warm day so he enjoyed a long drink and then decided to step inside the waterhole. This was probably because he wanted to cool his feet. He stayed for quite a while, enjoying the water and watching all his friends come to the waterhole and then leave. After a while Faraja left the waterhole and followed his friends into the forest.
Today Murera decided to spend time with Mwashoti. Being the loving and nurturing matriarch that she is, Murera wants to ensure she balances her time with all her babies. It is rare for Lima Lima to share guardianship of Luggard, whom she absolutely adores, so when Murera gave her permission to do so, Lima Lima spent the entire day close to Luggard, doting on him. Mwashoti also enjoyed the attention he received from Murera today.
Quanza found a tree that was bent and falling down. Looking for something new to eat other than acacia bark, Quanza did a good job pulling down the tree completely and then sampling some of the bark, but decided it was not to her taste.
Alamaya and his friend Faraja decided to break away from the herd and browse by themselves away from the others. The arrival of Enkesha and Luggard has meant that Sonje and Murera now have less time for Alamaya, but this has brought about a new found independence in Alamaya. He seeks out company, like that of Faraja, who is happy to show him the ropes.
At the mud bath today, Alamaya walked over to Mwashoti for a friendly strength testing game. Although similar in age, Alamaya usually overpowers Mwashoti in size and strength, but today Mwashoti surprised us all. He was able to stand his ground and push and play as an equal with Alamaya. It is very heartening to see these boys grow up and show such promise of becoming strong bulls.
The morning started off very cold as the Keepers were preparing the milk bottles for the 6am feed.
Murera quickly downed her bottle and made her way to Luggard’s gate, where she waited patiently to receive her sweet little boy. As soon as Luggard exited his night stockade, he placed his trunk on Murera’s chest. Murera and Luggard have formed such a wonderful bond and is very a big part of helping Luggard settle at Umani.
After the orphans had milled around the stockades, they were ready to move towards the forest with their Keepers. As usual, not keen on waiting for anyone, Enkesha was ahead of the herd; as if she already knew which way the matriarchs would chose to browse today. Enkesha continues to be a sweet and curious girl who is very much loved by all the Keepers.