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Maisha and Nabulu settled to feed on lucerne with their new friends at Ithumba. At least now they are beginning to like the lucerne, but they feed at a distance from the others to avoid being pushed by the seniors. Maisha was the matriarch in the Nursery but here she is one of the babies in the herd, and it has been an adjustment for her. We know when others graduate to Ithumba in the future, she will certainly take them under her wing, and care for them just like Roi, Maramoja and Kamok do now, to those younger than themselves. Nabulu is quite calm and intermingles freely with any one and has settled in very well. 

Siangiki, Oltaiyoni and Galla settled to share a pile of lucerne as the two girls tried to convince Galla to join their older class and perhaps Galla might be interested to graduate to this older group soon, as he too is starting to like exploring his independence.

Out in the bush, Barsilinga, Tusuja and Olsekki parted ways with their friends and decided to go on their own way. At around ten o'clock in the morning, wild-living orphan Orwa, in the company of a wild herd, showed up at the stockades and left later with the same group after drinking enough water. 

At mud bath time the orphans got into the water but only Nabulu, Esampu and Karisa fully participated in the wallowing exercise. The others just splashed themselves and then walked to the big soil mounds to dry themselves off, escorted by Mutara’s herd. Mutara’s herd then left and the dependent orphans carried on browsing. In the afternoon the clouds cleared and it turned quite hot, so the orphans took a break from feeding to relax under a tree. Musiara challenged Mundusi but their game was cut short by Kauro who pushed the two boys away. 

Ambo left the stockade and headed straight out to browse as his friends settled to feast on lucerne. Nabulu and Maisha, who happen to sleep in the same stockade as Ambo, were happy to follow him. These two girls clearly remember him from their Nursery days! The Keepers called Ambo to come back and stop taking the new girls away. Ambo wouldn’t listen to the Keepers however and kept walking straight out to the bush. In the end the Keepers had to run after him and turn him back to join his friends who were eating lucerne. Sattao pointed his trunk at Maisha as if in warning to stop her nonsense of running into the bush and that instead she should join everyone to feed on the lucerne grass too – it is an excellent way to fill one’s tummy before venturing out into the bush. Musiara decided to have fun by sitting and playing on the ground. His game attracted his loyal older friend Maramoja who was accompanied by Barsilinga and Esampu. The three surrounded him until he was through with his game. 

Later the orphans settled to browse in Kone area and had a quiet morning. At mud bath time, the dependent orphans were joined by Tomboi and several wild bulls who are slowly starting to come back to visit the area for water as the dry season creeps in. The orphans didn't have a mud bath as it was too cold, but they did enjoy soil bathing before returning back to the browsing field. Mutara and her herd joined the dependent orphans for the rest of the day. 

A certain young wild bull who has joined the ex-orphans was present during the lucerne feeding time this morning. This young bull is showing up almost every morning and every evening for the free lucerne. Out in the bush, Tusuja got annoyed with Lemoyian who came to climb on him as he was enjoying rolling on the ground. Tusuja got up and tackled Lemoyian, but the tough Lemoyian didn’t give in, so the two boys continued to fight until Suguta intervened by separating the two boys. Frustrated, Tusuja didn’t want to stick around so he rumbled to call his friend Barsilinga. Barsilinga was enjoying a pushing game with Enkikwe, but quit that game and responded to Tusuja's call. The two boys walked away only to return later in the evening when all the dependent orphans had already settled into their stockades for the night. 

Pare came across a bent tree that he used to scratch his itchy belly on. At mud bath time, though it was quite cool, Maisha, Nabulu, Lemoyian, Kilaguni and Esampu fully enjoyed wallowing in the water before joining their friends in a soil dusting exercise. 

In the afternoon, Ndiwa had her own lone game of rolling on the ground. The rest of the day was quiet and in the evening, ex-orphan Challa reported to the stockade compound, shortly later followed by some wild elephants who also came for a drink of water; this is an indication to us that the dry season is setting in, and sure quite how long it will last. 

It was a quiet morning. Soon after leaving the stockades and having their lucerne, the dependent orphans teamed up with Mutara’s herd and headed to the Kone area where they settled to browse. 

Enkikwe and Maramoja, who have been promoted to the next class, settled to feed together and had a long conversation. Later, the two parted ways and Maramoja went to look for her favourite Musiara. 

Kilaguni reported early at the mud bath and enjoyed a cooling off exercise before the dependent orphans joined him after having their milk bottles. The drama queen Esampu got into the water and started trumpeting as she ran through the water. Her trumpeting got other orphans excited and they responded by trumpeting as well as they enjoyed a cooling off exercise, and later a soil dusting exercise. 

Sana Sana and Malkia walked and stood under a tree for some time, enjoying a girl to girl talk that ended when they saw Olsekki approaching. Karisa and Malima decided to dig a hole with their feet to make some loose soil, before proceeding to dust themselves. Later, Karisa engaged Ndiwa in light strength testing exercise. The afternoon was quiet as the orphans concentrated on browsing throughout the remaining part of the day without any major distractions. 

After setting to eat lucerne, Ambo noticed Kanjoro and went to say hi to him. Ambo tried to engage Kanjoro in conversation, perhaps wondering where he disappears off to before reappearing again. Ambo left Kanjoro and went to join Esampu in feeding on lucerne. 

Out in the bush, Mundusi joined Karisa to browse but a short while later the Keepers noticed they were disagreeing over something, and they began a pushing game to settle their differences. 

At mud bath time, Maisha and Nabulu were in the first group and soon after having their milk, the two girls headed straight to cool-off in the mud bath. The rest of the group joined later, and then they all enjoyed a soil bath to dry off before heading back out to browse. 

Barsilinga, Tusuja, Olsekki, Kithaka, Garzi and a wild elephant showed up later at the mud bath. In the afternoon, Galla and Siangiki parted ways with the juniors only to show up later at the stockades, shortly before seven in the evening. Ten wild bulls visited the stockade compound for water and later left after having enough of the much needed water. 

Kilaguni was still sleeping outside the stockades when the dependent orphans were let out. As soon as he heard them coming out, Kilaguni woke up and stood facing the lucerne store in anticipation of a good breakfast. Suguta and her group waited for their Dololo outside the gate, and escorted him for lucerne. Shortly later two groups of wild herds showed up and joined the orphans to feed on lucerne without asking permission from anyone. One of the females had a one month old baby. Interestingly Sities abandoned Dololo and decided to familiarize herself with the small baby, suggesting that she is just happy to be around any small babies! Esampu the drama queen wasn't left out either, but also placed herself in the queue so as to have a glimpse of the baby. When the lucerne finished, the wild herd left. Maisha and Nabulu decided to follow the wild herd since there were babies their size within the group, but the Keepers quickly intervened to make sure that the two girls didn't go with the wild herd. It was a cool morning and the orphans enjoyed their time browsing. 

At mud bath time the orphans had their milk then settled for soil dusting since it was too cold for them to get into the water. Sattao settled to play with Pare but their game was cut short by Wanjala who passed by and pushed Sattao so hard that he cried out. Wanjala was cautioned by the Keepers to stop bullying the small boys. 

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse east of Ithumba Hill. Rapa, Sana Sana and Wanjala decided to feed far away from the others and when it was time to return to the compound the three couldn’t be found. An hour later the Keepers found them however and they were escorted back to the stockades for the night. 

This is the first morning for Nabulu to wake up without her friend. The two had only spent one month together at Ithumba since they were brought from Nairobi. Luckily some ex-orphans visited the stockades which cheered everyone up. It is quite amazing they arrived this morning, of all mornings, and just goes to show how much elephants remain in contact with one another. Ex-orphans Galana, Gawa, Loijuk, Lili, Lenana, Lapa, Makena, Kilabasi, Narok, Kitirua, Naisula, Ishanga, Tumaren and Ukame showed up at the compound. The small babies Lapa and Lili reminded Nabulu of the good times in the nursery while she was taking care of the young ones. Seeing these young babies made her very happy as she tried following them and interacting with them, and at one point nearly disappeared with the ex-orphans were not for the intervention by the Keepers. Nabulu really wanted to be close to the babies but this couldn't happen as they stayed next to their mothers and were always on the move. 

After being intercepted, Nabulu walked over to Malkia and teamed up with her to browse. Malkia has been very comforting towards Nabulu and stays by her. 

Esampu got it rough when she challenged Gawa as they are roughly the same size. But Esampu couldn't withstand Gawa’s strength and so surrendered. Kauro had a brief conversation with Ukame who left with the ex-orphans a few months ago. Perhaps Kauro wanted to know from Ukame how life is treating her now she is living in the wild. Kauro parted ways with Ukame and walked off to join the others. 

Ambo had a pushing game with Malima as Sattao played with Musiara. Pare decided to have his own game of rolling on the ground and Dololo, who was close by, thought it a clever idea to go and roll on Pare, which he would never be able to do if he were standing! At mud bath time the weather was chilly and none of the orphans dared to step into the mud bathing water after having their milk bottles. 

In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse east of Ithumba Hill. The rest of the day was quiet as the orphans concentrated on browsing. 

Galana and her herd reported early at the stockade compound and waited for the orphans to come out. They shared lucerne together and in the process Mundusi ran into trouble with Gawa when he tried to pick some lucerne that was close to her. Gawa pushed Mundusi hard and since her mother was close by she knew that Mundusi wouldn’t retaliate. Galana left to drink water leaving Gawa with the dependent orphans. Mundusi was happy that Galana stepped out of the way, and he quickly mobilized a few bulls and went to attack Gawa. Gawa had no option other than to run away for her safety, leaving Mundusi feeling elated.  

Out in the bush, Siangiki and Musiara teamed up with Ukame to have a conversation that lasted for quite some time. Dololo challenged Pare to a pushing game that lasted for quite awhile too, before Dololo decided to surrender. 

At the mud bath the sun was shining though a cold wind was blowing. Nabulu, Esampu and Kauro did choose to wallow but the others opted for a soil dusting exercise instead. In the afternoon the orphans settled to browse east of Ithumba Hill. 

A wild herd visited the stockades in the morning. Noticeable were two wild babies, one of them as young as five months old. As the other orphans were busy feeding on lucerne, Nabulu was busy enjoying interacting with the youngest wild baby. Shortly later, Esampu joined her and kept on tricking the baby to follow them but the baby was unwavering and wouldn't leave her mother. Nabulu stepped aside and held a brief meeting with Esampu to discuss how to win the baby over but they couldn't reach an agreement. The two girls kept on following the baby each using their own techniques but none worked. Nabulu decided to leave with the wild herd when it was time for the herd to leave. The Keepers were quick to intervene though, and blocked Nabulu from following the wild herd. 

Out in the bush, Mundusi decided to challenge Kauro, but Kauro wasn't in a playful mood and so shoved Mundusi out of his way. Dololo continued to enjoy love from his big sisters Sities, Suguta, Kainuk and Turkwel in Mutara’s herd. 

One wild bull visited the orphans while they were at the mud bath. The orphans only had their milk and some water then participated in a soil dusting exercise. Ambo tried to challenge Mapia but then decided to surrender. In the afternoon, Musiara decided to team up with Malkia to browse and at the same time, listen to any advice that would be helpful coming from Malkia.