Truth be told, Korbessa has always been wiser than her years. She is a remarkably self-assured elephant — wonderfully spoiled, yes, but also very composed and mature. We often find this is the case with females who go on to be matriarchs, and we wouldn't be surprised to find Korbessa in a leadership position someday.

In reality, Korbessa is already in charge of her own herd — her merry band of bulls! Mwinzi, Toto, and Natibu are all a year or more older than her, but they defer to her leadership and accept her as their mini matriarch. We often see this among our orphans: even if they are much younger, females are inherently respected as leaders.

It must be noted that Korbessa loses all decorum where milk is involved. She races to the feeding point as if her life depends on it, barrelling past everyone in order to be first to her bottle. The boys approach at a much more leisurely pace — they know they will get their full serving, no matter when they arrive.

Hose wars are one area where there is no loyalty. All four elephants are obsessed with having possession of the coveted hosepipe and the fountain of cold, fresh water it provides. Korbessa often wins out of sheer persistence, but Natibu is the most reliable victor. He is the youngest bull, but he is very tough and not afraid to play a bit dirty.

We witnessed a very funny skirmish in hose wars this month: Korbessa lost the hose to Natibu, then quickly twisted it back into her possession. However, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Mwinzi — the biggest and most dominant bull at Kaluku — trundling over. Mwinzi usually doesn’t get involved in these petty squabbles, but when he wants something, he has the size and strength to get it. Knowing that Mwinzi would inevitably get the hose, she relinquished it to Natibu, skirted away, and watched as Mwinzi did exactly what she predicted.

Toto still doesn’t like the water, but he loves the dust — he often flatly refuses to enter the mud bath, or at best will dip his toes in the water, but he is much happier reclining on the soft earth. Interestingly, he is a mirror image of Vaarti in almost every way: Both boys were rescued from Ithumba under remarkably similar circumstances. They were both discovered by wild-living elephants who brought them to the stockades for help. They are both notably gentle in nature, with deep affection for their human family. Finally, they both share a dislike of water. Perhaps they are relatives!

At the very end of last month, we rescued an infant orphaned elephant from the Tsavo ecosystem. Neonates are very fragile — and she is no exception — but we are happy with her progress thus far. She is being looked after by two of our most gifted Keepers, both of whom she is completely besotted with. Every day is a revelation — she is very bright and fun-loving!

Twiggy had a good month. After giving us the runaround last month, including one particularly long jaunt ‘off campus’ that set off a large and rather stressful search party, she has happily remained closer to home this month. At three years old, she is close to fully grown in terms of height, although she will continue to mature until she is about eight years old.

Twiggy remains as kind and gentle as ever. She can usually be found in the company of her eclectic group of friends — Bean the warthog; Bibi and Gruff the buffalos; Bombi the zebra; Bam and Boozle the ostriches; Choke and Dimple the kudus; and Izera the eland.

In recent weeks, we have welcomed a trio of dik-diks into the fold — one girl and two boys, named Sally, Wesley, and Pedro — all rescued from different locations, but each found orphaned and in need of help. Dik-diks are fascinating little creatures. They are the smallest antelope species found in Kenya, immediately recognisable for their diminutive stature and flexible nose that acts as a built-in air conditioner.

Dik-diks are also unique in that they form lifelong, monogamous partnerships. Once bonded, a male and female share a territory and defend it together, often scent-marking boundaries. We will see if Sally ends up with one of the boys or finds partnership elsewhere!

Every month, we marvel at Chamboi’s progress. He is shaping up to be a stunning black rhino — strong and sturdy, with a personality to match. His Keepers note that he is very clever and a quick study. He picks things up quickly and commits them to memory. For instance, he knows all his milk feeding times to the minute — and reminds us of any tardiness with a series of impatient squeaks!

Black rhinos are known to be solitary creatures, but Chamboi seems to enjoy the eclectic company of his fellow orphans. He adores Twiggy, and the two can often be found strolling down the road side by side. He seems to gravitate toward towering friends, for he also adores Bam and Boozle the ostriches. This month, he even met our new little elephant rescue, whom he greeted with great curiosity.

Apollo the Orphaned Rhino

Apollo is thriving — strong, alert, and always hungry. His appetite is so big these days, he often returns home later than usual. With June starting to herald in our coldest stretch of the year, he’s largely skipped his mud baths, save for a couple of indulgent wallows. After one such session, he retreated to a quiet den for a long, undisturbed rest… or so he thought. A pair of jackals had other ideas. Apollo was not amused, and a lively chase ensued — more hide-and-seek than confrontation, which he seemed to rather enjoy. The whole affair ended with a second mud bath for good measure.

Lately, he’s taken to spending more time out and about, only heading back once he remembers his favourite things await: milk, lucerne, and a bit of sugarcane for ‘dessert’.

Apollo is now at Rhino Base in Tsavo East National Park.