While our Umani herd continues to be a tight-knit family, three distinct groups are solidifying: the nightclubber mothers, nannies, and babies, led by Sonje and Lima Lima; the slower-moving dependent herd, which is under Murera's care; and the older boys, who spend time with wild friends. Everyone still spends a good part of the day together, but they are increasingly doing things more independently.
That said, all the Umani orphans remain deeply bonded and are in constant communication. This was on full display one morning. It began before dawn, when we found Mwashoti waiting outside the stockades after a night in the forest with Alamaya's wild friends. We believe that Mwashoti was not comfortable with the company and made Alamaya escort him home. He patiently waited for Murera and the babies to join him at the pellets point.
As the dependent herd headed into the forest, Mwashoti and Murera stopped to investigate some elephant dung dropped on the pathway. They then abruptly took a new direction, going to the top of the Umani Hills. We soon realised what they were doing: the smell helped Mwashoti and Murera determine where they would find Lima Lima's group. Sure enough, the Keepers soon spotted them on the slopes of the hill.
Unlike Lenny and Sulwe, who are quite outgoing, Zigi is the shyest of the Umani babies. He can usually be found with his mother or dedicated nanny, Kiasa. Perhaps it is precisely his diffidence that makes him irresistible to the other nannies, especially Enkesha and Amali. They are always trying to woo the little bull, but Kiasa runs a tight ship and rarely grants access. One afternoon, Enkesha walked over to Zigi with a special offering, in the form of a lovely stick. When Amali jealously blocked her path, Enkesha dropped the stick, hoping it might entice Zigi over. Her hopes were quashed when Amali picked it up and claimed it for herself.
When Latika, Kamili, and Kerrio first moved to Umani Springs in December, Amali was quite churlish. She was already the lowest nanny on the proverbial totem pole because of her young age, and the arrival of three peers further crowded the playing field. But as the year has progressed, the girls have started to become better friends. One afternoon, they all banded together to chase off some unruly warthogs.
Among our Umani bulls, only Mwashoti, Kapei, and Maktao are a reliable daily presence. Alamaya, Jasiri, Faraja, and Ziwa pop by regularly, but not every day, while Kiombo seems to be having far too much fun in the wild to visit his old family. The trio have appointed themselves the herd's designated security force, keeping other wild animals at bay. Very often, their 'foes' present no real threat — one afternoon, they targeted two crane birds who were only trying to find some grasshoppers to eat — but their dedication to the safety of their human-elephant family is admirable.
June brought another Umani courtship to centre stage. This time, it was Lima Lima's turn for romance. Faraja seems to have taken on the role of herd matchmaker. At 14 years old, he is still far too young to be a serious contender, but instead he has taken to introducing prospective suitors to the females in season.
Lima Lima didn't make his job easy. Unlike her first honeymoon period, which was over fairly quickly, she seemed to enjoy teasing the bulls this time around. Over the course of several weeks, she wafted to and fro, surrounded by a bevy of hopefuls. This made everyone else's lives significantly more stressful, as we must take every precaution when wild elephants are around.
The prolonged affair left poor Lenny rather tired and put out. Just as they did with Zigi when Zongoloni was entertaining suitors, the nannies took control of the situation. During one particularly torrid afternoon, we witnessed Quanza and Enkesha frogmarch a flustered Lenny away from Lima Lima and the bulls. They escorted him into the herd, where he was consoled by Mwana and Kerrio. The females stood protectively around Lenny until Lima Lima returned to nurse him.
June ended without a conclusion to the Lima Lima love affair — we will have to wait until next month to find out who wins her affections.