In Nairobi, the month began with rainy nights and a stable block of protesting elephants. Although most of the elephants did not mind the clattering of rain on tin roofs, Daba, Wamata, Kipekee, and Arthi were not happy. They trumpeted and shouted, as if the Keepers had an off switch for the storm that they were not employing. Calm was only restored when the rain stopped falling.
It was a wet start to the month with a downpour in the night. Although the other elephants did not mind the clattering of rain on tin roofs, Daba, Wamata, Kipekee and Arthi were not happy. Their protest took the form of loud trumpets from the start to the end of the rainstorm! They paced around their stockades while the others rumbled reassuringly or stood quietly in theirs. Calm was restored only when the rain stopped falling.
In the morning, the orphans padded out of their stockades and up to the forest where they settled to browse. As the day became warmer, the elephants began playing in a large area of mud. All were rubbing faces and bellies and rolling on the ground. Even shy Alia was having fun mud bathing. Cheeky Arthi and Daba took advantage of a prone Alia to rest their forelegs on her belly. Standing by, Talek tolerated their behaviour but we knew that she would intervene to protect Alia if older bulls Olomunyak or Pardamat tried the same trick.
Later in the morning at the mud bath after the orphans had downed their milk feeds and as many were busy browsing on greens, Daba and Kipekee had a playful time, With Wamata walking alongside, the two little elephants pushed back and forth in a gentle version of a wrestling match. Today, none of the orphans paddled in the mud wallow because they were still covered in mud from the forest.
Zuri is doing very well with her new family. She is out every day with the herd and enjoying the love, care and protection of her many nannies. Our newbie is always with either Muridjo or Nyambeni or Mzinga or Talek or Wamata and often with two or three of them.
Tytan is also very well after his surgery and is still feeding on soft greens in his stockade with his best buddy Notty. Rather than one zebra, Maxwell has the company of several warthogs and is happy to share his pellets with the pigs on most days.
As the orphans gathered outside their stockades this morning, Taroha walked over to greet Max. While the others headed up the path to the forest, the dominant bull stayed with the blind black rhino, laying his trunk over Max’s head. But it was not long before he followed the others who had already settled to browse in the field.
A few minutes later, with Pardamat in tow, Taroha sneaked back to spend more time with Max! The two bulls trunk touched the rhino and knocked their heads against his gate, until they were found by several Keepers and shepherded back to the herd.
After filling their bellies, Mzinga, Talek and Nyambeni lay down on a patch of dry ground to play. They rubbed and bumped against each other, with the two older girls sandwiching Talek between them. Olomunyak and Pardamat soon wandered over to join the game, although all they wanted to do was climb on top of the girls. Nyambeni was not putting up with this and so she stood up and drove them away.
Later in the morning at the mud bath, the orphans were quiet and calm. They drank their milk and browsed on supplementary lucerne. Not even naughty Pardamat or mischievous Mzinga were up to their tricks.
Back in the forest, Daba, Kipekee, Arthi and Wamata had fun chasing and charging after warthogs trying to graze next to the herd. Daba and Kipeke were so energetic, running in and out of the bushes as they playfully staked out the pigs. Little Zuri watched the action with Muridjo standing protectively on one side and Nyambeni on the other.
Padding out of their rooms soon after dawn, Muridjo, Nyambeni, Mzinga and Talek headed to the babies’ stables. When we opened their doors, the big girls popped in to check on Wamata, Daba, Kipekee, Zuri and Arthi while they were still inside! Satisfied that everyone was well, the nannies then waited outside for the young ones.
Out they came and off they went. Ignoring the older Wamata, Muridjo and Mzinga scooped up Kipekee and Zuri, Nyambeni and Talek picked up Daba and Arthi, and a happy mini herd headed out to the field.
Returning to the forest after the morning milk feed at the mud wallow, the herd enjoyed a soil bathing session. Every elephant in the herd was involved. Older ones like Muridjo, Nyambeni, Mzinga, Talek, Taroha, Olomunyak and Pardamat did most of the rolling and tumbling while little ones like Arthi, Daba, Kipekee, Wamata and shy Alia bumped against and climbed on them. Pardamat was on his best behaviour, allowing both Daba and Arthi to play climb on him! Alia enjoyed climbing on Olomunyak, Wamata clambered onto Taroha and Muridjo, and Kipekee tried to climb on Mzinga but could hardly make it! Little Zuri was happy to toddle around scratching her bottoms against every elephant she came across!
Tytan is very healthy and his mouth has healed well since his surgery. It will not be long before he and Notty return to the forest.
Arthi is a confident young boy who doesn't keep himself tucked in between the big girls, in contrast to Daba and Kipekee who love being pampered by Muridjo, Mzinga, Nyambeni and Talek. Although he is not yet two years old, he is a boy who loves to be in front of all the others, whether out in the forest in the morning or running for a milk feed or returning to the stockades in the evening.
This morning, Arthi led the herd out from the stockades to the forest. Our independent bull likes to go in a direction of his choice. Today, he led the others off in a different direction from most days and they padded obediently along behind him!
As the orphans waited for their milk, they were soil bathing and playing again. Pardamat, Mzinga, Olomunyak, Wamata, Nyambeni and Talek were rolling on the ground and on each other. Mzinga and Wamata were climbing on and off an unusually easy going Pardamat — on most days he likes to be the mounter rather than the mounted!
Later in the morning, it was Taroha’s turn to be the play cushion. He lay down on the ground at the mud wallow and invited the little ones to play. Daba, Arthi, Kipekee, Wamata and even Zuri gathered around their favourite big brother to rest their forelegs or rub their bodies against him. He seemed happy to be covered in young ones and they felt safe with him. Taroha is a very special bull who likes being with babies.
The orphans settled in the field calmly this morning with no one showing off or playing games. The four little ones were, however, competing about who could be first in the browsing line. Arthi, Wamata, Daba and Kipekee were walking ahead of the others and all four toddlers wanted to be in the lead! Whenever Daba took two steps ahead of Kipekee, he was rewarded with a shove, and whenever Kipekee did the same, she also received a push. They wandered along happily pushing each other at regular intervals.
Later in the morning, the herd visited the mud wallow for a milk feed and some extra greens. Naughty Kipekee was doing her best to bully Zuri. The little girl likes to keep herself tucked in between Muridjo, Nyambeni, Mzinga and Talek. The big girls are caring for and giving more attention to Zuri than to Kipekee. The second born has arrived and the first born is jealous! And so, Kipekee tried (unsuccessfully) to push Zuri away from her nannies. The upside of this change is that Kipekee is not as naughty as she is no longer the spoilt baby.
In the afternoon, the orphans remained close to the stockades; no one was keen to wander deep in the forest. As usual, we sent them back to their stables in groups with Mzinga and Zuri the last in line because of Mzinga’s very special duty: every evening the older girl escorts the younger one into her stable as Zuri is still getting used to her room. Only Mzinga is happy to do this wonderful thing!
This morning, Nyambeni and Wamata were waiting outside the stables of the two young ones. As we opened the doors, Nyambeni rumbled loudly in welcome. Kipekee and Zuri toddled out and were greeted with more rumbles and trunk touches from Nyambeni and Wamata. Nyambeni escorted the three girls up the path to join the others as they headed out to the forest.
This morning, Pardamat, Talek, Olomunyak and Nyambeni were charging and chasing after impalas trying to graze close to the herd. As the game reached its climax, Pardamat took off into the dense thickets by himself while the other three returned to the herd. Minutes later, Pardamat was trumpeting loudly to work out the right direction back to the other orphans. Responding to the shouting, Nyambeni ran off to pick up her trumpeting friend. Only when she had rescued him did he calm down!
In contrast to recent days, the sun was shining in the afternoon and the elephants cooled off in the mud wallow. Wamata, Mzinga, Nyambeni, Arthi, Taroha, Talek, Daba and Kipekee all took to the mud pool to paddle and rub bodies and wallow. Nyambeni was lying on top of Mzinga, who did not seem to mind lying under her sister!
Muridjo loves mud bathing but did not climb into the wallow because she was guarding Zuri. When the little girl moved towards the puddle of elephants, Muridjo put her trunk under Zuri’s neck and pulled her away from the pool. The mini matriarch had decided that it was not safe for her in the wallow — she might be squeezed or squashed by the others, or she might not be able to climb out.
Out in the field this morning, the orphans browsed calmly. No one was showing off or playing games. Even bulls like Taroha, Pardamat and Olomunyak, who are very fond of engaging in wrestling matches, kept their heads down and browsed quietly. It was as if the bulls did not know about wrestling games!
Zuri and Kipekee were putting their tiny trunks into the mouths of Muridjo and Mzinga. They wanted to feed on the tasty soft greens which the two taller girls had pulled down from the trees and which they could not reach. Little elephants like to look for greens which have fallen to the forest floor or are still in the big girls’ mouths.
Later in the morning at the mud wallow, the orphans drank from the troughs or picked up pieces of supplementary lucerne. Only Arthi and Daba were playing. The two boys were pushing each other one way and the other, enjoying a gentle sparring match. They are becoming good friends and often choose to play with each other.
Mzinga was being mischievous in the afternoon. She sneaked away from the others in the forest and went back to the stockades to hang out with Max. As soon as she saw a Keeper walking towards her, Mzinga sprinted back to the forest, trumpeting along the way. The clever girl knew she was not supposed to be at the stockades and should be with the herd. Elephants are smart and can anticipate what is going to happen!
This morning, Mzinga and Talek arrived very early outside Zuri’s stable, pushing and pulling the door for Zuri to come out. Although Kipekee is in the next stable to Zuri, the big girls did not try to open her door. Giving up on their efforts to open the door, Mzinga and Talek camped outside Zuri’s stable. Muridjo and Nyambeni walked down to wait with them, but the mini matriarch did not allow Nyambeni to stay, sending her back to the others who were roaming around the compound.
Finally, both little girls toddled out of their rooms and were welcomed by Muridjo, Mzinga and Talek who shepherded them up the path to the bush. Unsurprisingly, out in the forest, Kipekee tried to block Zuri from the older girls but she did not succeed as the new member of the family has become their focus. Just as Wamata was jealous of Kipekee, Kipekee is now jealous of Zuri; occasionally, this makes her push the little girl when she is around the big girls. As Keeper Julius says, ‘What goes around, comes around.’
At the mud bath later in the morning, Kipekee and Daba were showing off the wheelbarrow game! Daba balanced her forelegs on Kipekee’s back as she moved along the line. The two elephants have become good friends.
In the afternoon, the herd wandered far in the forest led by Muridjo. After exploring the bush, they walked back towards the stockades and gathered around an area of dry soil. Muridjo loosened the soil with her front feet and tusks and lay down on the ground. While she enjoyed a dust bath, Zuri, Wamata, Olomunyak and Kipekee climbed up and slid off her back and rolled on the ground.
Today, Tytan and Notty returned to the forest as the rhino’s mouth has healed very well. They walked up the path behind their Keepers and settled to graze quite close to the stockades.
Talek was full of excitement this morning. As soon as we opened her door, she ran out and went from one stockade to the next, trumpeting to the rest of the herd. Her energy spread to Muridjo, who balanced on her hind legs as she tried to climb out, and also to Mzinga, who tried to climb over the wall into Alia’s stockade.
All the orphans came out of their rooms and began playing around the compound. Taroha, Daba and Kipekee pushed and pulled at Max’s gate while the rhino stood still on the other side. Taroha stretched his trunk through the gaps and onto Max’s head before running to catch up with the others as they headed out to the forest. Max then lumbered around his large enclosure and settled to graze on pellets with his warthog friends.
After the nine o’clock milk feed, the elephants wandered off in a long line to explore the forest. Spotting them from a distance, Notty ran towards them. Although Tytan was having a nap, he heard Notty running, stood up and ran after his friend. Catching sight of the zebra, Muridjo turned to face her and chase her away.
Rather than running away, Notty ran ahead of the elephants and hid from Muridjo behind a small bush. Tytan joined her and together they watched the elephants amble past in a line. Clever Mzinga took a few steps towards them with trunk outstretched and then caught up with the others who had gone ahead.
While the herd browsed around them later in the day, the bulls were playing. Pardamat and Olomunyak got stuck into yet another wrestling match while Taroha played a gentler version with little Arthi, teaching him some tactics.
The arrival of Zuri has upset the apple cart of herd dynamics! This morning, Mzinga and Zuri were browsing together in the forest when Kipekee padded up behind them and gave the little girl a shove. Our newbie turned around, saw that Kipekee had headbutted her, and charged! Zuri somehow knocked Kipekee to the ground while Mzinga paid no attention and carried on browsing. It was Daba who reacted! Coming to his friend’s defence, he ran towards Zuri but was blocked by Mzinga who pulled Zuri close and saw off the bull.
Everyone except for Taroha prefers to go down first to the mud bath for a milk feed and so there is often jostling for position. Only laidback Taroha stands quietly waiting his turn! This morning, Muridjo, Mzinga, Kipekee, Arthi and Wamata sprinted down in the first group. After downing their bottles, the big girls seemed to realise that Zuri was not with them and walked back up the path.
Muridjo stopped at the rocky area on the path, waited for a minute and returned to the mud bath to look after Kipekee. Mzinga went all the way to the waiting area and escorted little Zuri down the path. Afterwards, Mzinga lay down on the pile of dry soil and Zuri did her best to play mount her large nanny. Although she may not have grown much in size since her arrival, Zuri has certainly grown in confidence!
Not only Kipekee but also Daba is having to adjust to the arrival of Zuri! This morning in the forest, Zuri was sandwiched by Nyambeni and Muridjo; the two nannies stood so close that they were touching the newbie. Kipekee attempted to push Zuri out from her spot but was unsuccessful as, although the big girls did not react, they blocked her way. Daba followed suit with the same result. And then, Zuri popped out from between Muridjo’s legs, headbutted Kipekee and stepped back quickly to her safe hiding place!
The older girls’ reaction to Pardamat threatening Zuri later in the morning was, however, very different. When he pushed her out of his way, she fell over and they took charge. Muridjo drove Pardamat away and made him stay at a distance for a couple of hours while Mzinga, Talek and Nyambeni ran over to check on Zuri.
Later in the morning at the mud bath, the boys were so entertaining. Arthi and Daba began a sizing up game, pushing heads with trunks entwined. Gentle Taroha walked over to watch the little bulls and then joined the game, almost teasing the boys rather than actually wrestling. When Arthi felt that he had been defeated, he ran away and then Daba ran at Taroha trumpeting loudly. The two friends were taking the game very seriously!
As usual, Mzinga and Zuri padded down the path to the stockades last again this evening. Mzinga led the little girl into her stable, turned around with a quick trunk touch, and walked out to her own stockade.
Last night, the rainfall upset the elephants. Just after midnight there was a heavy downpour of rain clattering on the roofs of the stockades. Kipekee was first to wake up and start trumpeting; Daba responded to her calls with trumpets of his own. Moments later, Nyambeni and Mzinga were making low rumbles to the younger orphans. Even after the rain stopped, Kipekee carried on pacing her room and did not lie down to rest for two hours.
In the morning, Kipekee slept in after her wakeful night. After the others had walked out of their rooms, Mzinga walked into her room to find a very tired sleeping elephant who was surprised to be woken up by a trunk touch from her big sister.
After his disturbed night, Taroha was not himself in the forest today. Our usually tolerant bull charged at Olomunyak when the younger bull approached him and also pushed Talek as she was walking past — at which point Muridjo stepped in to tell him off. He spent much of the day isolated from the herd whereas he is usually in the midst of the others.
In the afternoon, Alia and Arthi took a break from the herd and spent a long time browsing peacefully with each other in the forest.
In the early morning, Pardamat and Arthi stayed behind for a while with Max, standing by the rhino’s upper gate. The rhino rested his horn on the gate and the two boys rested their trunks across Max's head while leaning sideways on the gate. They took some time before running out to join the herd who had already settled to browse.
After the nine o’clock milk feed, the orphans returned to the woods. Zuri was lying down having fun with Wamata, Olomunyak and Daba but the game did not last for long. Deep in a thicket, Arthi was scared by an unidentified wild animal running away. He ran trumpeting toward Zuri and the others; she was afraid and ran trumpeting in another direction. This affected the whole family who disappeared into the forest all going in different directions.
Some of the herd raced past the mud bath and all the elephants scattered for a time. Just after eleven o’clock, Taroha, Alia and Arthi emerged from the bushes; Taroha responded to the calming whistles of the Keepers and the three remained with the Keepers. Fifteen minutes later, the rest of the herd appeared next to Taroha. The Keepers gathered the orphans and gave them their usual milk feed at the mud bath.
After finishing their bottles, led by Daba and Kipekee, the elephants cooled off in the mud wallow and enjoyed a lengthy mud bath, paddling and splashing and playing before settling to browse on lucerne.
For the remainder of the day, most of the orphans were quiet, apart from Arthi, Daba and Kipekee who played sizing up and hide-and-seek games in the woods. The elephants were so tired that when they arrived home in the evening, they drank their milk and lay down to rest. Muridjo, Mzinga, Pardamat, Talek and Olomunyak were all resting by six o’clock.
Although Alia was rescued late last year and has spent several months with the Nursery herd, she remains a shy and unpredictable girl who is often on the fringes. On some days, she interacts well with the group, staying close and playing with the younger ones. On other days, she keeps her distance and does her own thing.
Today, Alia was hanging back. Rather than following the herd, she went off in a different direction and a Keeper had to stay close and encourage her. The herd walked off towards the north but she went to the north-east. Sometimes, Alia is still wary of the Keepers.
Her behaviour contrasts with that of little Zuri who was only rescued a few weeks ago but is already very comfortable with the other elephants, despite squabbles with Daba and Kipekee, although she is still shy of some Keepers.
This morning at the mud bath, Olomunyak was at his most impressive, taking on both Taroha and Pardamat in a wrestling match. He was playing the pushing game with Taroha when Pardamat joined the game. Our determined bull took on both older bulls at one time!
The oldest three females in the herd are Muridjo, Nyambeni and Mzinga. Muridjo and Mzinga rarely clash but there is a rivalry between Muridjo and Nyambeni for control of the little babies. Mzinga accepts Muridjo’s authority, as the mini matriarch, but Nyambeni sometimes does not. When she does charge at Muridjo, the matriarch puts her firmly in her place.
This morning, there was a pile of leftover greens just next to Tytan’s gate. Mzinga and Zuri were the first to arrive outside his gate where they popped their trunks through the gaps to pick up trunkfuls of soft greens. Muridjo came second, joined the two elephants and there was no issue. But, when Nyambeni arrived, she started shoving everyone else away from the gate. In response, Muridjo pushed Nyambeni. Instead of backing down, Nyambeni challenged the matriarch. Mzinga then got involved and the two girls chased away Nyambeni and went back to enjoying leftovers with not only Zuri but also Kipekee and Daba.
Later in the morning in the forest, Zuri trumpeted in alarm about something and the elephants disappeared into the thickets. They were running in different directions and trumpeting. Wamata, Talek, Mzinga, Nyambeni and Muridjo surrounded Zuri and kept her between them but the others went in random directions. After about half an hour, the Keepers had calmed the herd and brought them back together.
Kipekee used to be the spoiled baby of the herd but no longer. She used to push away strange human beings but, since Zuri’s arrival, she has changed and accepts their presence. She has not been as accepting of Zuri herself but her attitude to the baby is changing too!
This morning in the woods, Kipekee was irritated that, despite all the attention and affection Zuri was being given by Muridjo and Mzinga, the newbie was still complaining and asking for more. She charged and tried to give the baby a big shove. Muridjo ignored the little ones but Mzinga stood between the two little girls to stop the squabble. Moments later, Kipekee and Zuri stood on either side of her with both trunks in their big sister’s mouth. We were happy to see them feeding with Mzinga! Not far away, Nyambeni and Daba were browsing side by side.
Later in the morning, none of the babies wanted to get into the mud bath even though it was a warm day. Olomunyak, however, was not given a choice! As Mzinga wandered past, she gave him a playful shove and he ended up in the muddy water. Once in, he decided to stay and began splashing in the mud. Water baby Taroha paddled in to join his friend and the two bulls began a water wrestling match.
Back in the forest, some of the others cooled off in a pool of standing water. Olomunyak, Mzinga, Talek, Zuri and Daba paddled and splashed in the water while the others browsed around them.
Today was Pardamat’s day to clear the way for the herd. On their way out this morning, led by Arthi, Zuri and Kipekee, the elephants walked into a large herd of impalas on the edge of the forest. As soon as they saw the antelopes, the three little ones began charging backwards. Before the big girls could react, Pardamat took charge. He rushed to the front and drove the impalas away. As they ran in different directions, he went after them to make sure that they stayed away. Meanwhile, Mzinga, who is often the leader, took charge of the herd and led them out with little Zuri running just behind her.
The weather was cold today and none of the orphans wanted to cool off in the mud wallow. Instead, after snacking on lucerne, they played gentle pushing games in pairs. Mzinga played with Muridjo, Taroha with Olomunyak, Talek with Nyambeni, and Wamata with Arthi.
Later in the afternoon, Muridjo used her tusks to prepare some loose soil for Zuri and Kipekee. The two little girls lay down for a dusting. Not far away, Arthi was playing the wheelbarrow-mounting game with Daba until Olomunyak separated the two younger bulls and they went back to browsing.
Olomunyak and Pardamat were engaging in strength contests in the early morning in the forest, clashing heads as they moved one way and then another. They accept that Taroha is the dominant bull but are competing for the position of second strongest.
Daba is becoming another playful boy just like Olomunyak. Today, he was playing with Wamata. Imitating the big girls, Wamata lay on her side and invited the young bull to play the mounting and sliding game, an invitation he was happy to accept.
At the mud bath this morning, several wagtail birds were flying around the herd catching flies on elephant dung. For some reason, Nyambeni decided to take on one of the birds and pointed her trunk at the wagtail. The bird flew down and caught a fly; Nyambeni waved her trunk; the bird dodged the twirling trunk; and the elephant began trumpeting. Walking over to see what was going on, Muridjo and Talek could not understand why their friend was trumpeting!
In the afternoon, we brought Tytan and Notty back to the stockades. The two friends were busy browsing in the field when a warthog ran past with a lioness in pursuit. When Notty took a few steps after the lioness, we called her name and brought them both back to the stockades, just in case the zebra did something silly again!
The orphans browsed peacefully for a long time in the lush green forest this morning. They wandered in small groups, occasionally pausing to play or rest before going back to twisting up clumps of grass or pulling down branches of shrubs. After filling her belly, Wamata lay on a carpet of long grass while Talek and Pardamat carried on browsing around her. After filling their bellies, Zuri and Daba had a little rest while standing with trunks entwined!
Notty can be very protective of Tytan. Today, when one of the Keepers approached the pair as they were grazing and caught her unawares, she turned to face her rhino friend and kicked out with her back legs. Tytan ignored her and, eventually, Notty went back to grazing alongside him.
Tytan is less protective (as he is a rhino) but prefers to keep Notty close. In the afternoon today, Notty began running among a large herd of impalas with several small babies. She was running with them and also chasing them. Tytan did not like the situation and so he charged at the herd. We calmly him down with calls and Notty headed back to join Tytan.
In the afternoon, Mzinga and Kipekee were the only ones that had a mud bath even though it was a warm day. They splashed in the mud while the rest of the herd drank from the buckets or covered themselves with dry soil.
The orphans did not go far this morning but were content to browse and dust bathe quite close to the stockades. While Arthi was rubbing the underside of his trunk against the dry ground, Zuri wandered over and began playing with his ear. Our independent boy did not mind at all and so she kept on touching it while he kept on dust bathing. When he lay down on his side, the little girl leant her whole weight against him.
Daba wandered over next and soon Zuri and Daba both had their trunks draped over Arthi’s head. As the three younger ones played, caring Talek kept watch from the sidelines, just in case someone started playing rough!
Alia was in a playful mood today. After drinking her milk at the mud bath, she challenged Olomunyak to a sizing up game! The most playful orphan in the herd never turns down an invitation to play and the two orphans pushed one way and another around the mud bath. Meanwhile, some of the others browsed on supplementary lucerne while others rolled on the mound of dry soil, covering their bodies with soothing dust.
It was a quiet afternoon in the forest. Led by Mzinga and with Muridjo bringing up the rear, the herd wandered far in the woods before returning to the stockades for the night.
This morning in the forest, Taroha was browsing with Arthi and Zuri. When cheeky Arthi popped his trunk into Zuri’s mouth in the hope of a tasty clump of browse, Zuri rumbled in complaint and Taroha came to the rescue! He walked between the two younger elephants and restored the peace.
As usual the herd visited the mud bath later in the morning for a milk feed. All padded down the path quietly for their bottles except for the shouting boys. Arthi and Daba announced their arrivals with loud trumpets but calmed down when they were given their bottles. Afterwards, the herd spread out around the wallow to browse on supplementary lucerne but no one was tempted to paddle as it was a cool and cloudy day.
Tytan is growing fast — as is his horn. In the afternoon, he was rubbing his horn against the ground to clean and sharpen it before lying down for a roll around on the patch of dry soil. Notty stayed close but continued grazing, as she is less keen on dust baths than her rhino friend.
In the afternoon, the older girls were looking after Kipekee and Daba while Arthi did his thing and browsed with the older bulls. Today, Wamata was on nanny duty and stuck close to Zuri for a long time. The two girls browsed together and then lay down in the dust. Wamata rolled on her back while Zuri leant against her and tried to play mount her.
Mzinga and Nyambeni have had a strong bond since they were first rescued around the same time. Both are mischievous and we often see them playing or browsing together. This afternoon at the mud bath, after drinking their milk, Mzinga settled with Zuri near the wallow while Nyambeni was taken to the naughty corner in the bush as her behaviour can be unpredictable.
Realising that Nyambeni was not there, Mzinga kept trying to sneak away to join her. This upset Zuri who rumbled if Mzinga took even a few steps. Eventually, we brought Nyambeni back so that both Mzinga and Zuri could calm down. She was welcomed with more rumbling and trunk touches from her best friend!
After visiting the mud wallow, the herd returned for a final browse of the day in the forest. Muridjo, Wamata, Kipekee, Daba and Zuri browsed in a forested area while Talek, Alia, Taroha and Arthi ambled in a clearing with long grass and Pardamat, Olomunyak, Mzinga, Nyambeni and Wamata opted for a dust bath on a rocky area.
Arthi and Nyambeni led the first group back to the stockades for the night and Mzinga and Zuri padded in last, so that Mzinga could escort the baby into her stable.
Wamata was first out of her stable this morning and neighbour Daba was second. The others emerged one by one and the Keepers called them together and led them out to the forest. They settled to browse in small ever-changing groups.
As the day became warmer, Pardamat and Olomunyak began another strength contest. With trunks entwined, they pushed one way and another. After several rounds, Pardamat knelt while Olomunyak leant against his friend. The bulls are engaging in sparring matches almost every day.
Spotting an innocent warthog trotting past, Daba gave chase. With ears flared and trunk aloft, he charged through the bushes after the pig. The rest of the herd continued browsing and, when he realised that no one was joining his game, Daba turned back to join the others.
In the afternoon, as soon as he had finished his bottles, Olomunyak made a beeline for the pool. He stood on the edge splashing himself before plunging into the muddy water even though it was not a hot day. A minute later, Taroha and Talek joined him. The three elephants played pushing and rolling games, slapping the water with their trunks. After climbing out, they rolled on the mound of dry soil, covering their bodies with dust.
This morning in the forest, one of the orphans raised an alarm by rumbling and trumpeting. The herd immediately gathered around Zuri, Kipekee, Daba and Arthi and the older ones flared their ears and lifted their trunks. We soon spotted a lioness lying in the bushes watching a herd of impalas. In response, we called the herd and took them closer to the stockades.
The orphans settled to browse again. While others twisted up greens or massaged themselves against tree stumps, Alia sneaked back to the stockades. We found her happily browsing on leftover pellets, going from one stable to the next! When two Keepers called to her, she walked obediently back to the forest and settled next to Taroha.
In the afternoon, the herd was spooked again. Today it was Arthi and Wamata who raised the alarm. Suddenly, they began running around, trumpeting and bush bashing for no apparent reason. This prompted all the others to stop browsing and start charging in random directions.
Mischievous Pardamat tried to play mount Alia as he ran past her. She trumpeted, gave him a shove and took refuge with Muridjo. The mini matriarch dealt sternly with the bull, giving him a lengthy time out from her herd!
In the morning Max was standing by his gate at first light. Kipekee and Daba were first to step out of their stockades. When they saw Max pushing his gate, the two elephants walked up to him. While the rhino stood still on one side, Daba stretched his trunk through the gaps to touch him on the head and behind his ears.
Meanwhile, the others were walking out of their rooms. When we called the orphans and shepherded them out to the forest, Daba and Kipekee were last in the line. They ran to catch up with the herd whereupon Max lumbered around his enclosure and settled to graze on pellets with several baboons and warthogs.
After cooling off in the muddy wallow in the afternoon, the herd returned to the forest for a dusting party! Rather than rolling on the ground today, they remained standing on a large area of dry earth. Pardamat and Muridjo were first to loosen the soil with their front feet, creating piles of earth which they sucked up and squirted along their backs. Daba copied the two older elephants and began chucking trunkfuls of soil along his back. Many others joined in. Talek, who was digging up clouds of dust, was with Kipekee while Zuri was sandwiched between Alia and Nyambeni.
When the others went back to browsing, Wamata, Arthi and Mzinga lay down on the ground and the three rubbed their bellies and played mounting and pushing games until it was time to return to the stockades for the night.
The orphans were in subdued moods on an overcast morning. They browsed quietly in the forest, visited the mud bath for milk, and returned to the bush. As often happens on colder days, they remained in a cluster rather than spreading out to browse, with the older girls surrounding the younger ones – except for Arthi who thinks he is a big boy and does not like being fussed over by nannies!
After a peaceful morning of browsing and dust bathing, the herd visited the mud bath as usual in the afternoon. It was a hot sunny day and many covered themselves in thick mud to cool down. Some stood along the edges slapping their sides with wet mud while others lay down in the wallow, pushing up against each other with trunks twirling. Water baby Mzinga lay in the middle with only her trunk sticking out of the water! Kipekee and Daba squeezed into the muddy pool to show off their wallowing skills. The mud bathing session came to an abrupt end when several warthogs trotted up to the wallow. Trumpeting in protest, the elephants immediately climbed out!
In the evening, a new rescue arrived at the Nursery and was put into the stable next to Wamata. The little girl is from Laikipia. She accepted a bottle and spent a reasonable night with Keeper Peter.
After greeting their friends outside the stockades, the herd headed out to the forest in the early morning. They settled to browse in small groups which changed throughout the morning. Taroha, Alia and Arthi spent time together, twisting up clumps of grass or pulling down tasty branches.
Talek, the elephant who still has only one tusk, is a humble and gentle girl. She is also a budding mini matriarch who may be the one taking care of the herd when the older girls ‘graduate’. This morning at the mud bath, after drinking her milk slowly (as she does not like to spill a drop), Talek walked over to the pile of dry soil. She lay down on the top and was quite still in the sunshine.
A few minutes later, the little ones approached. While Talek continue to lie as if she was dozing, Zuri, Kipekee, Daba and Wamata rubbed her, leant against her and even play mounted their big sister. When Zuri began rumbling, Muridjo strolled over and touched Talek’s ears. Talek stood up and the happy game was over!
The new rescue is already friendly to the Keepers and is feeding well on milk and soft greens. She stays in her stable most of the time but is spending a few hours a day in an open larger stockade so she can walk around and enjoy the sunshine.
This morning, Pardamat and Olomunyak played a different kind of game in the forest. Olomunyak pulled a branch down from a tree and stood trunk twirling his branch, showing off his prize to the others while making it clear that he was not sharing!
Pardamat could not resist the challenge. When he saw Olomunyak waving the branch, Pardamat ambled towards him, browsing along the way. Sensing the older one’s cunning plan, Olomunyak ran away, clutching the branch with his trunk. Pardamat gave chase but could not catch him as Olomunyak found refuge with the big girls!
The herd wandered far in the bush this morning, walked back to the mud wallow for a milk feed, and strolled back to the forest to continue exploring and browsing. Mzinga led the herd again with Muridjo walking along at the end to make sure that everyone was there.
On another cool and cloudy afternoon, none of the orphans put a toe in the mud wallow. Instead, they browsed on greens or covered themselves in dry soil. Muridjo, Nyambeni and Talek were staying close to Zuri and Kipekee; Nyambeni and Daba were drinking from the buckets; and Arthi and Olomunyak were showboating. They rubbed their faces on the soil, posing with heads down and backsides in the air.
As the orphans walked out of their rooms at first light, Taroha and Olomunyak greeted each other with playful pushes, signalling the start of another wrestling match. The game was short-lived as Muridjo pushed her way between them wanting to spar with Taroha, who was not interested and instead kept looking for Olomunyak.
After the orphans had settled out in the field, the two bulls played several more rounds of the wrestling game. Then Taroha lay on the ground, posing to the other boys. Moments later, Pardamat, Arthi and Daba were climbing up and sliding off the easy-going bull.
Later in the morning, only Wamata and Kipekee paddled in the mud bath while Alia, Zuri, Nyambeni and Mzinga rolled on the mound of dry soil and the others browsed on greens.
Returning to the forest, Pardamat, Arthi, Wamata and Talek had fun charging and chasing after a group of impalas. The game continued long after the impalas had disappeared into the bushes!
Tytan and Notty are still best buddies. As they wander through the forest, Notty loves to give Tytan regular bumps and, when the rhino lies down for a siesta, the zebra will often tap his horn and nose with her back legs!
Arthi and Wamata were up to mischief this morning. As the rest of the herd greeted each other with trunk touches, the two friends were going from one stable to the next in search of leftover pellets. After walking out of her stable, Wamata took a left and popped into Daba’s room; after walking out of his room, Arthi took a right and popped into Kipekee’s room. The two then met up and made a beeline for Zuri’s stable!
Out in the forest, Alia and Arthi had fun playing pushing games, standing up and lying down. Arthi did his best to climb on top of Alia but struggled to get a grasp of her belly as she is much bigger. Still, he kept trying as he is a boy who gives anything a go!
It was another cool day and none of the elephants paddled or splashed at the mud wallow later in the morning. They browsed on greens or drank from the buckets or kicked up clouds of dust. Neither Tytan nor Max had any interest in getting muddy today; Tytan lay on the dry ground for a dusting and Max rested in his enclosure hoping for some sunshine.
Later in the afternoon, the elephants padded down the path and into their stockades for bottles of milk, beds of hay and piles of pellets. In what is becoming a routine, Mzinga and Zuri ran in last, so that a special nanny could put a very small girl to bed!