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When the orphans settled to browse in the forest after the public visit, Sattao, Kiombo, Mukkoka and Dololo had a playful moment charging and chasing after a troop of baboons that were busy hopping from one tree to another above them, playfully chatting loudly as they enjoyed feeding on wild berries. The boys ran around the base of the trees stamping their feet and charging at the bushes in the excitement of the baboons making such a noise above them, and protesting against the fact they could not reach them. When the baboons saw one of the Keepers approaching the tree they were in, they all jumped down at once to run off, which unfortunately gave Sattao, Mukkoka, Dololo and Kiombo a real fright and they ran off to join the others orphans as fast as they could. 

Today the presence of three lions nearby meant that Kiko didn’t have a very fun afternoon at all. This meant for his safety he couldn’t go out to the forest but had to stay in the boma next to Maxwell’s stockade for the afternoon, and browse on the trees there and those cut and brought for him by the Keepers for him to enjoy too.  

These days Maktao has been throwing his weight around and testing his strength against the other bulls in the nursery like Musiara, Kiombo, Sattao and Dololo. This is so they can all know how strong they are and where they fit in the hierarchy of bulls in the Nursery. Today he spent most of the early morning hours testing his strength against one bull and then the next. He started with Musiara and then went to Dololo, then Kiombo and finally to Sattao. He won all the first wrestling matches and thought it would be the same with Sattao, but Sattao had been watching him with the others and was prepared for him. Sattao put up a real fight against Maktao and they had a lengthy wrestling match that seemed to go on forever, until Tamiyoi came over to separate them by standing in between them. She then engaged Sattao in her own wrestling match, pushing Maktao to the side, a tactic which worked in breaking up their ongoing fight! 

When the orphans settled out in the forest soon after leaving their stockades in the morning, it was interesting to see them divide up into their little browsing groups. Luggard and Ziwadi remained browsing close to the Keepers, Tagwa, Roho, Maisha, Enkesha, Sattao, Nabulu and Kiombo went in their own direction while the others, led by Kiasa, including Larro, Tamiyoi, Mukkoka, Naleku, Musiara, Dololo and Maktao went down a different path. The group led by Kiasa browsed far off, deep in the forest, while Tagwa’s group browsed in between Kiasa’s and Luggard and Ziwadi who stayed close to the Keepers. 

Maxwell is looking a lot better these days and very active. He loves feeding on his greens and is looking much better. 

In the evening when the orphans come back for their bottle feed and settle down to eat their greens, it is always funny to watch them stealing each other’s green through their partitions, even when they have exactly the same kind of branches, and amount of branches too. They always seem to think the greens are better on the other side. Almost all the orphans do this but Larro, Maktao, Musiara, Sattao, Kiasa, Tamiyoi, Dololo and Mukkoka are some of the prime suspects that seem to do it the most! They spend most of the early evening busy stealing from each other – one will pull branches through from one side, and the other will pull them back again! 

To do our part in battling the coronavirus pandemic, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust decided to close the 11am public visit until further notice. This seemed to confuse the elephant orphans at first who were all getting ready to head down to the mud bath area for their midday bottles of milk. The orphans even began to group themselves with their normal age groups, which were Kiasa with Maktao, Larro, Ziwadi, Roho, Naleku and then Tagwa and Tamiyoi with the rest of the Nursery herd. 

The Keepers, however, walked them down in a whole mix of ages, and this confused some of them so much so that they tried to turn around and go back to the forest. Tagwa, Dololo, Roho, and Ziwadi were definitely the most confused, all trying to head back up the pathway, and they all protested to their Keepers with loud rumbles as they were directed back down to the mud bath. 

Luggard was even more surprised to be directed down to the mud bath by the Keepers as he does not normally join the other orphans for that feeding time. He was more than happy to finish his bottle there and then join the others near the muddy waters to play for a little while.

It was a bittersweet morning for the Nursery as the Keepers were up early to get Kiko ready for his move to the Sirikoi in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Around 6:15am the Keepers walked Kiko out his stable and towards the translocation lorry. Kiko was more than happy to follow his Keeper and milk bottle straight onto the lorry and whilst he was busy drinking, some of the other Keepers locked up the back door and made sure Kiko was nice and secure in the lorry. Once he was securely inside, the Keepers waited a couple of minutes to see how he would behave, making sure he didn’t begin to panic. As per usual Kiko was very calm and happy to munch away on the greens that were hung up in the truck for him, and as everyone could see he was comfortable the truck was started up and he was on his way. 

Throughout the afternoon Ziwadi and Luggard kept each other company, some distance from the rest of the Nursery herd where they could browse in peace. Dololo, who has a small boil on the front of his foot, has been walking with a slight limp and has not been in the best of moods. He tried his best to keep up with the rest of the orphans but eventually gave up and decided to join Ziwadi and Luggard who were walking at a much slower pace. 

This evening, as Luggard got back to his stable, he seemed to notice that his tall neighbour was not there. He kept peering through the window looking for Kiko and smelling around Kiko’s stable. It will be strange for Luggard for a few nights, until he becomes used to Kiko not being around anymore. 

It was a very chilly morning as the orphans made their way out to the forest. The older boys seem to know just how to warm up as they can often be seen charging around the forest, playing games, and engaging in their wrestling matches. Musiara and Maktao seemed to be the most energetic in the herd, as they often charge about through the thick bush pushing each other or another friend around. 

Today it was Musiara who started up the activities by pushing against Kiombo, challenging him to a strength testing match. When he was bored of that game, Musiara went charging off into the bushes trumpeting and rumbling away. By the time he came back to wrestle again, Kiombo and Maktao were already too busy wrestling each other. Sattao, Mukkoka, and Luggard later decided to join in the fun, and also challenge Maktao and Kiombo to a lengthy strength-testing game. 

Tagwa has become quite stern with the older bulls of the Nursery herd, and she has even at times started to bully and charge them for no reason. This afternoon, whilst the orphans were busy browsing in the forest, Tagwa walked straight up to Dololo and began to push him. Dololo, who had been minding his own business, was so surprised when he suddenly got pushed by her. Dololo was quick to move out of her way, but as soon as he did, she went after poor Sattao who was browsing just some distance from the two. Sattao all quickly ran away and Tagwa was left to browse all alone. 

It has been quite a few days since Maxwell was playful in the morning, charging after the orphans and waiting for them at any one of his gates. He hasn’t been feeling well and he has been going to bed early and waking up later, once the orphans are already out in the forest. This morning, however, he was up before the orphans. As they were making their way out their stables, Maxwell could be seen waiting for them at his lower gate. Maktao and Dololo headed straight over to his gate to greet him and the three could be seen enjoying a fun game of charging between the gates. Dololo and Maktao continued this game for some time before continuing on their way to the forest. As Dololo and Maktao headed off, Maxwell began to playfully charge after the warthogs that were already enjoying his morning pellets. 

Mukkoka, who is now coming back with the rest of the Nursery herd and not with the first set of youngsters, has gone back to his old ways of racing for his bottle and trumpeting very loudly if he is not first. He and Dololo have always been neighbours and Dololo is always so happy to get back to his stable and find speedy Mukkoka already next door. This evening, however, Dololo was brought back early because of his sore foot and he was very unhappy to not see his neighbour. He was so unhappy in fact that he began to ram at his door, as if insisting he be let out again. The Keepers tried to calm him down, but to no avail, and eventually decided to walk him back to his friend Mukkoka and the rest of the Nursery herd.  

This morning as Ziwadi came out her stable she walked straight over to one of the water troughs and began to drink some water. As it was still early and the other orphans were coming out their rooms, she spent the rest of her time just wandering around the stockade compound, until all the orphans and Keepers were ready to make their way out to the forest. The Keepers were very surprised that she wasn’t trying to sneak off to the bushes around the stockade or to the forest. As the orphans were heading out to the forest, Dololo and Tamiyoi were seen walking closely behind Ziwadi. 

Dololo has recently been spending more time with little Ziwadi and the two seem to be forming quite a sweet friendship. Dololo stuck by her side and when it was time for the orphans to have their morning bottles of milk, Ziwadi was the first to get her bottle and then the others followed. 

In the morning it is very common for some of the orphans to become restless and eager to exit their rooms. They can be heard banging at their doors and rumbling away, all sounding eager to head out to the forest. Despite their eagerness they must remain patient as the Keepers get ready and let them all out so that they can all head off to the forest together. Dololo and Mukkoka and some of the other bulls can often be heard fiddling at their doors trying to move the bars across to unlock the door. Eventually when they are all let out, they charge off in excitement greeting one another and some are even seen chasing each other out to the forest.