March brought a mini baby boom in Ithumba, with the arrival of not one but two new additions to our extended elephant family!
The first baby made his debut on 14th March. Early that evening, ex-orphan Sities surprised everyone by showing up at the stockades with a newborn in tow. The first-time mum was accompanied by her longtime friends, Turkwel and Kainuk, and was proud as could be. The rest of Mutara’s herd arrived a few minutes later, and the air was filled with the trumpeting and rumbling of elephant celebrations. Sunni, as we named the baby, is a happy and healthy little boy. Read more about his birth.
Despite the fact that Sunni is her first baby, Sities is proving to be an excellent mother. She certainly got plenty of practice with Mutara’s baby, Mambo! Most of the dependent orphans gave the pair a respectful wide berth, but our baby lovers, Suguroi and Naleku, couldn't resist trying their luck. Sities was a bit hesitant to permit the girls to interact with her son, but after some time, she allowed them. Another day, Suguroi babysat Sunni through sheer persistence: Maramoja tried to push her away, but the feisty young girl stood her ground and was reluctantly allowed to spend time with the precious calf.
Kuishi’s rewilding journey is progressing like molasses — a pace we fully support, as each orphan becomes independent at the time that is right for them. The nine-year-old has started sleeping out in the wild, accompanied by friends Sattao and Mukkoka, but she continues to link up with the dependent herd most mornings. She remains very devoted to her adopted baby, Esoit, who is still very much reliant on our care.
One day, Kuishi decided to play a trick on the Keepers when she saw them having lunch. The big girl gathered up Esoit, Loldaiga, Mukutan, and Choka and whisked the boys away on a little adventure. It wasn’t long before Kuishi and her team met up with Kinna, Yatta, Mulika, and co. Perhaps realising that Kuishi was up to no good, Loldaiga, Mukutan, and Choka decided to abandon her and instead join the older elephants, who safely delivered them back to the stockades. Meanwhile, Esoit and Kuishi were located near the mud bath, relaxing under a tree.
It was hot this month, which brought lots of ex-orphans and wild visitors in our midst. One evening, the Keepers counted 120 elephants drinking water outside the stockades.
Despite the heat, there were some overcast days, too. Elephants can be quite finicky about wallowing, and on cloudy afternoons, most of the orphans eschewed the water in favour of a soil-dusting session. However, our water baby, Lodo, can never pass up an opportunity to swim — regardless of the weather.
Olorien is as feisty as ever. One morning, she ran into trouble with ex-orphan Orwa when she attempted to take his share of lucerne. We thought this was a bold move, as Orwa is 14 years old, compared to Olorien’s six — but Olorien is a bold girl! Orwa threw a back kick in her direction, but she dodged his foot and made off with his food.
We often say that Bondeni is the classic little brother — he is pesky, but also irresistibly adorable! We were reminded of this one morning, when the dependent orphans were peacefully enjoying lucerne. Olorien shared her pile with Lodo, while Kinyei shared hers with Choka. Bondeni walked behind Kindani, his ‘big sister,’ with an eye for her lucerne. Kindani wasn’t aware of who was walking behind her and threw a back kick that landed on Bondeni’s mouth. The little rogue pretended that nothing had happened and continued on his way.
We don’t think of Vaarti and Mayan as particularly cheeky elephants — both boys are markedly mild-mannered and polite — but Vaarti was feeling frisky this month. One morning, he boldly approached a wild herd of nine elephants and tried to push around a calf slightly smaller than him. Rather than the easy victory he expected, the other young members of the family united to defend their own. Realising that he was fighting a losing battle, Vaarti made a hasty exit.
Then, later in the month, Vaarti was at it again! The Queen and her family — a wild herd we have come to know well — arrived early in the morning and joined the orphans. In a serious error of judgement, Vaarti threatened to push the Queen’s junior boy. The junior whirled around and made it clear that such insolence would be punished. Vaarti was saved by his best friend, Mayan, who blocked any retaliation and allowed Vaarti to escape.
The orphans certainly kept us on our toes this month. One evening, just as home time was approaching, Naleku, Roho, and Suguroi dodged the Keepers. The trio are well-versed in the area, so the Keepers decided to let them enjoy a taste of independence while they led the rest of the herd back to the stockades. Sure enough, half an hour later, the three orphans brought themselves home.
Our newest Nursery graduates — Loldaiga, Mukutan, and Choka — are only two months into Tsavo life, but they are fully settled in. One morning, we were surprised to see the boys join a group of adult bulls at the water trough. As the bulls headed back into the bush, the trio followed them. The Keepers tried calling them back, but they pretended they couldn’t hear. Loldaiga, Mukutan, and Choka only turned back when they saw the Keepers running towards them. They clearly knew exactly what they were doing and were just playing mind games with the Keepers!
The month ended on a beautiful note. On 29th March, Yatta arrived at the stockades with a beautiful baby girl. Yatta is a very special elephant, as she was one of the founding females who made up Ithumba’s inaugural herd. Today, she is living wild, a matriarch, a mother, and a grandmother. Yara, as we named her new baby, is her fourth calf. Read more about Yatta’s new arrival.