March was Tali’s big month. The newcomer — who was only rescued last month — is finally starting to settle in and fill out. His recovery has taken time and patience, as he was in very poor condition when he was rescued.
As always, we opened the gates in the early morning and the orphans wandered out of their stockades. Mageno often leads the herd out to the field, but not today – he chose instead to wait for best friend Kitich who was still in his room. Getting to the forest was less of a priority than being with his friend! Kitich emerged, Mageno rumbled, the two boys ambled up the path, browsed for a time, and began their daily wrestling match. They compete for dominance every day – so far, neither has won the role of dominant bull.
Our fabulous nannies were on duty again today. Mzinga and Nyambeni spent the day with Tali and the other new rescue – both young boys were rescued last month – in the forest, refusing to leave their charges to join the herd at the mud bath, instead insisting on lavishing trunk hugs and attention on the newbies. Mzinga is especially possessive of the tiny baby – in the mornings, she walks out of her stable and goes straight to his door, standing outside patiently until he toddles out.
Latika continues to be devoted to Wamata, showing no interest so far in the new orphans and choosing to spend hours every day with her little girl. In contrast, deputy mini matriarch Kerrio is intrigued with Tali and is often found browsing with Mzinga, Nyambeni, Tali and the tiny orphan in the forest.
Little Raha is feeding well. She is enjoying milk, lucerne pellets and greens in her stable, browsing on soft grasses in the forest, and is putting on weight.
This morning, we kept the tiny orphan in his stable when the herd — including Mzinga who had to be cajoled away from his door — wandered out to the forest (as it was an overcast day). An hour or so later, the tiny baby padded out of his room and up the path with two Keepers, where he was met byan enormous welcome from an army of nannies! Not only Mzinga and Nyambeni but also Kerrio, Muwingu, Sileita, Mushuru, Muridjo, Sholumai and Weka gathered around him, rumbling and trumpeting and waving trunks.
In a lovely welcoming gesture, an excited Mushuru went down on her knees, rubbed her head on the earth, and lay on her side with trunk twirling. Meanwhile, Sholumai — formerly a most reluctant nanny — was trumpeting loudly as she did her best to push aside the other girls and get close to the little one (who stood calmly amid the crowd).
In the afternoon, the orphans visited the mud bath for another milk feed. No one got wet today despite the sunshine. Instead, they chose to browse quietly on greens or drink from the water buckets around the wallow. Only Weka and Muridjo spoilt the peace, tussling over a tasty branch that Muridjo had selected from the pile. Weka did her best to grab the treat but Muridjo held on tight and saw off her friend with a shove.
Today, Nyambeni was on early-morning babysitting duty with the youngest rescue. As soon as she walked out of her stable, she headed straight for his room, greeted him with a trunk stretched over his stable door, and carried on up the path towards the forest. Mzinga then took her place. She trunk hugged the tiny orphan as he padded out of his room and walked behind him at his slow pace out to the forest.
The herd browsed quietly this morning. In contrast to most days, no one was showing off or playing games, not even Mageno and Kitich. Instead, they twisted up clumps of browse or pulled down branches of trees.
Later in the morning, the orphans visited the mud wallow in two groups as usual. Today, Latika and Kamili switched groups. Latika – who was moved to the second older group last month but is still reluctant to spend time away from Wamata – insisted on being with the first group. Kamili – who is old enough to be in the second but has been kept in the first – insisted on being with her age mates!
Although Mzinga remained in the forest with Tali and the little one, Nyambeni – to our surprise - decided to join the herd at the mud bath. As the time approached, she strode away from the other three and padded down the path in the first group. She was welcomed back to the wallow with rumbles and trunk touches.
After the milk feed, the herd returned to the forest. In a repeat of yesterday, many of the older females milled around the tiny orphan. When Mzinga refused to hand over her new baby, they wandered away, except for Kerrio and Nyambeni. Mzinga tolerated the presence of her two big sisters.
We have made a small mud wallow in the bush for Mzinga, Tali, and the little one. In the afternoon, Mushuru, Sholumai and Olomunyak were guarding ‘their’ pool. Every time a warthog or baboon tried to drink from the puddle of water, the three orphans chased them away with ears flared and trunks lifted.
In the morning after the orphans settled down to browse in the field, Mageno, Kitich, Weka, Sholumai, Muridjo and Shujaa sneaked away from the others. The mini herd wandered deep into the forest - but made sure they returned just in time for the next milk feed! Mageno and Sholumai are the main explorers and often lead their friends away from the stockades.
Later in the morning, the first group of nine orphans – Kerrio, Nyambeni, Shujaa, Kamili, Pardamat, Olomunyak, Talek, Taroha and Wamata – visited the mud wallow. They padded down the path in groups of two or three, gulped their milk, and ambled over to browse on greens. Only Shujaa, Talek and Olomunyak cooled off in the mud, slapping their trunks and kicking water in every direction.
The second group – Sileita, Latika, Mushuru, Muwingu, Sholumai, Weka, Mageno, Kitich and Muridjo – then took their place. Many of the older group like to feed themselves, twisting their trunks around the upturned bottles. Mushuru was misbehaving today. She pushed against the rope cordon and, when we tried to move her away, kicked with her hind legs and flicked her tail from side to side.
In the afternoon out in the forest, Shujaa, Taroha, Pardamat, Talek and Weka had fun chasing after warthogs whenever they tried to graze alongside the orphans. We laughed at Pardamat’s reaction when one of the pigs ran at him rather than running away. The stout elephant sprinted away at full speed, trumpeting in alarm, from the very small warthog!
Olomunyak is determined to become an expert wrestler and loves having lessons from older brothers Shujaa, Pardamat and Taroha. This morning, he played the pushing game first with Shujaa and then with best friend Taroha. Smaller but stouter than the other two boys, he gives every game his all and holds his own very well!
The sun was shining today and many orphans cooled off in the mud wallow. After drinking their milk, most of the first group paddled or wallowed in the muddy pool. When it was time to leave, Kerrio, Talek and Shujaa were still splashing in the mud and rubbing their faces and bellies along the edges. We had to cajole them back to the forest with lots of whistling.
Everyone except one wallowed in the second group. While Muwingu, Sholumai and Mushuru rolled around in the water, Mageno and Kitich clambered on and off them, resting forelegs on bellies, sliding off and climbing on again. Latika was the odd one out, choosing instead to hose herself with dry soil.
In the afternoon, Muridjo and Weka succeeded in spooking the whole herd! They began shouting and running in circles. Moments later, the herd was charging through the bushes, heading for the safety of the stockades. We headed them off, calmed them down and, eventually, the orphans went back to browsing.
Little Raha enjoyed a dust bath on a perfect patch of dry soil in the forest in the afternoon. She rolled around on her sides and back while her Keeper shovelled soil all over her body. After her dust bath, Raha had a nap in the sunshine before waddling back to her stable for the night.
Wamata may still be the most beloved — but she is no longer the youngest member of the herd! Our tiny newbie is only two months old whereas she is 18 months old. She is, however, the youngest orphan who is part of the herd as the newbie is usually either in his stable or with Mzinga.
Tali has become stronger every day since being rescued about a month ago. A two-year-old bull, he is still wary of the Keepers and also the other elephants. He approaches us only at feeding times when he sometimes demands an extra bottle but otherwise keeps his distance. We are careful not to surprise this traumatised elephant when we walk towards him. If we do, he will charge.
Tali spends his days with Mzinga and the newbie, but is reluctant to get close to the rest of the herd. Shujaa, Olomunyak and Mageno have (unsuccessfully) tried to play pushing games with him while Sileita, Muwingu and Sholumai have tried to browse with him. In time, we are confident that Tali will relax his guard.
On a sunny afternoon, the herd visited the mud bath for another milk feed. Several drank from the trough while others paddled or enjoyed a dust bath. Shujaa, Olomunyak and Muridjo played on the mound of dry soil, rubbing faces and clambering on top of each other.
The orphans ambled out of their stockades in the early morning, gathering in small groups and padding out to the forest. Led by Muwingu and Sholumai with Sileita bringing up the rear, the main herd headed out first and the mini herd comprising Mzinga, Tali and the newbie followed shortly after.
Out in the bush, Kerrio spent the morning moving between the two groups, disappearing at regular intervals and surfacing next to Mzinga. She loves trunk hugging our new tiny baby and placing him protectively between her front legs. The newbie is happy to be with either Mzinga or Kerrio. Older newbie Tali tolerates Kerrio’s presence but is only relaxed with Mzinga and will only come back to the stockades in the evening with her.
While Mzinga and the newbies stayed close to the stockades, the rest of the herd ventured further into the forest. Intervals of browsing were interspersed with pushing games or dust bathing. Best friends Shujaa and Muridjo spent more time playing than browsing – they pushed heads with trunks aloft in a lengthy contest of strength with neither emerging victorious! Meanwhile, Mushuru kept her focus firmly on filling her belly, balancing expertly on her back legs to stretch up and yank down tasty branches from the top of a tree.
This morning, even though she was tied up in her blue blanket, Raha refused to walk in the shade of the trees. The little rhino prefers warmth and sunshine and, today, she insisted on remaining in an open sunny area of the forest rather than wandering into the thick bush with her two Keepers. Aware of how obstinate Raha can be, they gave up trying to persuade her to walk into the forest and remained on the open rocky area.
Several orphans were paddling in puddles in the forest. Olomunyak drank and splashed in a small puddle by himself (although matriarch Sileita kept him within her sight). Kitich, Taroha and Talek browsed together and then sucked up trunkfuls of water from a larger pool of water. They drank the water and hosed it along their backs. Afterwards, they massaged their backsides and sides against a tree.
Not far away, Mushuru was hanging out with the newbie. Lovely Mzinga is happy (within reason) to share her new baby and so allowed Mushuru to trunk hug him while she browsed close by. Mushuru stayed away from the main herd for some time but ambled away just before the time for another milk feed.
In the afternoon, the herd stayed close rather than wandering off in groups. They clustered under the shade of trees quite close to the stockades before padding back to the stockades for the night.
Amid a drizzle of rain, the herd walked out from the stockades in a long and straggly line. It had rained during the night and there were several tempting pools of rainwater in the forest. After filling their bellies, Kerrio, Nyambeni, Mzinga, Pardamat, Talek and Olomunyak began playing in the mud. They paddled in puddles and rubbed their tummies and faces against the muddy edges. When Kerrio lay down like an enormous play cushion, Olomunyak would not let any of the others climb on top of her bulk. He insisted on clambering on and off ‘his’ big sister several times, pushing away the others. Nyambeni contented herself with rubbing bodies with Kerrio.
Talek and Pardamat wandered away to find another puddle. After a paddle, Talek challenged Pardamat to a contest of strength and the two friends clashed heads. Talek especially likes playing pushing and mounting games with Pardamat in the forest. She is feisty to her friend but quite calm with many of the others. A naughty polite girl!
Later in the day, the puddles had dried up and the herd browsed contentedly on fresh green shrubs and grasses. Rather than sticking close to the babies, older females Mushuru, Sileita and Muwingu hung out with each other. They trunk touched as they wandered through the bush.
The herd stood in a cluster in the forest this morning, sheltering under the trees while it poured with rain. When the rain eased, the orphans spread out to browse and to play. Soon Mageno and Kitich were playing the pushing game. The best friends are well-matched – Kitich may be shorter but he is stouter and more competitive than gentle Mageno. Several rounds later, Shujaa joined the game and Mageno wandered away. After learning wrestling skills from Kerrio, Shujaa has stepped up to contests of strength with Mageno, Kitich and Muwingu. He is not as strong as the others but does his determined best. Muwingu likes to browse with Mushuru but to play with Mageno and Kitich.
Tali was with Mzinga nearby (but the newbie was in his stable because of the weather). Mzinga and her new friend drifted towards the herd and were soon browsing with them. Tali is still anxious and apt to react aggressively when surprised. Today, he allowed Kamili to approach and greet him with her trunk and also accepted a trunk hello from Mageno. The friendly attitude did not last – not long after, he moved away from the herd to browse at what he still considers a safe distance. Tali is making progress and beginning to settle into his new family.
As the orphans were rumbling and entwining trunks in greeting outside the stockades this morning, the big boys began another wrestling match – today, Mageno and Kitich could not even wait until they were in the forest! The herd padded up the path, leaving the rival bulls behind. After two more rounds of clashing heads and clinking tusks, they broke apart for a short time to walk out to the bush. They resumed their game while the others browsed. Eventually, deciding that he had had enough, Mageno wandered off and Kitich chased him.
Over-confident Shujaa intercepted Kitich on his way past, hoping that the older bull would play with him instead. This was not a good move. Fired up by the fight, Kitich shoved Shujaa hard and the younger boy fell over, trumpeting in alarm. Mushuru and Muwingu were the first to respond with Sileita, Kerrio and Weka also charging over to his rescue. The older girls gathered around Shujaa protectively, trunk touching him while he climbed back onto his feet.
The herd browsed peacefully for much of the remainder of the day. Having chosen to be with the main herd rather than the mini herd made up of Mzinga, the newbie and Tali, Nyambeni wandered in the forest in the afternoon with Mageno and then with Kerrio. Wannabe big boy Pardamat stuck close to Kitich for a long time, walking just behind him and shunning the company of age mates Taroha and Talek!
The weather was wet this morning and so we kept Tali and the newbie in their stockades. Neither are strong enough to get soaked in the rain. With no one to look after in the field, Mzinga visited the mud bath for the second time in as many days!
As always, we sent the orphans down in groups. They drank their milk and spread out around the wallow. Mzinga was in one of the first groups and was standing on the far side of the pool when Wamata arrived. The little girl gulped down her milk and trumpeted for an extra bottle (the older elephants have two bottles each but not the younger ones). Hearing her call, our ever-zealous nanny sprinted in her direction but to no avail. By the time she reached her from the other side of the wallow, Wamata was already surrounded by several fussing nannies. Much to Mzinga’s frustration, she was unable to get close because her path was blocked by Sileita, Latika, Kerrio and Weka!
Later in the afternoon, Raha returned to the stockades with her two Keepers. She walks back before our elephants. Maxwell was browsing on pellets in his large enclosure as she waddled past. Sensing the presence of the little rhino, he ran around in circles and sprayed urine along the fence to mark his territory. Raha ran down the path and into her stable where she remained alert for a long time while nibbling her bunch of hanging greens.
Taroha is mostly a humble, calm boy. He likes to do his own thing and rarely confronts the other members of the herd. But not today. Olomunyak, who sleeps in the neighbouring stockade, was the target of Taroha’s mood this morning at the mud bath. The older boy drank his milk and then headed for Olomunyak who was sucking up leftover milk from the wheelbarrow. Taroha barged into him from behind and shoved him away from the wheelbarrow. Olomunyak got the message loud and clear – rather than confronting his friend, he beetled away to browse next to Kerrio.
Muwingu is still a skittish girl. She is usually the first to react to any threat, no matter how minor. Today, she overreacted to a not-so-minor threat. After visiting the mud bath, the herd returned to the forest and spread out to browse in an area of thick bush. As they pulled down tasty branches, Muridjo alerted the others to the presence of a buffalo in their midst. Somehow, they had been so busy browsing and the bush was so dense that no one had spotted the male buffalo. Muridjo trumpeted and the herd headed for the stockades while the poor buffalo ran in a different direction and Muwingu in yet another direction. She did not return until close to the time for the next milk feed.
The toddlers were squabbling again today. Pardamat and Talek are rivals by night but friends by day! Something must have happened while they were still in their stables because, as soon as they walked out this morning, Talek head butted Pardamat! She shoved him hard, about turned and headed for Nyambeni. Pardamat is known as a naughty boy and usually he starts the fights - but today Talek was the naughty one.
The sun was shining after a few cloudy days. On a hot afternoon, the orphans visited the mud bath for a milk feed. Most of the herd paddled or splashed or wallowed in the muddy pool. Shujaa may be a water baby but he is not normally a solitary swimmer, preferring to join the others rather than lead the way. Today, he must have been especially hot as he made a beeline for the water as soon as he had finished his bottles. Many others followed his lead.
Latika also gave us a surprise. While Talek was splashing next to her, Latika (who is generally a gentle caring girl) pushed her under with her tusk. Talek surfaced and shouted for help. Mushuru, Muwingu and Sileita immediately surrounded the little girl and shepherded her out of the pool.
Many members of the herd were in playful moods this morning. Friends and rivals, Muridjo and Shujaa met at a stagnant pool of water in the forest. The age mates drank together and began playing pushing and sizing up games. Shujaa rarely gains the upper hand in a contest of strength with Muridjo and today was no different. As usual, no matter how hard he fought, the feisty girl fought back. Afterwards, the two friends paddled and splashed in the rainwater pool.
Not far away, Muwingu and Mageno were also wrestling against each other. She clashed heads a few times before ambling away to browse. Ever-eager Kitich took her place and the daily sizing up contest between the two oldest bulls in the herd began.
In the afternoon, Nyambeni, Wamata and Olomunyak sneaked away from the herd, hoping to nip back to the stockades. Nyambeni (missing best friend Mzinga who was looking after the newbie) led the two younger orphans quickly through the bushes. Much to her annoyance, we intercepted them along the way and shepherded the little group back to the herd.
The rest of the herd settled around a large pool of rainwater in the forest, interspersing bouts of browsing with paddling in or drinking from the pool. Talek spent more time paddling than browsing, splashing water in every direction, while Sholumai, Mushuru and Kitich remained close by.
Raha woke up very early and was in a happy and playful mood. She marched out of her room and almost ran up the path to the forest. As she wandered along, she made occasional squeaks and did little jumps in the sunshine.
Later in the morning, the younger orphaned elephants arrived first, drank their milk and spread out around the wallow. Taroha climbed into the pool, squatted on his backside and leant his fore legs against the edge. Olomunyak (an increasingly boisterous boy) soon joined his friend in the water. A peaceful swim was not what he had in the mind. He kicked water in every direction and then clambered on top of Taroha while Kerrio and Talek paddled along the edges.
Today, something spooked the second older group of orphans at the mud bath. With ears flared, Latika and Sholumai were first to attempt a runner back to the forest. Their anxiety spread to the others and soon most of the group were trying to walk away. Luckily, they responded to our calming whistles and went back to browsing.
In the afternoon, another rescue arrived at the Nursery. The tiny two-month-old boy was flown in on a helicopter. He was very weak and unable to stand without support because his back legs had no strength. We settled him in the stable next to the newbie — two tiny boys and neighbours.
There were lots of thunderstorms last night. Fortunately, our orphans were not as upset as they have been in the past. Several, including Shujaa and Taroha, were awake but not distressed. No one was pushing their door or trumpeting or trying to climb over a partition.
In the morning, we opened the gates and the herd ambled out to a fresh, green and muddy forest. Cheeky Talek snuck back to the stockades soon after the orphans spread out to browse. Realising she was missing, two Keepers found her contentedly finishing off leftover cubes and lucerne in her room. A dry room had won out over a wet forest!
When we gathered the orphans together later in the morning, everyone came running except for Kerrio. While they jogged down the path in groups, she continued to browse in the bush. Three of us cajoled her down to the mud bath where she refused her milk feed and chose to browse instead. Every elephant has their own character and Kerrio likes milk less than many of her peers.
When Mzinga (with Tali and the first new baby) returned to the stockades in the afternoon, she sensed the presence of a new baby in the stable next to the newbie. Intrigued, she veered left with trunk aloft, keen to meet the newbie. It was too soon as he is still very weak - so we coaxed the disgruntled nanny into her own room!
The new baby was a little stronger this morning. He has already learnt to drink from a bottle and slept well in the night. To help him stand and keep him moving, Keepers Peter and Meshack put a blanket under his belly to hold his weight. He kept falling down and getting up again.
After exploring the forest in the early morning, the herd visited the mud bath for a milk feed. Sholumai was so playful. Our big girl with the long tusks was first to plunge into the wallow where she lay down and slapped the water with her trunk. Several other elephants followed.
Back in the forest, best friends Mageno and Kitich not only pushed each other but also several trees. Our big boys were showing off their strength! Not far away, Sholumai lay down on her side for a dust bath and a roll around. Kerrio and Olomunyak joined her and the three elephants played together. She even allowed Olomunyak to clamber on top of her belly, much to his delight! Not far away, Wamata was playing gentle pushing games with Taroha and Talek, rather than standing quietly in the shadow of Latika or Sileita. Our little girl is growing up.
In the afternoon, Pardamat was misbehaving at the mud bath. After drinking his bottle, he chased Taroha and tried to grab his. A Keeper gave him an empty bottle as a distraction and to get rid of the pesky boy. Pardamat walked several steps with trunk twisted around the bottle before realising he had been tricked!
The herd walked out to the forest as usual this morning although we kept the newbies in their stables as the day was overcast and the rain was drizzling. The orphans spread out to browse. Kitich was with Talek, browsing but also checking on his little friend with regular trunk touches. Unable to be with Tali and the newbies, Mzinga was with best friend Nyambeni as well as Olomunyak. Latika stayed close to Wamata and Kamili browsed with Sileita and several younger orphans.
Sholumai went exploring again today, leading Muwingu, Mushuru, Mageno and Pardamat deep into the forest. They were looking for tasty greens and enjoying their independence, while making sure that they returned in time for the next milk feed. Arriving at the mud bath, Mushuru did her best to pinch an extra bottle of milk from the wheelbarrow.
It was a pellet-pinching evening and Muridjo was the instigator. The clever girl stretched her trunk through the gaps in their shared partition to pinch pellets and greens from neighbour Kitich. When he (finally) realised what was going on, Kitich returned the favour, scooping up mouthfuls from her room. Neither elephant seemed to mind the pinching – maybe they were just sharing!
It rained in the night and the forest was wet and green in the morning — so we kept both tiny newbies in their stables. The tiny boy who was rescued a few days ago is settling in. He can stand unassisted and walk a short distance and is a greedy boy, already pestering his Keeper for milk with his trunk!
As it was not actually raining, we took Tali out and he settled down to browse next to star nanny Mzinga. She remained close to him for the morning and refused to visit the mud bath. (Last night, Mzinga had to be persuaded into her stable as she tried to get into the room next to Tali’s!)
When the sun came out, the newbies toddled out to join them. The three wandered around quietly together. Keeper Peter took the newest rescue for a very short walk (as it is important for him to keep moving) but he could not go far enough to join the herd.
Our independent girl was feeling sociable today. Often, Kamili chooses to wander on her own in the forest, perhaps wary of being pushed by stronger elephants after such a difficult start in life. We are always pleased when we find her in the midst of the herd. Today, she was dust bathing with Muridjo and Shujaa. The three stood close while spraying dry soil over themselves and each other.
It was another cool morning and Maxwell had a lie in, plodding out of the sheltered area of his enclosure after the herd had gone to the forest. He went straight to his pile of lucerne and cubes and settled down to graze. Several oxpeckers were soon cleaning his back while two baboons and a family of warthogs shared his breakfast. Feeling itchy, one of the baby warthogs scratched herself against Max’s belly while the relaxed rhino continued crunching mouthfuls of pellets.
Out in the forest, the herd browsed peacefully in small groups. Today, Latika and Muridjo sandwiched Wamata, sticking close to the little girl as the three orphans walked around together. We expect to see Latika with Wamata almost every day (as she is devoted to the younger girl) but have noticed Muridjo also getting close to her. With the older girls taking it in turns to trunk touch the baby, Wamata browsed contentedly.
In the afternoon, as the others gathered around the water bucket, Kerrio stood on the edge of the wallow, expertly sucking up muddy water and slapping each side of her body in turn. Shujaa and Olomunyak joined her in the muddy pool. Olomunyak paddled next to her while Shujaa squatted in the mud and rubbed his face along the edge. Neither Tali nor the newbies visit the wallow but we will encourage Tali to do so soon.
Pardamat is a handful! He may be a young boy but he acts like an older bull who will push anyone. Younger bulls usually respect their elders but not Pardamat. He visits the mud bath in the first group of younger elephants, but we send him down last so that the others can drink their milk in peace without being interrupted by pushy Pardamat. Today, he gulped his milk, demanded another bottle (unsuccessfully) from the Keepers, gave Nyambeni and Wamata unwarranted shoves, and ducked under the rope cordon! The naughtiest orphan in the group was given a stern time out.
In contrast, Taroha is a gentle chap. He is a calm boy who roams around quietly doing his own thing. He is a very caring bull and is often found standing close to Wamata. When Pardamat shoved Wamata at the mud bath this morning, Kerrio came to her rescue but Taroha also came over to touch her with his trunk and check that his friend was not hurt.
Later in the afternoon, the herd wandered deep in the forest. Mageno and Weka expertly yanked branches down from trees while Taroha and Talek browed on smaller shrubs and grasses. When it was time to head back, we gathered them in a cluster and sent them back to the stockades in groups. The younger ones usually jog in first with the oldest bringing up the rear.
Raha was full of energy today. After drinking her milk in her stable, she marched out wrapped in a blue blanket as soon as we opened the door. On some days, she is reluctant to leave her warm room but not today. With occasional hops and squeaks, Raha led her Keepers out to the forest. She paused for a moment at Maxwell’s gate, looking at the mature rhino as he grazed on pellets with some warthogs, and continued up the path.
Raha spent the morning quite close to the stockades (she rarely wanders far afield). After grazing for a long time, she paddled in a puddle of muddy stagnant water and then lay down, rolling onto her back so her Keepers could see her belly.
In the afternoon, after visiting the mud bath for a milk feed, the herd returned to the forest. Sholumai was looking after Pardamat, keeping close whether he was browsing or paddling. Latika and Sileita walked on either side of little Wamata – content to walk at her pace, the two nannies checked on Wamata with trunk touches over her body and in her mouth. After browsing for a time, Weka, Muridjo and Shujaa chased each other through the bushes and massaged their rumps against trees.
When it was time to return home, we whistled and the herd responded. They are rarely reluctant to head back to the stockades as they know that delicious milk and warm beds of hay await.
Our newest rescue walked a little further with Keeper Meshack in the forest this morning. Fortified by another bottle of milk, he toddled slowly but happily behind Meshack to the open area near the stockades. There, they stopped for a rest, as the tiny bull lifting his trunk again and again for reassurance and attention, before plodding back to his stable. Meanwhile Mzinga let Tlie and the newbie in a different clearing in the forest while the main herd walked deeper into the bush on their way to the mud bath.
Latika was on her best behaviour today at the wallow. She padded down the path in the second group and remained with them for the duration of the visit! Today, she did not make a single attempt to sneak away to be with Wamata – instead accepting the temporary break from her baby and browsing quietly on greens.
In the afternoon, it was Talek’s turn to misbehave at the mud bath. Sometimes this sweet little girl who loves being close to Keepers in the forest changes when around a wheelbarrow of milk. Our affectionate biddable girl becomes a demanding toddler who keeps asking for another bottle and pushes when she does not get what she wants!
We introduced Tali to the mud bath today, bringing him down for a milk feed and a brief visit. He behaved well and was relaxed with the other orphans, although he kept his distance most of the time. Nonetheless, he allowed Kamili and Muridjo to stand close and to greet him by touching their trunks in his mouth.
After a downpour during the night, the sun came out this morning and the herd spread out to browse. Some stood in a cluster, twisting up clumps of grass. Older females kept in contact with younger babies like Olomunyak by regularly putting their trunks into their mouths. Mageno and Kitich played pushing and mounting games, often with trunks entwined.
Keeper Meshack brought the tiny new rescue out for a small walk mid-morning but he did not walk to where the herd was browsing. The herd was aware that the little boy was not far away but knew he was safe with Meshack and left them alone.
In the afternoon, the younger orphans remained around the mud wallow while we shepherded older orphans like Mageno, Kitich, Sholumai, Kamili and Weka away to a nearby pool of stagnant water. Mageno was first to plunge into the mud with Kitich a few steps behind. Soon the pool was full of elephants climbing all over each other. Meanwhile, babies and nannies enjoyed a peaceful time at the main wallow, drinking from the trough or rubbing themselves on the soil or just standing contentedly close.
Back in the forest, the herd browsed on the abundance of tasty greens. They did not go far as there was plenty to eat in the area near the stockades. Weka and Taroha spent time together – an interesting combination as the older girl is the feistiest member of the herd and the younger bull one of the gentlest!
It was spa day for the babies! This morning, after the herd had headed out to the forest, Keepers Meshack, Peter, and Simon got to work on our young boys. The two tinies toddled out of their stables to be met by three men wielding a bottle of coconut oil. Every part of their hairy bodies was rubbed with the oil. The two boys tolerated the treatment although the youngest eventually made a run for his stable. Spa day done, blankets were tied on. The youngest stayed in his room for a milk feed while Meshack took the slightly older one out to the forest to be with big sister Mzinga. Our newest rescue walked out later in the morning as he cannot go far.
When the second older group visited the mud bath later in the morning, Muwingu and Mageno wandered along the cordon allowing the visitors to touch them while Kerrio and Muridjo massaged their bellies against the mound of red soil before clambering to their feet for a soil hose down. Today, Latika was happy to be with this group and did not make a run for the forest!
After exploring the forest for several hours, the herd returned to the wallow in the afternoon. Kitich and Mageno were asserting their dominance over up-and-coming bull Shujaa today. The two older bulls approached him together and began pushing him away from the scattered greens into the bush. To his credit, Shujaa did his best to stand his ground but he could not compete with both bulls. It was Weka who came to his rescue! She shoved her way between them, giving Shujaa the chance to run away.
This morning, as she padded down the path to the mud wallow, Weka was trumpeting loudly, just in case we were not expecting her and did not have her milk ready! (She does not shout every day but quite often.) She arrived, gulped her bottles and wandered over to rub her face against the mound of soil with Sileita and Kamili. Meanwhile, Mushuru was trying to duck under the cordon and slapping the Keepers away with her tail, while Latika was kneeling next to the wallow to suck up trunkfuls of water (because of her short trunk, she cannot reach the water when standing tall).
In the afternoon, Nyambeni was hanging out with the main herd again, browsing peacefully with her friends while Mzinga stayed back with the young babies and Tali. After filling her belly, she climbed all over a lying-down Kerrio with Taroha and Olomunyak watching on from the sidelines. Not far away, Shujaa was having fun with an especially twisty branch. He pulled all the leaves off and held it deftly with his trunk, pushing it one way and then the other. Mageno, Kitich and Sholumai were standing tall and stretching their trunks up high to pull down tasty branches beyond the reach of most members of the herd.
It was an overcast morning with drizzles of rain and so the newbies stayed in their stables with Keeper Meshack going from one to the other. The two hairy babies took it in turns to pester him for attention and milk. Swaddled in blue blankets, they stood close to him with trunks lifted, touching him again and again, even burrowing their tiny trunks into his pockets.
Out in the forest, Mzinga was not happy without her two small friends. Although we kept them in their stables until late morning, we allowed Raha to head out to the bush as soon as the sun came out. When Mzinga saw the small blanket-clad rhino walking towards her favourite rocky area, she ran in her direction. Perhaps she thought Raha was one of the newbies - or perhaps she was just being friendly Mzinga!
Another rescue arrived late in the afternoon today. The little girl was rescued and flown to the Nursery after her mother died. She is traumatised but in reasonably good physical condition. We had to put her in Nyambeni’s stable as the newbies were in the two empty stables.
Nyambeni did not sleep well in her new open stockade. She was restless during the early evening, trumpeting in protest at the unexpected move. (Shujaa behaved in the same way when we moved him a couple of months ago.) Kamili, who sleeps in the neighbouring stockade, did her best to calm Nyambeni, stretching her trunk through the partition. To everyone’s relief, Nyambeni relaxed after the 9 PM milk feed, lying down on her bed of hay and going to sleep. We also moved Mageno one stockade along as it is slightly bigger and we decided that Mageno’s would be better for Nyambeni. The gentle bull took the move in his stride, behaving as if nothing had changed.
In the morning, after browsing in the forest, the orphans visited the mud bath for a milk feed. No one even paddled in the pool as it was an overcast day but many played on the mound of muddy soil. Olomunyak and Taroha (who are becoming best friends) climbed on and off each other and then rolled around, covering every part of themselves with mud. When the boys walked away, several older orphans took their place. Sileita and Kerrio massaged themselves against the mud and then Kerrio lay down, allowing Nyambeni to play her favourite game of climbing atop her big sister!
As usual, the herd headed out to browse in the early morning. Today, they were full of energy. Mushuru and Nyambeni were chasing after warthogs daring to graze nearby while Weka and Muridjo trundled after some cheeky impalas. The warthogs and impalas moved out of their way for a few minutes, drifted back and the game began again. Meanwhile, Mageno and Kitich were enjoying yet another contest of strength, clashing heads, breaking apart and clashing again. Neither has yet established dominance over the other.
Several orphans were playing on a large area of muddy soil. Olomunyak and Taroha were massaging their faces against the ground when Kerrio and Muwingu joined them. Kerrio soon lay down on her side, twirling her trunk in invitation. Chunky Olomunyak wasted no time in climbing on top of everyone’s favourite play cushion. Taroha was not happy with this situation, perhaps because he wanted to play with his friend. No one is gentle all the time and Taroha was having one of those days. He shoved Olomunyak hard, sending him flying off Kerrio onto the ground. The little boy climbed to his feet and walked away, leaving Taroha with Kerrio and Muwingu.
This morning in the forest, the herd spent their time browsing rather than playing. Mageno, Muridjo and Shujaa deftly twisted down branches from trees. Last year, only Mageno was tall enough to reach up into trees but Muridjo and Shujaa are growing fast and catching him up. All three orphans have tusks – and Mageno’s are only slightly longer than his friends! Kitich was spending time with feisty Pardamat while Kamili hung out with Kerrio and Olomunyak.
Little Wamata is growing up! Or perhaps she just seems bigger now that we are looking after three new rescues. Our 18-month-old baby is blossoming into a confident young girl – who still relies on her army of devoted nannies. Today, she was browsing with mini matriarch Sileita in the forest, quickly twisting up clumps of greens while her nanny pulled down branches from trees. Nyambeni and Mushuru soon joined Sileita and Wamata. The three nannies clustered around Wamata as they wandered through the forest, browsing as they ambled along. We wonder how our spoiled baby will react to the three newbies when they join the main herd!
The orphans were happy to return to their warm stockades on a cool, wet afternoon. They jogged down the paths in groups with trunks aloft in anticipation of delicious milk and warm beds. Only Taroha arrived on his own today, sauntering around the corner and into his room. He sleeps between Olomunyak and Raha, both of whom were already settled in their rooms and quietly browsing on greens.