01 May 2015

Sonje was the first up and out in the morning. She went straight over to check on her favourite baby boy, Balguda, and say “jambo” to him. She ignored Ziwa who walked away. Sonje led the way to the browsing grasslands with the whole herd following and baby Balguda at her side. When Ziwa saw that Sonje did not want him near Balguda he went off to look for Zongoloni and Quanza. They were with Jasiri and had to make sure that he did not try to grab Ziwa’s tail which is very usual for Jasiri with his tail fetish. However, Jasiri was very well behaved and they browsed peacefully together. Later Ziwa went into the forest with Lima Lima to break down some soft branches. Ngasha found them then left with Ziwa as they returned, leaving greedy Lima Lima behind.

02 May 2015

In the early morning the orphans came out in a very jovial and happy mood. They had lots of fun running to greet each other. The Umani orphans are a particularly jovial group full of the joys of life. Murera began some very loud trumpeting which echoed around the hills, and then led the way running into the bushes, knocking down the trees that blocked her way. She was followed by Ziwa, who was also blowing through his trunk and trying to trumpet but no sound was forthcoming. He is still too young to be able to trumpet loudly and effectively, but this doesn's stop him trying. Balguda is also still learning how to trumpet too. The wild elephants heard Murera trumpeting and responded by trumpeting back to try and ascertain the babies location. The keepers called the babies back to them, quite worried that Balguda might get left behind or get lost in the forest or get kidnapped by the wild herds which would be premature given that he is still milk dependent.

03 May 2015

Zongoloni was very keen to get out of the stockades in the morning after having her bottle of milk. She pushed mightily at the gates whilst Lima Lima also made a lot of noise pushing on the chain that kept them shut. The keepers came out and opened the gates, immediately Zongoloni ran off into the forest where she had seen some soft branches to browse on. When she got there she pushed down the soft branches with her trunk and kicked at some trees that got in her way. Ziwa browsed with Balguda by his side not far from Sonje. Quanza arrived with Lima Lima and they led the babies to a drier area for the day, where the grass was not wet with the morning dew. Having had a lovely uneventful day the orphans all grouped together and walked in a very straight line back home for the evening.

04 May 2015

Ngasha began his day swinging his bottom from side to side and giving it a good scratch. He rather looked as if he should have been in a dancing hall rather than the forest! Zongoloni found some nice forage to feed on near to the swinging Ngasha, and Ziwa also found some soft new branches to feed on in the forest. Jasiri, the dominant bull elephant in the group, was proudly taking care of the older females and the other orphans when he saw some buffaloes standing in their way. He raised his big ears at them to show his bravery in defending the females. The buffaloes would certainly frighten the young babies like Balguda and Ziwa, who are still new to Umani and then we run the risk of losing them in the forest if they ran away in fright.The buffalos moved on and Balguda and Ziwa looked on in awe at brave Jasiri. Ngasha found some very tall grass to pluck and devour. The plentiful grass is so welcomed by the elephants who are in perfect condition. Some of it was quite tough and he had to kick it with his foot to get the roots out of the ground. Balguda could not bothered to make such an effort and just picked the tiny grass shoots, leaving the tough ones that would not break off easily. He spotted Sonje walking with Ziwa and went over to join them. Quanza stayed in the shade of the big trees looking for some soft soil to throw on her back and scare away the flies. While she was digging in the soil she found some soft roots to eat which she savoured.

05 May 2015

The orphans were once again very jovial and playful as they came out in the morning and ran to the scratching rocks and loading bay walls to have a good scratch. They ran over trumpeting and when Murera got there she saw Sonje already scratching on the walls, turning this way and that in many different poses. She tried to copy Sonje but could not get it right due to her leg injury inhibating her. Ziwa threw brown soil over his body, turning himself completely brown. He then moved off with his friend Balguda towards the browsing fields, both of them sticking close to Sonje for protection from Jasiri and Quanza, who can sometimes bully them and try to chase them away from the herd. Today Sonje led them to a nice green grassland area with soft browse. Ngasha came to join them but became jealous of Sonje’s attention to Balguda. Ngasha and Ziwa then joined up with Faraja, Zongoloni and Quanza and they all went off to the water hole to get some clean water to drink as they were very thirsty. Here they had fun thrashing the water and scaring the terrapins. A little crocodile rode the waves they created near the edge of the pool.

06 May 2015

The elephants charged out trumpeting in the morning led by Quanza. Some baby bushbucks with their mothers crossed in front of Quanza as she was heading off to look for some soft branches. She raised her ears charging at them and trumpeting to try and scare them away. Knowing these were antelopes and posed no harm to her makes her bolder than usual and gives her a great thrill to see them fleeing because of her demonstrations. Murera was happily sitting on her bottom rubbing off some ticks whilst she watched Quanza’s antics. Quanza retreated back to the other elephants looking for support to help her chase the bushbucks. Balguda and Sonje considered joining her but on reflection decided to stay with the others and Murera rolling in the mud. It had been raining which made the soil very wet and slippery which was fun for the elephants and they spent a good long time lolling around in the slippery mud today.

07 May 2015

Ngasha led the orphans to some green pastures in the forest where the wild elephants had been the previous night. The orphan herd were enjoying their scents and left signs. He was followed closely behind by Faraja and the greedy Lima Lima who was curious to see where the boys were going. Today Quanza was feeding on a tree when she disturbed some bees. She got a few stings and she immediately ran quickly away from the sight which left the Keepers wondering what was wrong and discovering the irate bees. Lima Lima and Faraja sensibly retreated when they saw that Quanza had been stung and went to join Ziwa. Sensing this was a hot spot Sonje took the babies to the open grasslands where a wild bull elephant suddenly appeared. On hearing the keepers shouting the orphans names he ran away but later returned to wallow in the mudbath and soil dust. The keepers walked away quietly so as to give him some space to go and wallow and the orphans could have remained with him but they decided to follow the keepers and leave him alone at the water hole. The wild elephants of Kibwezi Forest and Umani are definitely getting bolder and more comfortable with the Keepers.

08 May 2015

Whilst Sonje was in the bushes browsing she warned the Keepers that it was not safe for them to be there. The Keepers watched her closely to try and find out what was wrong but never ascertained the source of the danger. Murera was also raising up her trunk and sniffing around as if there was some danger but the keepers finally came to realise that the two were just keeping tabs on them and making sure everyone stayed safe. Ngasha had a very relaxing morning enjoying browsing peacefully near Balguda who was eating soft branches. Murera got a fright from some baboons that were jumping in the trees and broke some branches which fell on her back. She ran quickly to the keepers seeking comfort. When the babies returned to their night stockades they had very full stomachs and were extremely tired. By 8.00 PM most of the babies were asleep. Balguda and his friend Ziwa were fast asleep snoring loudly. Lima Lima and Quanza took time preparing their beds but Murera was fast asleep, snoring loudly, tired out from her long day looking after so many babies.

09 May 2015

Murera and Sonje teamed up in solidarity, showing the whole herd including the new young boys, Balguda and Ziwa, how to stay together as one big family walking through the forest. Quanza went around smelling everybody’s mouths. She started with Jasiri and seemed to think that he had got sweeter branches than her. Today Ziwa got left behind in the thickest bush enjoying some soft grass and some new found lilies, a favourite food. Sonje came back to collect him and they returned to the other babies who had started to walk towards the grasslands. Sonje handed the big herd over to Murera so Murera could meet out some discipline to some of the rowdy boys like Ngasha, Jasiri and Faraja. Balguda stuck closely to Sonje and Ziwa awhile, but seeing that his friend was fully occupied, walked away from the two of them to busy himself elsewhere

10 May 2015

Murera had a very itchy neck in the morning and immediately went to look for somewhere to scratch it. She found a good post and scratched against it so hard that eventually it broke under her weight and strong skin. Lima Lima took the opportunity to grab some more food whilst Murera finished scratching. Ziwa found a good browsing area with plenty of nice soft greens to eat. He hid in the deep bush so that no one could see him and come to steal his lovely food. Lima Lima climbed up the rocks to a good vantage point where she could see Murera and Sonje and Balguda listening to the keepers talking. Sonje and Murera took care of Balguda, taking him to the feeding area where the other babies were eating soft grass and forage. At the end of the day the keepers assembled all of the elephants and took a head count to make sure that no one was left behind before we headed home in single file.

11 May 2015

Lima Lima always rushes around very quickly and today was no exception as she ran towards the scratching rocks early in the morning. She led everybody there and started scratching but the others were more interested in finding something to eat. Murera headed off in the opposite direction from the stockades to browse in the forest. Then she realized that she did not know where the keepers were so she stopped and held up her long trunk trying to get their scent. When she found it she turned to go towards them, also following the sound of them calling her name (Murera, Murera, kwata kwata) At present Jasiri is the biggest male elephant and the dominant bull within Murera’s family. Whilst walking he bounces along majestically, proud of his status. It will not be long though before Ziwa and Balguda will be big enough to challenge his position. On the way to the forest Ziwa scooped up some soil and threw it on his head to scare away some pesky flies whilst he was walking along.

12 May 2015

When the elephants got to the grasslands this morning the browse was so soft and sweet that they just concentrated on eating and ignored one another. Sweet grass is a firm favourite in the green season. Ziwa followed Faraja today but kept his distance in case Faraja thought he was trying to steal his foo and out of respect. The other babies followed Lima Lima and Quanza, although Balguda stayed with Sonje which is typical now days, the two of them are inseperable. Balguda had some ticks on his belly and was looking for a rock to scratch on. Instead he found a tree and started to scratch but some crested cranes flew up overhead and made a squawk that scared him and sent him running off in a panic as he had never heard such a thing before. He tried to look around to find where the noise was coming from but could not spot them overhead. Sonje realized what was happening and that the flying birds had frightened Balguda so she went to comfort him along with the keepers who were calling his name.

13 May 2015

After a chilly night the babies came out into the compound from their stockades. Sonje, as usual, went to little Balguda’s gate to say “jambo” before walking out. Balguda replied with a big rumbling as if he was saying “a very good morning to you too” which made Sonje very happy. Outside the compound the other orphans sniffed around with their trunks on the ground trying to find some leftover lucerne. Sonje and Murera went to smell the scent of the wild elephants, visitors to the stockades the previous night, as they all walked towards the springs to drink. Today the babies became quite spread out in the bushes all doing their own thing. Right in front of the keepers Ngasha started to be naughty with Ziwa. He was trying to mount Ziwa who was on the ground playing and the keepers had to meet out some discipline by shouting at Ngasha. They were assisted by Murera who also stepped in to warn him off. Quanza and Lima Lima divided the group by walking in a different direction with some of the babies; the others remained with Murera and Sonje. They went to find some lilies to eat before going to the water hole to wallow. It was a nice hot day so the orphans enjoyed their mudwallow for quite some time, thrashing around in the mud. In the afternoon it started to rain, forcing the orphans to look for some shelter for the young ones like Balguda and Ziwa. The retreated from the rain and Balguda was extremely happy as he stayed close to his mother-figure Sonje who was very attentive as always.

14 May 2015

Lima Lima started the day in a happy mood, wandering around the compound and greeting all the other elephants, except Murera, and making sure they were all well and happy before heading out for the day. Murera watched her wondering what was going on. Lima Lima is such a buoyant little elephant full of the joys of life. She is also extremely clever and ever alert. Faraja foraged in the fresh grasslands with his friend Jasiri, the tail grabber. Both these little albino babies are greedy and love their food. Faraja kept a little distance between the two of them so that Jasiri could not get at his tail. Before joining the others Lima Lima walked out onto one of the rocky areas of Umani hills and got a fright when she saw the klipspringer antelope jumping around there. Lima Lima ran away from them. Todaay Zongoloni and Quanza followed Sonje to the water hole to wallow in the muddy water. The others disappeared into the forest looking for Murera who had left them earlier after having her milk. Finally only Quanza was left standing in the middle of the water hole having fun as the others all went off to look for Murera in the bushes. Murera was duly found and they settled happily browsing together.

15 May 2015

When the orphans came out of their night stockades in the early morning it was almost as if they had already made a plan for the day. Lima Lima headed straight off towards the slopes of Kenze Hill, quite a different direction to their normal browsing area. The keepers, always rather worried for Murera because of her compromised legs, were happy to see that she made it easily to the top of the hill despite the lava stones. From the top of the hill the elephants could see right over the Chyulu Hills national park. Lima Lima searched about and found a place where the wild elephants mudbath. She led the others to the spot to wallow. They were relishing their new environment. The elephants plans were interrupted by the keepers when they realised that it was time for bottle feeding and it was still quite a long way to the water hole where their bottles would be waiting. They called the elephants and Lima Lima took the lead returning them. When they reached the mudbath Balguda and Ziwa ran quickly to get their milk. Afterwards the elephants returned to the bushes, disappearing into the forest until the end of the day.

16 May 2015

Today the orphans headed into the centre of the forest. An are they have not frequented too often. Ngasha found himself alone but did not seem to mind with the keepers keeping an eye on him. The orphans enjoyed a good mudwallow today and came across areas where the wild elephants had been the night before. Here they explored their scents and marks, very interested in their wild friends.

17 May 2015

Murera decided she did not want to be with the others in the morning and went off into the thick bushes on the opposite side of the stockades and left Sonje with the little herd. Ziwa, one of males who arrived from the nursery only a couple of months ago, has begun putting on weight. Having got so sick in Ithumba it is wonderful to seem him make a full recovery. He looks fat and healthy and has a good appetite. Ziwa also enjoys wallowing in the mudbath like a hippo. Umani is a wonderful place for the orphaned elephants as they do not have to walk very far looking for food and water and this is especially helpful for compromised elephants like Murera who would find covering large distances very difficult. After having her milk bottle Zongoloni went to find her friend Sonje. Finding Sonje busy with her adopted new baby Balguda who came to Umani last month Zongoloni walked over to Lima Lima instead who was waiting to see if she could scrounge an extra bottle of milk to drink. Zongoloni convinced her she was waiting in vain and the two walked away to wallow in the water hole together. The other babies joined them and they all had lots of fun in the water. Before the end of the day the weather became very hot and Murera and Ziwa returned to the waterhole again to wallow before going back to the stockades. Ziwa and Balguda were wallowing champions today, they rolled and rolled in the mud until their bodies became caked with it and it was difficult to tell them apart, or see their eyes even.

18 May 2015

Some Crested guinea fowl were hiding with their baby chicks in the long grass when the elephants walked past. Some of the birds were scared that they would be stepped on and flew out giving the elephants a terrible fright. Quanza and Lima Lima charged, raising up their big ears and trumpeting loudly. The keepers were very concerned at first until they realised it was just guinea fowl who had caused the commotion. Jasiri and Ziwa remained blissfully ignorant whilst Murera rounded the others up and calmed them down before heading off to the milk feeding area. Jasiri could hardly believe he had finished his bottle and stood sucking his trunk waiting to see if there was any more. Finally, once everyone had had their share, he realized nothing was left and went off to join Lima Lima who was following the keepers hopeful of something more!

19 May 2015

Murera came out of the stockades in a very happy mood looking for somewhere to go and have a scratch. Her bottom was itchy with ticks that had attached since she had last been sprayed. Ticks are a fact of life in the forest and she could find nowhere to scratch so she went off to the loading bay area and scratched on the walls there. Jasiri went to a place near the acacia trees to look for the pods he loves so much, but it is the wrong time of year and he only found leaves. Sonje was carefully watching over her adopted baby boy Balguda, keeping him very close to her so no one could push him. Balguda saw that Sonje was eating something that looked very tasty. He put his trunk into her mouth to try and get the scent of what she was eating that seemed so delicious. The orphans had a lot of fun in the water hole today. Afterwards Murera went over to roll in the grass but then struggled to get up. She called to the other elephants to come and help her but in the end the keepers had to go and help her out.

20 May 2015

When Quanza went out into the forests in the morning she looked as if she was half asleep. Ziwa saw her dozing in the bushes and went to find out what was wrong. He got short shift from Quanza who gave him a strong push so he would leave her in peace. Ziwa left Quanza dozing and when the keepers went to see if she was okay she ran away, showing that she was just tired and nothing was wrong. She probably just did not get enough sleep as Lima Lima sometimes wants to play and mounts her when she lies down to rest at night. Balguda is proving to be a good leader for the other elephants. He has taken over responsibility for Zongoloni, one of Sonje’s best friends, just as Sonje looks after him. Sonje rumbled loudly in the bushes calling her babies to follow and they ran to her, Balguda leading with Zongoloni behind. Ziwa was left with Murera. They all went off in the direction of Umani hills but their plan to ascend was almost cut short when they heard some surprising movements in the bushes. It was just klipsprinter jumping away from the moving elephants, but Murera turned the herd back and ran towards the keepers for assistance. When she got to them she did not stop but continued on running back to the bottle feeding area, leaving the keepers worried that there might be buffaloes in the area but they soon discovered it was just the klip Springers. At the water hole the babies stopped and had their bottles. Jasiri has picked up Lima Lima’s habit of hanging around looking for extra bottles of milk to sneak away with and finish off. He was pushed away by Murera after he had finished his own two bottles and he looked scared as he stretched out his trunk towards Murera thinking that she intended to discipline him further.

21 May 2015

Lima Lima enjoys her role as the mini matriarch of the older orphans. She led them out into the forest in the early morning as soon as they come out of their night stockades, where they had spent the night feeding on the greens cut for them and left there by the keepers. Sonje remained behind waiting for Balguda to come and join her, afterwards they followed Lima Lima and the other babies to the browsing fields where Murera was busy scratching herself on a fallen tree at the edge of the forest. The keepers have had to start sending the elephants in one by one to have their milk bottles so that they do not fight over them. At feeding time Lima Lima, Ngasha and Quanza are just so desperate to have extra milk that they push the little ones away to try and get their extra share. Jasiri and Zongoloni can pick up and hold their own milk bottles without the keepers help. After her milk Lima Lima became moody and the keepers thought she might be unwell, however, it was only because the keepers stopped her from stealing Ziwa’s bottle. Sonje gathered her favourite babies, Zongoloni and Balguda, safely to her side before the elephants started walking back to the stockades. Ziwa was left in the care of Murera and Quanza.

22 May 2015

Murera dallied behind in the stockades this morning, scratching her tummy and hind legs on the scratching post there and only following the others slowly behind with the keepers. When she went to look for the other elephants out in the forest she could not see them and had to sniff the ground with her trunk to try and locate their scent. She spent time dusting with soil to keep some annoying flies off. Balguda stayed close to his friend and roommate Ziwa whilst trying to look for his mother-figure Sonje but she was nowhere to be found. Balguda just found Ngasha and he was sad when Ngasha warned him off with his trunk, just as he used to when Balguda first arrived from the nursery and was still new to Umani. Initially Ngasha had been rather a bully to Balguda and Ziwa but since Sonje has taken them under her wing Balguda has no longer had to deal with being pushed about by the older bullslike Jasiri, Faraja and Ngasha. Ziwa and Zongoloni came to Balguda’s aid and sandwiched him between them to protect him from the naughty pushing boys.

23 May 2015

Lima Lima has been actively filling her role as the mini matriarch today. She led the babies to the dusting soil for a morning dust bath. Sonje was very busy with young Balguda, giving him some tips on how to pluck the tough grass with the help of his feet. She also fed him some soft grass, playing the mother role and treating Balguda like a little baby. Lima Lima then led the way towards the natural wallowing mud where the wild elephants mudbath during the rainy season, but her way was blocked by some fallen yellow fever trees. The other babies found a way to sneak around to the water hole and wallow as Lima Lima decided to stop and scratch her neck on the fallen trees. Ngasha had a fantastic time rolling in the mud and turning his bottom upside down towards the keepers. After the waterhole fun Faraja led the way to an area on the slopes of Umani hills where there were plenty of soft branches to eat. Later Murera communicated with the babies, telling them it was time to go back to the stockades for the evening. The orphans came together and waited for Murera to communicate what they should do, she started walking slowly off then Lima Lima took the lead having realized it was time to go home.

24 May 2015

The lower slopes of the Umani hills are full of very sweet and good soft branches that the babies love to eat. Some of the babies like to continue walking up the hills looking for new soft green leaves to feed on. Today Ziwa was among those climbing the hill, following Faraja to the top. Zongoloni heard some wild elephants trumpeting on the other side of the Chyulu Hills national park. When the keepers heard them they were concerned that the wild ones might try to join the orphans browsing on the hills. Murera and Sonje started walking towards the direction of the wild bulls but Ngasha and Jasiri did not want to go there and walked away back down the hill leading the others behind them. Without the backup team Murera and Sonje also turned back towards the keepers. Balguda was placed in Ngasha’s care when the orphans went to the wallowing hole. Then Zongoloni, Lima Lima and Quanza headed off to the grasslands to roll in the long grass and dry their bodies, whilst the others decided it would be better to go and dry off in the dusting soil. It seemed as if Murera was smiling at the keepers as she lay on the ground shaking her head.

25 May 2015

The orphan elephants make a closely knit herd and it would be easy to think they came from the same biological family rather than being a collection of lost souls, poaching victims that have been forced upon one another by human greed and cruelty. They are now happy together forming close bonds under the care of their human family, the keepers. In the morning Ziwa and his roommate Balguda left their stockade and walked to where Sonje and Murera were waiting for them, knowing they would be protected from pushing and shoving by the other elephants by the two older females. Ngasha started to walk towards them and Balguda thought he might be coming in search of trouble. When the two were at the nursery together they were good friends but since coming to Umani Ngasha has become aggressive towards Balguda and Ziwa forcing Murera and Sonje to come in and protect them. It is more than likely a jealousy, seeing the enormous attention they receive.

26 May 2015

Zongoloni is becoming very adept at finding delicious food for the orphans. Ziwa is now looking very happy and healthy, having gained weight since arriving at Umani where there is plenty to eat and lots of fresh water in the near vicinity. It is a much less harsh environment than Ithumba, where he was previously relocated and failed to thrive before becoming sick and returning to the nursery. Life in the Kibwezi conservation area is good for Ziwa and Balguda, they have all they need to eat and drink nearby, and when they return to the stockades they get milk, copra cake, dry coconuts and fresh greens brought to them by the keepers from the Kibwezi Hills Kenze base area.

27 May 2015

Balguda and Ziwa, who are sharing a room together, took on the responsibility to lead the other orphans from the stockades to the browsing fields, having learned the way from their friends, Zongoloni, Lima Lima and Quanza who showed them when they first arrived. It had not been a quiet night. The wild elephants came to visit and were very happy to be much closer to the babies than when they are out in the bush. The wild elephants still fear the humans that walk with the orphans all day. One of the wild elephants put his trunk on the electric fence, getting a shock which sent him rushing away trumpeting loudly. The orphans then also started to make a commotion and this prompted the keepers to come out to find out what was going on. The wild bulls fled and the orphans also panicked as they did not understand what had frightened their friends and made them run off so quickly. Sonje, Quanza, Lima Lima and Zongoloni pushed so hard on the bars of their gates that they became bent, they wanted to follow their wild friends into the wilderness. The keepers called the orphans names to calm them down and restore order.

28 May 2015

Sonje walked deep into the thickest bushes leaving Balguda behind with Murera whilst she searched for soft new greens. As she continued she came across a baby terrapin walking on its own. Sonje was curious, approaching the turtle and stopping to smell it with her trunk. She was very careful not to harm the terrapin by stepping on it and turned to follow another route to avoid it. She followed the smell of some flowering plants, stopping to pick and eat the yellow flowers once she found them. Zongoloni also enjoyed picking the pretty flowers and the keepers laughingly called her ‘flower girl’ as she threw them up on her head. It became very hot in the afternoon as the orphans continued walking in the bushes looking for food. Ziwa was very happy when he came across a natural waterhole and enjoyed splashing his chest and throwing mud on his back whilst the others continued on into the forest.

29 May 2015

Murera has always been a rather jealous elephant. At one time she was managing to share the responsibility of taking care of Balguda with Sonje, but now she has changed her mind and become jealous of Sonje. Sometimes Sonje has problems with Murera in the night as Murera pushes her away from their normal sleeping beds onto the floor. Sonje has to wait until Murera is fast asleep and snoring before she can return to bed and sleep. She also has to be quick to move when Murera awakes so as not to be found in the sleeping area. Naughty boy Ngasha went into the bushes to hide from Faraja, holding his trunk above his head to hide his face. Murera copied Ngasha, but then had to be a bit different and put her trunk in her ears, blowing dust into them to block them so she could not hear her friends communicating. Sonje went into the forest with her lovely baby boy Balguda following her closely. She then lay down so Balguda could climb on her. Balguda clambered on her belly happily as this is a game he loves but cannot play with Murera as she disciplines anyone who takes advantage, mindful of her injury still which probably hurts when clambered upon.

30 May 2015

When the babies came out of their stockades in the morning they rumbled to each other loudly looking towards the lucerne store and protesting that they had not been given any today. During the rainy season there is plenty of food and the keepers usually stop giving them supplementary lucerne. The orphans were disappointed that the keepers took pity on them and went to the store to get them a bale. The orphans were very happy when they saw the keeper coming with lucerne hitched high on his shoulder. Quanza sneaked up from behind and grabbed some lucerne before running away with it to the scratching rock. There she spread it all over the ground so the other babies, including Balguda and Ziwa, could come and share it with her. Sonje walked ahead of Murera who had shown her disapproval earlier in the day. When she lay down to roll playfully Faraja, one of the naughty boys, spotted her and walked over quietly before clambering on her back for a ride. Sonje did not mind as Faraja is not too heavy for her. The babies went for their midday bottle feed and afterwards the keepers brought them some acacia pods in a box. This is an incredible treat. Quanza and Lima Lima smelt the pods and ran over quickly followed by Ngasha and Zongoloni. They kicked the box to pieces leaving the acacia pods scattered everywhere. Murera came and joined them and they all celebrated the delicious pods which they have not eaten for nearly a year since the last acacia pod season ended.

31 May 2015

The wild elephants have been visiting nearly every night for the last week, which the babies have enjoyed. As the orphans walked into the bush they spread out so each could see clearly to find good soft branches to eat. Lima Lima was to the left of Ngasha and Ngasha covered his eyes with his trunk to try and fool Lima Lima into thinking that he was not watching her gobbling up all the good grass. Balguda is very happy as he continues to receive three bottles of milk instead of two like the other orphans. He feels very lucky as he gets this extra bottle and the others have to walk away. He was so excited that the keeper had to hold his trunk and calm him down before leading him to the mudbath for a wallow. Balguda refused to go in as it is becoming very cold and even the wild elephants are no longer wallowing with the new snap of cold weather.