Choose your region

Narok, Orwa and Bomani came in to join the dependent orphans this morning. Wild bulls later came in as well and shared water with the orphans from the same trough. 

When the orphans were in the bush, they met with Mutara’s group and started playing with them. Orwa, Bomani and Narok were still with them, and Orwa was playing and rolling on the ground. Roi went on to scratch on a tree while Olsekki and Maramoja were browsing together. Later the orphans walk to the mud bath for their milk.

At the mud bath, Mutara’s group was still with the dependent orphans and now they arrived with Kilaguni, Kasigau and Zurura among them. Kilaguni started play fighting with Zurura. Olsekki helped himself to his milk bottles by picking them up off the ground with his trunk and feeding himself. Suguta drank fresh water direct from the water trucks pipe. Two wild elephants were playing in the mud bath. When they were all done drinking, the orphans walked out back to the bush.

In the afternoon some of the group were busy browsing and others were hiding from the sun in the shade of some trees. They later went to play in a waterhole along the road with Garzi scratching his belly as Kauro and Maramoja played and rolled on the ground. Mutara also joined them. When they finished playing the orphans walked back home for the evening.

It was another cool morning today and we were visited by Kilaguni, Naisula and Kitirua in the stockade compound, who joined the orphans to feed on lucerne. Mundusi started scratching his bottom on the stockade wall. 

Out in the bush during the morning hours, all the babies looked active and were very busy browsing. They didn’t go to the mud bath again today and had their bottles close to the stockades. They were all desperate for their beloved milk formula, and Malkia was stretching to try and reach her milk bottles ahead of time. They all had some water from the stockade water troughs before walking off to eat some more greens in the bush.

Naisula, Kitirua and Kilaguni stayed with the dependent orphans throughout the afternoon. We still need some more rain in this area and we are waiting for more to come. Later on the orphans all walked back home to bed for the night. We saw Tomboi today as well and he is recovering nicely from his spear injury since the Vet treated him.

The orphans today were happy to find that after having their milk bottles, their Lucerne was already put out ready for them to feast on. After a few minutes, Naisula, Kitirua and Kilaguni came in again and joined them. Dupotto spent some time scratching her neck while Kauro rubbed his backside. The orphans walked to the water trough to drink water and then went straight out to the bush to browse.

It was another cold day and the babies concentrated on browsing. Kauro and Sapalan browsed together nicely.

There was a very big wild bull at the mud bath today when the orphans arrived. Kithaka had sneaked away from the herd and went to the mud bath before the others. He found the wild bull there drinking water and he decided to join him. Mteto then arrived with Pare and Sapalan, she finished her milk and ran straight to the water trough making the wild bull afraid and he ran away. The orphans had their milk, then they drank water and a few decided to play in the mud hole. Kilaguni and Garzi started play-fighting. 

All the orphans browsed as they made their way to drink some water from a small dam along the road. Some of the orphans started to play in that big puddle as well, but Narok couldn’t find get space to play and this annoyed her, so she started digging at the edge of the small dam. Kilaguni and Ukame with Mundusi and Pare started play-fighting separately. The herd later walked back home in the evening for their milk.

This morning while some of the elephants were eating Lucerne, Kithaka, Kauro and Mundusi were scratching their necks on the wall simultaneously. The orphans later walked to the trough to drink water and then walked out to the bush to browse. While the babies were browsing, Malkia was also busy scratching her belly in between two trees. Kauro was busy scooping and tossing chunks of soil in the air and some on his head. Dupotto later led the first group to the mud bath for their milk.

When the babies arrived, two wild bulls were in the mud bath drinking water with Kanjoro, while Mutara and the rest of her herd were busy playing in the mud bath, led by Mutara herself. Mutara was very active and playful and she started patting and chatting to Suguta after their mud bath. Another wild bull came to the mud bath and chased away some of the orphans who were playing there. At the same time, Lemoyian was playing with Enkikwe and others were interacting with a wild bull around the water trough. Turkwel was also very active while playing in the muddy water. 

Later back out in the bush, Mutara's herd decided to stay with the orphans for the whole afternoon and interact with them. They escorted the orphans back home in the evening and stayed to play outside the stockades. Narok, Orwa, Kilaguni and Bomani came in and Kainuk started playing with Orwa. Some wild bulls also came in running for water as they were very thirsty. They drank water and left.

Sana Sana led the way out soon after the gates were opened. She was followed by Malkia who decided to leave with a branch in her mouth, which kept her busy as she waited for lucerne. The orphans settled for lucerne and were in a good mood as no one tried to push anyone. It was a peaceful feeding time before Karisa led the way to the water trough. Shortly later, the orphans headed to the browsing field. Kamok lagged behind but followed her friends later. Garzi came across a tree stump which was low enough to scratch his belly on. As soon as he was done, he teamed up with Lemoyian and held a brief chat before parting ways. Olsekki took some time off from feeding to have a lone game of rolling on the ground and as soon as he was done, he walked towards Tusuja and engaged him in a pushing game. 

At mud bath time the weather was chilly and the orphans decided not to have a mud bath. Eighteen wild bulls and over one hundred buffaloes showed up during mud bath. Olsekki briefly had a chat with one of the wild bulls before heading back to the browsing field. In the afternoon, the orphans were joined by Mutara, Suguta, Sities, Kainuk, Kanjoro, Kasigau and Kilaguni. The juniors ex-orphans with Mutara settled to browse with the orphans for the rest of the day. 

The orphans left the stockades early as usual. Kilaguni was the only ex-orphan to join the orphans and he left a short while later, after having a sparing contest with Barsilinga. Esampu appeared to be in an excitable mood this morning, which she displayed through acrobatics of nose diving and doing headstands on the ground, and then, after spotting a bird, charging towards it and then continuing her run right out into the bush. Her friends followed her in a hurry to catch up and find what was happening with Esampu. 

The orphans settled to browse not very far away from the stockades due to the anticipated arrival of new babies from Nairobi. At 10:45 in the morning, lorry carrying Mapia, Malima and Kuishi arrived at Ithumba. The new babies were welcomed first by Malkia, Sana Sana and Ndiwa who they knew from the Nairobi Nursery. The other Ithumba orphans followed after. Mapia tried to challenge Sana Sana but Sana Sana would not stand for that so pushed Mapia away. Rapa tried to bully Mapia but was told off by the Keepers. Sana Sana and Malkia spent most of their time feeding with the three new babies. 

At mud bath time, twenty four wild bulls were present. The orphans decided not to have a mud bath again, but instead had a soil dusting exercise. In the afternoon Mapia, Kuishi and Malima took a break from feeding and relaxed under a tree. Kuishi and Mapia kept themselves busy by engaging in a light pushing game. Namalok had a lengthy conversation with Dupotto not knowing that this was the last chat since Dupotto was to be taken to Nairobi for further treatment. At 11:20 at night, Dupotto was loaded into the translocation and left for Nairobi. This was to make sure we could monitor more closely considering her drop in weight and so we could run the relevant tests to treat her accordingly at the Nairobi Nursery. Dupotto is fine and still eating her playing, but we just want to monitor her in Nairobi further, before her condition does deteriorate.