Mwashoti, Kiombo, Maktao, and novices Amali and Kapei usually attempt to banish the buffalos from the scene, with little effect: At best, the buffaloes lazily trot into the forest, only to circle back a few minutes later; more often, they flatly refuse to budge. They don’t bother the Keepers, so everyone coexists in a rather unconventional but convivial fashion.

Of course, sometimes the orphans cannot resist chasing off their imaginary foes, the buffalos. One day, a brave hero emerged in the unlikely form of Kapei. One of the buffalo leaders moved towards Murera and baby Mwana at the dust bath. Kapei saw him approaching and courageously created a one-elephant barrier between the interloper and the girls. The buffalo leader retreated as the orphans and Keepers celebrated Kapei’s bravery. 

It is worth causing a fuss over buffalos… but a tortoise, not so much! Yet, as we are reminded time and again, it is often the most innocuous creatures who create the biggest drama amongst our Umani herd. One morning, a large tortoise shuffled its way into the orphans’ browsing path. When Kapei spotted the round object slowly advancing towards him, he rushed over to inform Lima Lima. Lima Lima gave the tortoise a hearty kick, flipping him on his back. The tortoise was unharmed, and the Keepers swiftly righted him, but the sight of his four stout legs flailing outside their shell really frightened the orphans. Everyone made a speedy exit and refused to return to that area for the rest of the day.

On 7th May, Kiombo and Maktao were led astray by the nightclubbers and failed to return when it was time for bed. The Keepers knew the boys were in good hands with their older friends, but suspected they might hear from them later in the night. Sure enough, Maktao and Kiombo turned up several hours later, after realising it was dark and they missed their bedrooms.

A few days later, the orphan herd heard a chorus of trumpets coming from the bushes. Lima Lima and Mwashoti went to investigate, only to find Ziwa and his team, trying to alert the orphans to their presence. Lima Lima guided Ziwa back to the herd, where he was warmly received by long-time friends who had missed him. After a few hours, Ziwa's adopted family came to collect him.

Mwashoti is a gentle bull and a good tutor to the younger boys, but even he isn’t immune to bad behaviour. One morning, he wasted no time in bullying Maktao, pulling his tail and trunk to try to provoke him into a fight. It was an unfair match, as Mwashoti is so much larger. The girls recognised this and rushed to Maktao’s defence. Enkesha and Zongoloni teamed up and charged toward Mwashoti, which sent the truant bull into hiding. 

Enkesha is only eight years old, but she has excellent leadership instincts. One day, Zongoloni joined the herd accompanied by five giant bulls. (She seems to prefer the company of big-bodied suitors!) Upon viewing the visitors, Enkesha trumpeted to gather the nannies for consultation. She was leery of the big bulls around Mwana, Amali, and Kapei. Following Enkesha’s alert, Lima Lima gathered the herd and moved them away from the bulls, to more peaceful territory.

Quanza is another girl who has really come into her own. We saw this one morning, when Kiombo and Maktao were behaving like enemies, pushing and pulling each other's tails. Quanza saw the situation escalating and knew it was time to intervene. With Zongoloni’s help, she calmed the two boys and sent them in opposite directions, averting a big fight.

Some nights are more fraught than others. One evening, just before midnight, a leopard was heard just outside the stockades. His presence upset the baboons, who caused a loud commotion. All this noise worried the orphans, particularly Amali, Kapei, Kiasa, and Kiombo, who rattled their gates to alert the Keepers. The following morning, Amali remained subdued and out of sorts. Sonje and Zongoloni tried to comfort her, assuring her that things were back to normal.

Faraja and Alamaya were regular visitors this month, but we did not see Jasiri. He must be thoroughly enjoying his wild friendships and forest escapades! We know he is in the area.

Sonje, Lima Lima, and Zongoloni are pregnant. We cannot be sure when they are due, but their bellies are getting rounder with each passing month. With this stage of life comes increased mood swings; some days, the girls are in high spirits, other days, they are very moody and short-tempered. The Keepers follow their cues and adjust their interactions accordingly. 

We saw a new, flirtatious side to Kiasa this month. A wild bull visited the herd and took a shine to her. Kiasa aimed to demonstrate to the others that she could win the hearts of handsome visitors, just as Lima Lima did when she was younger. Perhaps, like Lima Lima, we have another Kibwezi Forest heartbreaker on our hands!

May ended with a big night out for our little kids. A group of wild elephants arrived just as the orphans were heading back to the stockades, which caused some confusion. While most of the dependent orphans returned home, Amali and Kapei remained out with Lima Lima, Zongoloni, Quanza, and Sonje. Some two hours later, Amali was escorted home by Sonje and Quanza, but Kapei remained absent. 

We doubt that Kapei will repeat this exercise any time soon. Throughout the night, the Keepers could hear him in the bushes, complaining to Lima Lima and Zongoloni. However, the older ex-orphans were unsympathetic and did not return the young bull until dawn the following morning.