Choose your region

Zongoloni returned to the herd accompanied by five large bulls. They were giants that surprised many Keepers due to their size compared to hers. Zongoloni seems to prefer these big-bodied bulls. The bulls turned away when they noticed the Keepers nearby. One bull raised its head, scanning the area to ensure safety. Kiombo and Maktao joined them, but Kiombo found it difficult to get close to Zongoloni as she was surrounded by the giant bulls.

Enkesha trumpeted to call the nannies to join her for a consultation on the safest course of action. She was leery of the big bulls around Mwana, Amali, and Kapei. Mwashoti threw some dust over his head, signalling that he was ready to move out. He followed Sonje towards the hills, but Lima Lima later changed direction after receiving wise advice from Murera and Kiasa. They asked her to lead in front so that other babies would follow and avoid the wild bulls.

As the herd moved towards the hills, they encountered some buffalo blocking their path. Amali and Kiasa stood their ground, defending themselves from the buffaloes. The elephants showed great protectiveness towards their Keepers, who stood behind the elephants for protection. Thanks to the elephants’ defence, the buffalos moved off and everyone was safe.

The early morning was filled with excitement as all the elephants joyfully left their stables, looking forward to the new day. Kapei dropped his bottle after finishing his morning milk, ready to follow Amali, Mwana, and Murera. But Kiasa, being protective of little Mwana, blocked Kapei's way to prevent any rough behaviour. Murera took a moment to scratch herself against a big tree while Enkesha and the other young nannies were taken away by the older nannies. Sonje remained behind to escort Murera back to her baby, but Murera was in no hurry. She knew Mwana was safe with the other girls and would return when she was ready.

Meanwhile, Maktao and Kiombo were playfully pushing each other when suddenly monkeys appeared in the trees above them. The monkeys started screaming, startling Kiombo and causing the play fight to come to an abrupt halt. Kiombo quickly moved towards Quanza for comfort as the monkeys squabbled over fruits.

In the afternoon, the orphans moved to Chyulu for their browse. They encountered Faraja and Ziwa within the bushes, and Ziwa welcomed them to join his group of wild friends. However, the matriarch of the wild herd blocked Ziwa from approaching Sonje and the other orphaned elephants. She is very protective of Ziwa and, we believe, fears that the orphans will kidnap him, Sonje, Quanza, and Lima Lima noticed the block and decided to rejoin their own herd. Together, they walked to where the Keepers were taking a short break.

The orphans, accompanied by the Keepers, crossed to the other side of the hills in search of green pastures, following Sonje and Alamaya. Quanza and Kiombo teamed up to pull down a heavy branch that Sonje was struggling with. However, Enkesha and Kapei grew impatient waiting for the branch to come down. Kapei left, followed by Enkesha, disappointed that they couldn't eat immediately. Sonje wouldn't have allowed them to simply wait and eat without putting in the effort to help bring down the branch.

As they were struggling with the branch, several crane birds flew onto the nearby tree, making noise with their wings. Startled, all the elephants quickly ran away to escape whatever they thought was in the tree. The Keepers calmed them down, calling everyone by name until they regrouped.

It was a cold day, and at the waterhole, none of the babies attempted to get into the mud bath. They tested the water with their trunks before deciding not to swim. They drank water and then moved away to a dust pile, where Lima Lima knelt down to dig up the soil and eat the salty dust.

Zongoloni and Mwana had a tough time today. When Mwana tried to go under Zongoloni's belly and nurse from her as she is normally allowed to do, her nanny walked away. Mwana tried again and was allowed for a moment, until Zongoloni walked away again. The Keepers realised that Mwana, who now has teeth, might be hurting Zongoloni while breastfeeding, which is why she was being denied.

Mwana moved to Lima Lima and tried her luck with her. However, Lima Lima did the same as Zongoloni. Mwana eventually gave up and joined Enkesha and Kiasa in a nice patch of mud.

After some mud bathing and rolling in the wet earth, Mwana moved to Murera. Her mother did not object and allowed Mwana to breastfeed, but insisted she have good manners, not pulling too hard as she had done with her nannies. Murera warned her, and Mwana listened, understanding that if she did not behave, she would not be allowed to nurse in such a rough manner.

Some wild warthogs crossed to the mud bath area. When Kapei spotted the tiny pigs, he moved to chase them out. The warthogs, realising they were being followed by Kapei, ran away and hid in their holes. Kapei, unable to see where the warthogs had gone, stopped outside with Maktao. They both blew loud trumpets and charged around the shrubs, trying to scare the warthogs, but none emerged.

A big group of buffaloes came along the open fields where the elephants were browsing. The buffaloes appeared from the side opposite to where the orphans were, and none of the orphans noticed them initially. It wasn't until the buffaloes began to lie down on the grass to sleep that Enkesha, who was with Kiasa and Mwashoti, detected their scent. 

Mwashoti, being the strong boy among the girls, took on the duty of chasing the buffaloes away. He charged at them, trumpeting loudly, which caused the buffaloes to panic and start retreating into the forest. The elephants kept up the pursuit, blowing trumpets and creating a noise that was unbearable for the buffaloes. Even little Amali joined in the chase, ensuring the buffaloes were driven far away.

Murera and Sonje urged the orphans to keep up the pressure, and with the help of Kiombo and the other boys, they kept the pace until the buffaloes disappeared into the Kibwezi Forest. After successfully chasing away the buffaloes, the orphans returned and browsed along the open grass area. They eventually moved close to the water troughs where Mwana and Zongoloni had gone for a drink. Mwana and Zongoloni then got into the nearby waterhole for a wallow, and they were soon joined by Murera and Sonje.

Playful Mwana did not entertain Kapei when he approached and placed his trunk on her back, attempting to play with her. She knew that when Kapei did this, it meant he was trying to mount her. She blocked any attempt with the help of Kiasa and Enkesha, managing to kick Kapei away before things escalated. Mwana rumbled and her nannies guided her away from the boisterous boys.

Some wild elephant friends were heard trumpeting in the bushes far towards the Chyulu side, which caught the attention of Mwashoti and other boys. The Keepers saw Lima Lima also heading towards the trumpeting sounds. When they arrived, they found 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. They eagerly asked him questions about his life away from the group. After a few hours, Ziwa's adopted family came in search of him, and he left with them in a hurry.

Bullying began this morning immediately after Mwashoti arrived into the herd from his night out. He returned with Quanza, and later Sonje joined them. Mwashoti wasted no time and started bullying Maktao, whom he found foraging alone behind the stockades. Mwashoti began by pulling Maktao's tail and trunk, trying to provoke him into a fight. Maktao, ready to defend himself, was overpowered and fell to his hind knees. Mwashoti took advantage and mounted him while he was down.

Luckily, Maktao received support from the other elephants who were concerned about Mwashoti's behaviour. Enkesha and Zongoloni teamed up and charged toward him, trumpeting loudly. Seeing Zongoloni and the young girls coming after him, Mwashoti abandoned Maktao and went into hiding. 

The babies then moved to an anthill to play. Mwana found a comfortable spot atop Enkesha, with Kiasa moving around all the nannies on the hill. However, Kapei and Kiombo were not welcomed to join, as their rough playing style was a concern. Murera watched over them, confident that the nannies would protect the baby elephants.

Sonje was the last night clubber to arrive after all the orphans had gathered for the lucerne pellets this morning. She found that the pellets had been eaten by the other orphans, leaving nothing behind. Even the baboons, who were waiting for leftovers, were disappointed as Amali had scooped up all the remaining pellets. Realising there was nothing left to eat, Sonje moved to a full waterhole to drink before heading to another area with more food. Mwashoti followed her into the bushes, while Enkesha and the other nannies followed Murera and the boys.

A tug-of-war started between Kapei and Kiombo when Kapei wanted a stick that was inside Kiombo's mouth. Kapei demanded a part of it, but Kiombo did not relent and forced little Kapei to run for his safety after warning him to leave or face the consequences. Kapei knew that Kiombo meant business and did not wait any longer after the warning.

Amali had a disagreement with Mwana, but they resolved things amicably. Amali agreed to what Mwana wanted, recognizing that she was just a baby. We always say that Amali is very mature for her age.

Alamaya skipped the morning visit today, but as the orphans were climbing the Kenzili Hills, he was seen with a wild herd that seemed to be his adopted family. He showed no interest in joining his friends but raised his trunk toward Mwashoti. The Keepers saw this and thought Alamaya might come over, so they welcomed him with lots of treats. Alamaya ate all the pellets given to him but, without showing any appreciation, he left to rejoin his wild herd friends. He passed by the orphans without stopping to say jambo to any of the babies. Later, Mwashoti and Quanza went to chat with him but returned after Alamaya pushed Mwashoti hard with his long tusks. Among the orphans, Alamaya is the only other boy with strong and long tusks, which is a reality check for Mwashoti.

Kiasa and Enkesha walked into the deeper bushes, trying to follow Sonje, who was venturing further. Lima Lima and Amali joined them, but Amali soon realised she was too far from Mwana. Panicked, she rushed back to where Murera and her baby were relaxing under the bushes. They were waiting until the day cooled down, preparing to browse again after the hot afternoon.

It was a very good start to the new day when the Keepers spotted Faraja back home. With him was a young male friend who had accompanied him to learn about his home and the orphaned family. The herd happily received Faraja. Kiombo noticed the youthful wild friend who had accompanied Faraja and began to rough him up and ask many questions. Feeling unsafe, the wild bull decided to leave and ran back to the bushes, leaving Faraja behind with Sonje and Zongoloni. Quanza later joined them, and together they headed towards Chyulu.

Kapei tried to follow Faraja, as he was trying his luck to see whether the older bull would allow him to join him in the wild. However, the Keepers were still concerned as they deemed Kapei too young to live in the wild with Faraja. Kapei is very greedy about his milk bottles and would not stay away for long before feeling thirsty. He rejoined Amali and Enkesha, who were preparing to return home after a long day of browsing. The elephants stopped for some evening mud baths, then moved to the water trough to drink clean water. Finally, they headed back home, with the herd now under the leadership of Amali and Mwana from the front.

Many wildlife roamed around today, including large families of wild elephants and buffalo herds. When the orphans saw the big herd of wild elephants and later encountered the buffaloes, Murera hid. Amali, who was on a different side and unable to see Mwana and the other nannies, began looking around to find Murera and her baby. But as they were moving away, they came face to face with the buffaloes. Murera led the Keepers to safety, moving quickly even with her bad leg.

All the elephants later met at the waterhole when the heat became too intense. Kiasa and Enkesha jumped into the water, joined by Mwana, Amali, and later, the rest of the herd. The nannies kept Kapei off to the side, so he couldn’t interrupt the fun swimming mood that Amali and her little sister were enjoying. When Sonje and Quanza arrived, they found the space occupied and had to wait for some time to get their turn to wallow. Kiombo and his great friend Maktao were behaving like enemies, constantly pushing and pulling each other's tails. Quanza intervened to calm them down and prevent a big fight. She called Zongoloni to join her in helping the two boys. Eventually, Kiombo left and Maktao went his own way, stopping the fight as Quanza intended.

In a surprising turn of events, the dust bath buffaloes have now become our orphans’ friends. Since the orphans arrived for their midday dustbathing, the buffaloes have kept to the same schedule. It is now the Keepers' role to ensure a peaceful coexistence between the buffaloes and the elephants. We just keep an eye on them and leave them alone. In turn, the buffaloes also leave us alone.

One of the buffalo leaders, a huge bull, tried to move towards where some elephants were beginning to dust themselves. Kapei decided not to let the buffaloes cross their line and get close to where the nannies, Murera, and baby Mwana were cooling off in the waterhole. The young bull stood firm, which caused the buffalo leader to retreat and run away. Everyone was very proud of Kapei’s bravery. 

Enkesha went to her knees, trying to dig and lick the dust for minerals. Kiasa wanted to join her, but Kiombo and Maktao denied her entry. It soon got too hot to be in the sun, so Mwana signalled to everyone that it was time to leave. Amali followed, blowing her trumpet happily, as they all left to find shade to relax under.

Murera walked slowly while her baby was under tight security with the nannies. Murera was relaxed, knowing the nannies were happy with Mwana being with them. After a short walk, Mwana got thirsty and looked for her mother, but found Murera was too far away. Lima Lima and Zongoloni were the only nannies around her. This made Mwana go to Lima Lima to nurse, but nothing came out, forcing her to rush to her mother.

The day began very chilly as we entered the cold season earlier than expected. Murera and her baby slowly emerged from the stockades, showing that the elephants also felt the cold. Mwana, following her mother's pace, wasn’t walking very fast, but she was warmly welcomed by Amali, Kiasa, and Enkesha when she reached them. 

Shortly after, Faraja arrived with Alamaya, signalling to the Keepers that the wild friends might also be nearby. Indeed, within minutes, a wild herd appeared. The Keepers moved aside while the dependent orphans mingled with the visitors. The wild herd didn't leave until Alamaya was ready to go with them, ensuring they left together as they had come.

Murera and the other girls stayed away from the wild herd. Murera nursed Mwana while Amali calmly watched over them. Meanwhile, at the water trough near the mud bath, some of the babies, along with Lima Lima, went to dust themselves. Quanza dug into the soil, where there are lots of nutritious minerals.

Today, the orphans were visited by a wild bull friend who was hanging around with Kiasa. Kiasa wanted to prove to the other orphans that she was attractive to bulls, even though she is still very young. She aimed to demonstrate to the other little girls that she could win the hearts of the young bulls, just like Lima Lima did when she was younger. So, it was not strange seeing Kiasa today with such a huge bull next to her.

Kiasa was also opening the Keepers' eyes to be ready for more unexpected guests. After some hours, a large number of wild elephants arrived and joined the orphans, and they all began browsing together as one team. When it was time to come home in the evening, the bull left. However, the large wild herd mixed with the orphans, causing confusion as the orphans were getting ready to walk back home. The Keepers could not see Lima Lima, Zongoloni, Quanza, Sonje, Mwashoti, little Amali, and Kapei amidst all the wild elephants. Murera, who always stays out of the way of wild elephants, was ready to start walking home, along with Enkesha and Mwana. The orphans arrived at the stockades without Lima Lima, Zongoloni, Sonje, Amali, and Kapei.

We were very hopeful they would bring Amali and Kapei back for their bottles, but unfortunately, Amali and Kapei did not return home. They were taken away by the head girls, who were supposed to bring them home but decided to go with the wild herd instead. Some two hours later, Amali was brought home by Sonje and Quanza, but Kapei remained absent. He spent the night out with Lima Lima and Mwashoti, which was a very significant event in Umani, as he is young to be spending nights away from the stockades.

We doubt that Kapei will repeat this exercise any time soon. Throughout the night, the Keepers could hear him complaining in the bushes with Lima Lima and Mwashoti, but he could not make it home until dawn the following morning.