Despite some initial resistance, Chamboi adores his new duplex stable. He strides home every evening to find it ready and waiting for him, stocked with everything he could possibly want throughout the night. There are bundles of fresh greens to snack on, a soft bed of hay to rest on, and tasty flakes of lucerne and piles of pellets to enjoy.

 Chamboi has developed a taste for the finer things. While his Keepers freshly prepare his milk bottle, he lets out a series of high-pitched squeaks — the uncharacteristic but unmistakable rhino sounds for hurry up! After he has finished his bottle, his Keepers fill it up with water to help him hydrate. Just like the milk, Chamboi greedily slurps this down, too.

Korbessa loves her new bedroom, sandwiched between Twiggy the giraffe and her best friend, Toto. She is a busybody, so being in the thick of things suits her. She is also a shameless thief — we had to start putting Toto’s greens in the opposite corner so Korbessa wouldn’t sneak her trunk through their shared fence and steal the entire stash!

For Korbessa, this month was all about the bonus bottle. What started as a one-off treat — an extra bottle of milk after the breakfast feed — has quickly turned into a daily expectation. The moment Korbessa is let out of her room, she whirls around the corner and over to the milk mixing area, where she knows Keeper Joseph is already preparing her bonus bottle.

Interestingly, Mwinzi, Toto, and Natibu don’t seem to covet a bonus bottle for themselves. Perhaps they feel it’s a privilege reserved for the only girl in our Kaluku herd! While Korbessa drinks her extra milk, they busy themselves with pushing games or tuck into the bushes and trees around the stockade compound.

Toto has always given water a wide berth — some elephants aren’t keen swimmers or wallowers, and he certainly falls in that category. However, that might be starting to change. While he doesn’t exactly dive into the mud bath, he has started making more of a splash!

Tsavo had some surprise rainstorms this month, bringing even more green to the landscape. Mwinzi, our expert browser, has been making quick work of all the lush vegetation. It’s hard to believe that the impressive young bull we see today is the same emaciated calf we could have mistaken for dead three years ago. He is such a triumph.

Natibu has long been a harbinger of mischief. While he is still the naughtiest member of our Kaluku herd, he is starting to calm down and learning to mind his manners. Funnily enough, this change set in when he started to grow tusks — perhaps he feels it’s time to start acting a bit more mature!

Twiggy really gave us the runaround this month! One evening, when it was time to come home, she suddenly pulled a disappearing act. Keepers fanned out in all directions looking for her, but the giraffe was nowhere to be found. Eventually, our pilot joined the search party — and only after several circles round did he find her lurking up by the airstrip. There was a male giraffe in the area, and we wondered if she was trying to follow him. Signs that Twiggy is growing up!

Meanwhile, our eclectic orphan herd continues to grow. There are Bam and Boozle the ostriches, Gruff and Bibi the buffalos, Bombi the zebra, Izera the eland, Choke and Dimple the kudus, Wesley and Sally the dik-diks, and of course, Mr Bean the warthog.

Unsurprisingly, Mr Bean still reigns supreme. One evening, he had already enjoyed his evening milk, but he cottoned on to an unclaimed bottle that Keeper Peter was carrying. The milk had been prepared for Dimple, an orphaned kudu who is semi-independent, but Bean decided it should be his. In the end, he squealed and snorted so much that we had to acquiesce, preparing a second bottle for Dimple to enjoy!

Apollo the Orphaned Rhino

Apollo had a very good month. It is still nice and green in Tsavo, so he has a bounty of vegetation to feast upon. As a result, he has never looked better — he is not yet an adult, but he has all the gravitas of a full-grown rhino.

As we shared last month, Apollo is very aware of the weight he carries and wields it mischievously. He immediately clocks if there are visitors in his midst — which is a rarity — and then does his very best to unsettle them. He will sneak around to their vehicle and hide in the bushes, waiting to unleash the element of surprise. He is all bluster, but he certainly has a big effect!

Apollo is at Rhino Base, in Tsavo East National Park.