The month began with Lima Lima unsettled. The nightclubbers joined the dependent herd first thing in the morning, as usual, but Zongoloni, baby Zigi, and Kiasa were missing.
This morning, both teams of nightclubbers arrived on time and got ready for their morning pellets together with Murera and her team. Sonje and Lima Lima came and waited by the gate, watching for the Keepers to arrive with the pellets in the wheelbarrow. When Amali and Kapei spotted the wheelbarrow approaching, they blocked the gate, making it hard for the Keeper to get out. One Keeper had to walk back for assistance.
As the elephants were all enjoying their pellets, the Keepers noticed that Zongoloni, her baby Zigi, and Kiasa were missing. A few minutes later, Mwashoti and Kapei were seen running behind the bushes, but they returned without Zongoloni.
The other orphans finished eating and began moving towards the Umani Springs. However, Lima Lima wasn’t comfortable going without Zongoloni in the herd. She decided to leave her baby Lenny in the care of the other nannies and headed into the bushes to look for Zongoloni.
Deep in the Kibwezi Forest, Lima Lima started blowing loud trumpets — signals that she had found Zongoloni. The two returned slowly to the herd. Zongoloni hadn’t come earlier with Sonje and Lima Lima because Zigi was still asleep, and she didn’t want to wake him. She had asked Kiasa to stay with her until Zigi woke up, and then they would follow the herd. Luckily, Zigi had just woken when Lima Lima arrived, and the three of them made their way back.
When Amali and Enkesha spotted Zigi, they left what they were doing and rushed to welcome him into the herd. Lenny, however, didn’t move to greet Zigi. He still seemed confused about how Zigi had joined the herd and now, as the youngest boy, disrupted what Lenny had believed was a unique position. Until now, Lenny had been the only little boy among girls — but with Zigi, the balance among the babies was even: two girls and two boys.
Lenny still isn’t quite ready for that change, but with time, he will relax and come to accept that Zigi is their youngest brother.
Murera took off with Mwana and Kapei after realising that the pellets had not been given out as usual. She led Kapei and Mwana along the fenceline, heading toward the stores to see if they could get some by their own means. Before they reached the store, Lima Lima and her team arrived — but this time, the Keepers noticed they had come with Ziwa, and Alamaya also appeared.
Among Lima Lima’s group was a wild female elephant walking between Sonje and Lima Lima, attempting to communicate with little Sulwe. Sonje wasn’t comfortable with this, fearing the wild female might try to take Sulwe from her. The Keepers called for Murera, and their voices startled the wild female, who left the herd under Murera's watch. Ziwa and Alamaya, however, stayed with the group for most of the day before eventually departing back into the Kibwezi Forest.
Later, at the Kanzili area, a group of buffalo tried to block the path leading to the Umani Hills. When Mwashoti and Kiombo saw that the buffalo were not giving way, they teamed up with Maktao to deal with the situation. The three boys worked together and managed to scare the buffalo off easily, clearing the path for Lima Lima and her team to pass through to their intended destination.
Zigi followed behind Lenny, while Sulwe led the three little babies, walking in between their mothers.
Since Zongoloni brought Zigi into this world, she has begun requesting milk bottles — something she had not done for many years since becoming a nightclubber and joining the team of Sonje and Lima Lima. But now, after delivering her sweet baby boy Zigi, Zongoloni surprised the Keepers by raising her trunk and lifting her head above her shoulders, opening her mouth in a clear signal that she wanted a bottle.
The Keepers decided to treat her, and when they brought her one, Zongoloni eagerly finished it — clearly remembering her bottle-feeding days. She demanded more, but since it was just one bottle allocated per elephant, the Keepers couldn't provide her with a second one. Afterward, Zongoloni moved Zigi aside while Amali and Lenny followed the rest of the herd to the big waterhole for a wallow.
While the orphans were busily swimming at the mud bath, Alamaya and Faraja suddenly appeared from the bushes and joined the fun in the waterhole.
In the water, Lenny played a little trick. He noticed where Murera was and started swimming toward her. Once he reached her, he went underwater and began suckling from Murera while floating beneath her. After getting a bit of milk, Lenny swam back toward Kapei, who didn’t welcome him. Realising that Kapei wasn’t in a friendly mood, Lenny changed course and moved toward Quanza, Kiasa, Sulwe, and Sonje for safety — knowing that Kapei tends to play rough and isn’t always gentle with the little ones.
Alamaya returned again today with Mwashoti and their two wild friends. They arrived at the stockade, only to find that the orphans had already left for the forest to browse. After missing the group, Alamaya and the wild friends began tracing the footpaths, using their sense of smell to follow the route Murera had taken. Eventually, they located the herd along the Umani Hills.
Mwashoti moved over to the area where Murera and Mwana were enjoying themselves, pulling down acacia branches that had fallen overnight thanks to a wild herd. When Alamaya and his wild companions approached Sonje, the entire orphan herd quickly realised that wild bulls were among them. This did not sit well with Murera, who promptly moved away with Mwana and Mwashoti for safety. Lenny followed closely behind Murera, and Lima Lima crossed over to join them.
Moments later, the Keepers heard Kapei and Mkatao screaming from deep in the bushes. When they arrived, they found the two young bulls being chased by Alamaya’s wild friends, who were aggressively pushing them away. It seemed the wild elephants were trying to force them to leave the herd. Alamaya, instead of returning with Mwashoti, chose to remain with his wild friends, showing he preferred to stay with them for now rather than rejoin the orphans.
Zongoloni, now a first-time mother to her baby boy Zigi, has proven to be a devoted and attentive mum. With constant support from Kiasa, Zongoloni has remained focused on keeping Zigi safe and clean. Kiasa never strays far, always offering much-needed help, and even allowing Zigi to faux suckle from her from time to time. It's clear Kiasa is learning from Zongoloni in preparation for when her own time comes.
Today, Zigi tried to follow his little friends — Lenny, Sulwe, and Mwana — into the mud bath, eager to join them in swimming. But Zongoloni and Kiasa were alert, knowing that the main waterhole was too deep for the young calf. Zongoloni gently blocked Zigi from entering the deeper end and instead guided him to a shallower section where it was safer for him to play. There, Zongoloni helped splash mud and water over him while Kiasa lay down, allowing Zigi to climb and scratch on her in play. When Maktao tried to join them, Zongoloni didn’t allow him into their space, wanting to protect Zigi’s play area.
After the waterhole, Sonje took off with Sulwe and Lima Lima, leading the babies to the dusting area to dry off. But they found a group of buffalo resting at the dust pile, which posed a risk. Murera quickly raised the alarm, prompting Lima Lima and Enkesha to rush forward and drive the buffalo away so the babies could safely climb the nearby hills. Amali led Lenny and Sulwe, and Mwana soon joined them. Zongoloni and Kiasa, ever watchful, waited until they were sure the buffalo had moved on before following.
Very early this morning, the nightclubbers arrived with every mother and her baby. Quanza stayed close to Sulwe, while Zongoloni remained tightly beside her baby, Zigi. Kiasa continued in her role as Zigi’s new nanny. Meanwhile, Lima Lima and Lenny wandered behind the stockades, with Lenny in a very playful mood.
Murera had to take disciplinary action against Kapei and Maktao after she noticed them playing too close to her while she was collecting more pellets to eat. At the stockade dust pile, the little babies, Lenny and Amali, climbed to the top of the hill, perhaps trying to show how tall and grown they were becoming — keeping out of reach of Kapei and Maktao in a protective move. Zigi, inspired by Lenny, was eager to climb too. But when Kapei tried to join, Enkesha stepped in immediately, uncertain whether Kapei would be gentle enough around the little ones. In the end, it was Murera who banished the two older boys.
Today, Zigi turned two weeks old. He is a strong little boy and is adjusting well to the new world around him. Zongoloni is a calm and composed mother. Kiasa, whom she deeply trusts, remains by her side, keeping a watchful eye on the baby. Zigi is very devoted to his mother and Kiasa.
Today, the orphans didn’t visit the waterhole. After spotting a number of buffaloes lying in the mud bath, they wisely decided to avoid the area. Instead, they chose to head to the dust pile, and later walked off, with Zongoloni leading the way and taking Zigi to the shade as the heat of the day began to rise — knowing it wasn’t ideal for such a young calf.
Zongoloni had not been able to walk very far with Zigi since his birth about two weeks ago, but today marked a turning point. Alongside Lima Lima and the rest of the group, Zongoloni ventured much farther than usual, confident that her baby boy was now strong enough to keep up. Zigi stayed close by her side, while Kiasa and Quanza remained vigilant, keeping a close watch over him.
All the orphans who had spent the night out with Zongoloni did not return home early to join Murera and her team. Amali and Enkesha caught the scent of the nightclubbers along the Umani Hills, and this immediately sparked Amali’s curiosity. She raised her trunk, trying to trace the direction of Lima Lima’s group, and soon set off toward the hills, with Enkesha following close behind.
Alamaya also arrived to join the herd, and as is often the case, his appearance signalled that wild elephants would not be far behind. Sure enough, two large wild bulls with long tusks emerged from the bushes and began making their way toward the waterhole.
Murera, ever alert, quickly spotted the bulls pushing their way toward her location where she was browsing with Kiombo and Mwashoti. Without hesitation, she moved away and called for her baby Mwana, who promptly responded and joined her. The Keepers also made the wise decision to retreat, leaving Lima Lima to deal with Alamaya and convince him it wasn’t a good idea to bring his wild friends too close to the rest of the orphans.
Mwashoti came this morning looking like a calm and peaceful boy. Later, he engaged Maktao and Kiombo in their usual play — chasing each other around the bushes and charging with great enthusiasm. At one point, Kiombo touched Mwashoti’s tail to encourage him to keep playing the pushing games.
When Kapei tried to intervene and stop the two boys, things didn’t go as he expected. Instead of calming the situation, Kapei ended up being pushed right into the middle of the action. Maktao misunderstood Kapei’s intentions and assumed he was siding with Kiombo. Annoyed, Maktao pushed Kapei away, and Kapei retreated as if he had been instructed to leave.
Kapei went to report everything to Sonje and Lima Lima, but neither of the head girls paid him any attention — he was completely ignored.
Meanwhile, Mwana and Lenny headed to the dust hill, where Mwana tried to teach Lenny how to climb to the top. Mwana stood back and watched as Lenny attempted to follow her lead. Amali observed Lenny’s struggle and, realising he couldn’t manage on his own, stepped in to help him up to the top of the hill.
Later, Sonje led Sulwe and Lima Lima to find clean drinking water. They reached a fresh pond and drank peacefully. Soon after, the two little babies, Lenny and Sulwe, came across Sonje again. Lenny went under Sonje to suckle, but Sulwe noticed and wasn't happy about it. The two babies got into a brief scuffle over Sonje’s breast. However, it was Lenny who was in the wrong — he should have gone to look for his own mother, Lima Lima. Eventually, Sonje sent Lenny away, allowing only Sulwe to suckle.
The morning started off smoothly, with all the orphans assembling on time and ready to head out to browse. But before walking into the bushes, it was mandatory for all the babies to wait for their morning pellets — as always, they began their day in style.
Today, however, Murera was not in a very good mood. She didn’t want any elephants near her except for Mwana and Lenny, who were the only ones allowed to accompany her. It seemed Murera’s intention was to ensure Mwana and Lenny got more pellets than the other babies—a rather mean-spirited behaviour that Murera sometimes displays when she’s not feeling her best. Even Mwashoti, one of her closest companions, was excluded today. Seeing the tension, Mwashoti decided not to join Murera and instead spent time with Kiombo and Maktao.
Kiasa followed Zongoloni and little Zigi into the bushes, where Zongoloni stopped to feed. Zigi followed closely behind his mother. Sulwe and Sonje soon joined them, while Lima Lima and Quanza initially attempted to follow the group of mothers. However, they eventually changed course and headed toward the Chyulu Hills, where they encountered Alamaya with some of his wild-born friends.
Alamaya, however, wasn’t pleased to see Lima Lima. A few days earlier, Lima Lima and her group had caught Alamaya at the waterhole and pushed him unexpectedly. He hadn’t seen them coming and was startled, ending up plunging his head into the water before scrambling across the waterhole to dry land. That unpleasant encounter still rested in his mind, and today, when they crossed paths again, Alamaya kept his distance — clearly still unhappy to see Lima Lima nearby.
Three little babies — Zigi, Sulwe, and Lenny — were playing together, with Zigi now looking much stronger and trying hard to keep up with the others. When the babies gave him a small push during play, Zigi rumbled in protest. Hearing the sound, Zongoloni rushed over to check what had upset her baby. But by the time she arrived, the culprit — Lenny — had already dashed into the bushes to hide, knowing he might be punished and not wanting to face the consequences.
Murera came over and gave Lenny her full protection. None of the babies dared follow him to where Murera and Mwana were, as Murera made it clear that Lenny was under her care.
At midday bottle-feeding time, after finishing their milk, all the orphans made their way to the waterhole filled with clean water for a drink. After quenching their thirst, Sonje and Lima Lima led the babies to the big waterhole for a swim, followed closely by Quanza and Zongoloni. Despite still being very young, Zigi proved himself to be a capable swimmer.
Kapei and Kiombo had fun splashing around, but Kapei took things too far by jumping on Mwana. Mwana was not pleased — she didn’t want to be mounted, especially while swimming. Enkesha, with help from Kiasa, quickly came to her aid. Enkesha let out a loud trumpet that alerted the older girls nearby. Sensing something was wrong, they rushed over to help Mwana and intervene with the misbehaving boys.
A group of buffaloes attempted to block the elephants from reaching their midday bottle-feeding point, which is located next to the dust pile. One buffalo even stood right on top of the dust hill, watching the direction from which the orphans and their Keepers were approaching.
Kapei, Amali, and Lima Lima were the first to spot the buffalo keeping watch from above. Once Lima Lima saw the buffaloes on the hill, her immediate response was to get them out of the way. With the help of Kapei and Amali, she worked to drive the buffalo off. Lima Lima gave Kapei and Amali the responsibility of clearing the buffalo from the area while she walked back to alert the Keepers and make sure they weren’t in any danger.
Lima Lima returned to her Keepers and stayed close to shield them, ensuring they were well protected. Little Lenny stayed with his mother and even tried to raise his small ears to show how brave he was. He showed a lot of confidence, especially after seeing Lima Lima and Amali boldly working together to keep the buffalo away from the feeding area. Once the buffalo was out of sight, the orphans proceeded to enjoy their bottles before heading to the swimming pool.
Meanwhile, Quanza and Kiasa were scouting the safest and shallowest part of the mud bath so that little Zigi could enjoy a shower. When Zongoloni realised her baby Zigi wasn’t with her, she quickly moved off to find him and located him safely with Kiasa. Kiasa remains Zigi’s most trusted and favourite companion.
Murera later joined the swimming pool but only splashed some water around her chest before exiting with Mwana. When Quanza and her group saw Murera leaving, they all followed behind her in a neat line, heading back into the thickets to rest in the shade.
Lima Lima and her usual tactics of bringing her wild male friends to the herd were once again witnessed today during mud bath time. While the orphans and Keepers were gathered at the mud bath, we noticed Lima Lima walking back and forth from the waterhole to the bushes. When little Lenny tried to follow her into the forest, Lima Lima quickly turned around and brought her baby back to the herd.
On her final attempt, Lima Lima moved swiftly and disappeared into the thicket. At that moment, Amali was standing close to Murera, and Lenny stopped following his mother. Instead, he remained near Murera and even tucked himself underneath her to try to suckle some milk. Just then, Lima Lima vanished.
It wasn’t long before one of the Keepers spotted a giant wild bull emerging from the deepest part of the forest, heading toward the waterhole. Following behind him was none other than Lima Lima. At the sight of the bull, everyone ran for safety. Murera was especially quick to leave, clearly unsettled by the bull’s presence.
Interestingly, Lima Lima stayed calm. She appeared to speak to the bull, and before long, the bull turned around and left. Lima Lima then returned to fetch her baby. It seemed she may have pleaded with the bull to turn away, after realising that his presence had frightened the others.
After things settled, the Keepers called all the babies to the dust pile to dry off after their mud bath. While dusting, Lenny spotted a large buffalo nearby and was visibly shocked by its size. Kapei and Amali immediately joined him to confront the buffalo. The three worked together to chase it off, and the rest of the orphans rallied behind them in agreement.
However, after the orphans left to seek shade, the buffalo managed to sneak back and reclaim its spot at the dust pile, undisturbed.
Sulwe had been quietly sneaking around, trying to stay out of sight while Zongoloni relaxed nearby with many friends blocking her view. Sulwe repeatedly attempted to suckle from Zongoloni without her consent. At one point, Zigi was feeding under his mother’s breast when Sulwe tried to sneak in and breastfeed as well. Zigi noticed and tried to push Sulwe away, but Sulwe was too strong for him to move.
Zongoloni was unaware of the struggle happening beneath her. Sulwe eventually left and went to her mother, Sonje, before Zongoloni could detect her. Later, when the orphans gathered at the bottle feeding point, Sulwe again tried to steal a feed from Zongoloni. This time Zigi noticed her immediately, and Zongoloni moved aside, telling Sulwe to leave and return to Sonje.
However, the day ended with a tense incident. In the evening, Sulwe once again sneaked under Zongoloni, attempting to breastfeed. Zigi rumbled loudly, alerting Zongoloni, who then turned and pushed Sulwe hard. Frightened, Sulwe ran off seeking protection from her mother Sonje. Hopefully, after being “reported” by Zigi, Sulwe will stop stealing feeds and stick to her own mother, Sonje, or Murera — the generous mother known for sharing.
This evening, Ziwa and his wild family herd arrived with some friends. Ziwa left the herd outside the fence line and came into the stockade to demand pellets. The Keepers gave him some, and after getting what he needed, he immediately returned to his waiting friends at the stockade water trough. The herd didn’t want to leave until Ziwa was back with them. Once reunited, they walked off toward the Chyulu Hills.
Two wild bulls arrived today at the open mud bath field, where they were seen chasing buffaloes who initially stood their ground, refusing to leave. A tense standoff followed, as neither the bulls nor the buffaloes wanted to move. Eventually, one of the bulls stepped forward and attempted to face off with the buffaloes, who responded with mock charges. In the end, the buffaloes gave in and left the area, allowing the wild bulls to stay behind to enjoy the waterhole—swimming and dusting themselves.
Later, Kiombo and Mwashoti emerged from the forest and joined the bulls. However, one of the bulls didn’t welcome Mwashoti and seemed uncomfortable with his presence, while the other bull appeared friendly and allowed Mwashoti to remain nearby.
Meanwhile, while the orphans were on the Chyulu Hills, a shy eland unexpectedly found itself among the elephants and was clearly uneasy around the keepers. Kapei and Kiasa were the first to spot the eland, and they were quickly supported by Amali and Enkesha, who helped Kiasa chase the eland back toward Chyulu. Murera and Mwana did not join in the effort but remained calmly behind with the babies. The nannies stayed focused on making sure the unfamiliar eland was moved out of the area, trumpeting and charging through the bushes until the coast was clear. They then rejoined Murera, Mwana, and little Lenny, who had been peacefully nursing from Murera, with Mwana keeping a watchful eye on them, happy to share her mother with her ‘little brother.’
It’s now time for Zigi to prove to his older brothers and sisters that he belongs to Zongoloni, and none of the other babies are allowed to breastfeed from his mother. Zigi found Sulwe trying to nurse from Zongoloni and tried to push Sulwe away, but Sulwe ignored him since she is a stronger baby. This made Zigi inform his mother about Sulwe stealing milk. At first, Zongoloni thought Zigi was her baby, but when she realised what was happening, she pulled Sulwe away and sent her back to her mother, Sonje. With the help of Kiasa, Zongoloni moved Sulwe back to Sonje, while Kiasa stayed with Zigi for safety.
Maktao missed his long-time friends, Kiombo and Mwashoti, for a few days. Today, they came back and found Kapei and Maktao happy to welcome them back into the herd. Then their usual playful way began. Maktao challenged Kiombo to a sparring match, which Mwashoti tried to stop, but Kiombo ignored him, saying sometimes Maktao needs to be taught manners. The pushing went on all day into the bushes; none of them were willing to stop. Quanza tried to stand between the boys, but she could not stop them either. The Kibwezi forest was full of noise from breaking trees as the boys continued to push, though to the four boys it was not a fight but a playful moment. Kapei, Maktao, Mwashoti, and Kiombo had to show their solidarity as friends.
Lima Lima and her team of mothers together with little babies arrived at the Umani stockade gate very early this morning, before Murera and her team started their day. Lenny went to the fence and started pulling on the wires, alerting Amali and friends that it was time to come out.
Mwana and Enkesha were awake and eager to meet the little babies. Both nannies went over to Zigi, but Kiasa did not want to share him. The Keepers always note how loyal and hardworking Kiasa is to Zigi. She even offered Zigi the opportunity to suckle from her, even though she had no milk, but Zigi still enjoyed faux nursing.
After the midday bottle feeding, it became very hot. Sonje and her team went to drink clean water from the trough. Then Sonje moved the orphans back to the big swimming pool so the little babies could cool off. But Murera didn’t listen and decided not to follow; she chose to go her own way with Mwana.
At the dust pile, the buffaloes refused to budge as Murera approached, but Murera stood strong and blew her trumpet, which scared them. The buffaloes ran into the bushes to hide from the loud trumpet that Murera blew to warn them.
This morning, Mwashoti saw Quanza heading for the pellets and decided to block her path. Mwashoti didn’t want Quanza to have them before himself. While he was busy blocking Quanza, however, Lima Lima went ahead and grabbed all the pellets Mwashoti wanted. As a result, Mwashoti never got any pellets, just like Quanza missed out. This left Quanza the victor of the situation.
After eating, the orphans went into the Kibwezi forests toward Kenzili for more browsing. They changed direction when tiny Lenny and Sulwe decided to lead the herd, as no one could turn them the opposite way. Even Murera and Mwana followed the little babies to where they were going. Sulwe was in front with Lenny, while Amali marched alongside them, trying to give more direction.
Before reaching Kenzili, an eland came out of the bushes, which made little Lenny and Amali stop abruptly with their ears up. They turned back in fear of what they saw. When the eland disappeared, Lima Lima, Enkesha, and Kiasa decided to take the opportunity to change direction. Amali found a termite hill where she led the babies, Kiasa, and Enkesha to play.
Lenny mounted Sulwe, and tiny Zigi felt encouraged and also tried to mount Lenny. However, Lenny turned against him and pushed Zigi away. He is still not quite ready to fully accept Zigi as his little brother.
Jasiri reported back today along with Alamaya, joining the herd this afternoon. The two elephants were about to leave the waterhole and head back into the forest for shade under the big trees when Amali and Kiasa spotted them approaching the herd. The Keepers looked on in disbelief at how much Jasiri had grown and changed. When they called his name, Jasiri simply turned back and looked at who was calling him. Sweet boy Alamaya was just as calm as he always is. When the Keepers moved closer to him, Alamaya stopped and allowed them to take photos with him.
Soon, Sonje came over with Sulwe to where Alamaya was. But when Sulwe got confused and went under Alamaya looking to suckle, Alamaya kicked Sulwe away, not wanting to play along. As we all know, Alamaya would never allow such behavior, especially since he lacks all his male parts and likely doesn’t want to recall what happened to him during his rescue. Sonje quickly rushed in and pushed Alamaya away after he kicked her baby, Sulwe.
Zongoloni called her baby Zigi to leave Kiasa and come to her, but Kiasa wasn’t ready to let Zigi go alone. The two walked together to where Zongoloni wanted her baby to be. A few minutes later, Zigi was seen suckling, then returned to play in the dust with Kiasa. Zigi is now a strong young boy who sometimes fights back when pushed by Lenny.
Meanwhile, Maktao and Kapei started their pushing games again just as Enkesha was about to pull down a branch. Kapei got a slap on the face from Maktao, who didn’t want to play today. Maktao was very calm and not in the mood for games like he sometimes is with Kapei.
Murera and her team of a few babies who had spent the night inside the stockades came out, and today the nightclubbers — made up of Lima Lima and her team — were late. Amali came to the gate, looking around to see if she could spot any of the little babies, but she couldn’t see anyone. She tried raising her trunk high, trying to locate which direction Lima Lima, Zongoloni, or Sonje might be coming from so she could go and welcome them, but Amali missed all the directions and came back. She returned blowing trumpets, signaling to the other elephants that she had not been able to find Lima Lima and the little babies. So, she joined little Mwana and waited to see them later in the day.
Murera then gave directions for where she wanted both elephants to go for the day. Today, Murera remained the only head girl giving directions for the young elephants to follow. Then the Keepers saw Murera and Enkesha heading toward Chyulu, taking a direction from behind the stockades that the orphans had never chosen before. Little did the Keepers know why.
After some time, the Keepers heard loud trumpeting and lots of elephants screaming. Amali, Enkesha, and Mwana all walked toward that side, and the Keepers realized that it was the nightclubbers blowing the loud trumpets. When Amali took off in the lead, it became obvious that Lima Lima and her team were now reuniting with the orphans. Zongoloni and Sonje then led them to where Murera was still waiting, next to the mud bath at the waterhole.
Today, Zigi overpowered his mother, who was still trying to block him from going into the swimming pool out of fear he might get stuck. But Zigi was determined to swim and he didn’t get stuck — he swam very well near Kiasa, who was taking charge of the little baby boy.
The majority of the orphans came to report and joined Murera and her small team in the morning. Sulwe and Mwana greeted each other like loving sisters when Mwana went over to her. Sulwe raised her tiny trunk and hugged Mwana before heading off for pellets. Amali got jealous when Mwana tried to climb to the top of the dust hill with Lenny, so she joined them — and it was Amali who made it to the top, proving she was the queen of the hill. She looked bigger than all the babies around the area.
Kapei felt bad and moved in to try and remove Amali and Lenny from the dust hill. Murera, who was clearly in a bad mood this morning, didn’t allow any baby to browse near her. She only wanted her baby Mwana around. But Mwana had moved and returned with Kapei, which got Kapei into trouble he hadn’t expected and didn’t deserve. Murera came from behind and pushed him away. All the remaining babies got scared of Murera and left her alone, but she later felt lonely and eventually followed the herd as they headed toward the Chyulu side.
At midday, the orphans lined up in a straight line for their bottle feed. It was funny to see the babies leading the line — Mwana, Lenny, and Sulwe. It was a strong run, as if Lenny and Sulwe were the ones getting bottles. When they arrived and saw the Keepers had lined the bottles up and were not ready to hand them out yet, Lenny dropped to his knees and tried to hold one bottle himself. But it was too heavy for him to handle, so he kicked it down before the Keepers could chase him aside.
Every side today seemed to be a meeting point with wild elephants. At the Umani Hills, the orphans encountered wild bulls, and then later, a large group of buffaloes. The number of buffaloes witnessed was unusually high — something the Keepers had never seen before within the Kibwezi Forest. It was the first time such a big group had been spotted.
Murera’s behavior told the Keepers that the bushes might not be very safe today. Her ears were up, and she was not ready to walk toward the Umani Hills. After the wild bulls moved off, Murera called her baby Mwana to follow her. Quanza, Kiasa, little Zigi, and Zongoloni all went to be by Murera’s side, knowing that being with her would help them avoid the bulls. The Keepers kept calling to them, and little trumpets were soon heard from the thickest bushes—surely from little Lenny, who loves to trumpet when he’s running.
When the elephants emerged from the thick shrubs, Amali brought both Sulwe and Lenny together. Zigi then joined the younger babies, turning the scene into a little play space. Zigi tried out some new playing tactics on Lenny, but Lenny refused and pushed Zigi over to where Sulwe and Amali were standing. Amali stood in between them like a referee, watching how Zigi was trying to prove himself and claim his space as a young bull, just like Lenny.
When Zigi started to complain, Kiasa heard him and immediately rushed over to help. Zigi got up and ran away toward his mother — but in his confusion, mistook Sonje for her. He pulled on Sonje’s breast, but when Sonje looked down and saw it wasn’t her baby Sulwe, she kicked Zigi away, making it clear he should go back to his own mother. Kiasa, still protective and defensive, took Zigi to his real mother and stayed close to him.
Faraja decided to visit the orphans today after spending a few days away from the herd. When he arrived, Faraja was very calm and didn’t seem to have any issues with his orphan friends. Kapei and Maktao received him warmly. Soon after, Murera spotted Faraja from behind and turned away with Mwana, choosing to keep her distance. However, Sonje and the other girls were comfortable having Faraja around.
Later in the afternoon, the orphans moved into the Kibwezi Forest to rest under the shade. Once the sun cooled down, they began to leave the shade and started browsing around the Chyulu Hills, before the Keepers called them back in preparation for the evening return to the stockades.
The night clubbers, led by Lima Lima and Zongoloni, arrived with their little babies walking in between them. Lenny and Zigi were very playful, walking under their mothers' bellies as the whole group headed in the same direction. Amali and Kiasa walked between the babies, acting as escorts. Kapei, Maktao, and the others lagged far behind the leaders, but the Keepers walked back to call them and guide them along.
Upon arrival at the stockades, Mwana ran very quickly to Amali’s room, trying to steal the pellets waiting there for Amali. But Amali caught Mwana right at the gate as she tried to run off and pushed her out of the room. Mwana then ran off to join Murera in their shared space.
Amali woke up and came out this morning, looking around but not seeing the little babies together with their mothers — especially Lima Lima and Sonje’s teams. Amali began going around the bushes to search for the babies. Enkesha followed along to help, but despite walking far, they failed to find Lima Lima and her group.
When they returned and went to Murera, she showed them a direction to follow after they came back empty-handed. Amali remained very unsettled through most of the morning, clearly missing Lenny, Zigi, and Sulwe.
At midday bottle time, Amali and Enkesha had their bottles and dropped the empty ones for the Keepers to collect. Just after finishing, they suddenly took off into the bushes — and to everyone’s joy, they came out with Lima Lima and her team. The Keepers were delighted and impressed by Amali’s bravery and her reliable tracking instincts. She and Enkesha brought back the babies, and neither of them wanted to leave the little ones walking alone again.
With the herd now reunited, Murera was happy to join up with Sonje, although Mwashoti was still not back with Kiombo.
Later, Quanza was approached by a wild junior bull who joined the orphans quite suddenly. He chose to get close to Quanza, but she wasn’t interested and abandoned him, leaving him exposed in the open for everyone to see. The Keepers then decided to move away, with Murera leading the way and the entire herd, including Mwana, following behind her.
Lima Lima and her team reported early but went straight behind the stockade fence line to wait for pellets. This morning, instead of waiting by the gate, the whole team patiently stood behind the fence, anticipating the Keepers would bring the wheelbarrow to where they wanted. But the Keepers took a little longer than usual, and Lenny grew annoyed by the delay. After waiting too long, he pulled at the fence and tried to push his way through.
Amali moved over and tried to plead with Lenny to calm down, but just then the Keepers brought the pellets through the gate, prompting all the babies to run excitedly over. Kapei didn’t wait for the Keepers to distribute the pellets — he grabbed some directly from the wheelbarrow.
Kapei then picked a fight with Maktao, who also wanted the pellets. Kapei tried to push back, but Maktao, being stronger, managed to stop Kapei from pushing him from behind. Murera, who was not in a good mood, chased after them.
The orphans then proceeded toward the hills, but before they reached the top, Quanza paused and turned back, looking for Sonje and Sulwe. A baboon, having lost its direction while running, came near where Quanza was still searching. Quanza trumpeted loudly, startled by the sudden appearance — she hadn’t seen the baboon approach or leave, only the large dust cloud it left behind.
The fleeing baboons soon climbed to the tops of nearby trees for safety, as the elephants began charging and blowing loud trumpets, making it clear they felt the forest wasn’t safe that morning.
Amali came out running with Kapei moving fast behind her. Before Amali could reach the gate, Kapei crossed over and blocked her path, stopping her from getting outside. Fortunately, she got some help from Murera and Mwana, who caught up to Kapei at the gate. Murera pushed Kapei from behind, creating just enough space for Amali to squeeze through and reach her friends.
Once outside, Amali was very hopeful to meet the little babies with Lima Lima and Sonje, but they didn’t arrive on time today. This left Amali and Enkesha to start looking around to see if they could spot Zigi and Lenny through the forests. Enkesha followed Amali as they searched through Kibwezi Forest to see if they might be lucky enough to find them — but unfortunately, both returned hopeless after failing to locate the little babies.
After the failed attempt to find Lima Lima and her team, Murera decided to lead the babies to the top of the Umani Hills. Maktao and Kapei walked ahead with Murera guiding them up the slope. When Murera reached the top, the Keepers suddenly heard elephants screaming and trumpeting loudly. The Keepers recognized the sounds — it was Lima Lima and Sonje. And indeed, it was true. The Keepers returned and found Quanza, Kiasa, and Zongoloni, and called them to follow back to the hills, where Murera and the others were quietly browsing.
When Amali caught the scent of Lima Lima and her friends, she came down screaming to join little Zigi and Sulwe, who was found nursing under her mother hen. Both elephants moved up to the Umani Hills—and with that, the herd was complete. All the babies were together once again.
Kiasa took full responsibility and great care of Zigi, Zongoloni’s baby boy — perhaps even more so than his own mother. Since Zigi was born about a month ago, Kiasa has remained a devoted nanny and cannot stay away from him. If someone blocks her path and Zigi doesn’t see her, Keepers have watched him sniffing around until he finds her, even abandoning Amali, who may have been with him at the time. Still, Amali also loves Zigi and Lenny.
Quanza has become a big sister figure to both Sonje and Lima Lima, often stepping in as a helper when the new mothers need to send a message to the Keepers. It’s always Quanza—the “news reporter”—who passes along the information, just like she did when Sonje and Lima Lima gave birth. Quanza has become the trusted communicator.
The waterhole came to life when the little babies found a favorite corner they now use for swimming. The Keepers have nicknamed it the “baby washing corner.” Mwana led all three babies there, and Kiasa and Zongoloni later followed because of Zigi, who was kicking the water with his feet—copying Sulwe and Lenny, who also used their feet to stir the water before jumping in.
Murera stood watching from a distance, observing how much the babies were enjoying their mud bath alongside their nannies. Later, the Keepers called Murera and Sonje when it was time to move to the dusting area. When both orphans heard their names called by their human family, all the elephants stopped bathing and followed the Keepers onto dry land, ready for a dust bath to dry off. They then moved toward the shade, giving the Keepers time for their lunch.
It was amazing to see how Amali took off with Mwana the moment she caught the scent of Lima Lima and her team arriving deep in the forest, even before they were visible. After a long morning session, Amali’s sensing nature didn’t fail her — she had already picked up that Lima Lima and her friends were near. The keepers praised Amali for her remarkable ability to smell things from a great distance. Mwana and Enkesha followed closely behind.
Meanwhile, Murera and Maktao didn’t seem to sense Lima Lima’s presence. Maktao stayed behind, content with his mud bath, being a typical boy who didn’t care much about the babies. But Amali couldn’t relax until she saw little babies like Zigi and others — just like Kiasa, she wanted to stay close to Zigi.
Later in the afternoon, Lima Lima left Lenny playing with Mwana and Sulwe. Little did the Keepers know, she was about to return accompanied by a wild bull elephant who appeared to be a close friend of hers. The Keepers often wonder about Lima Lima’s unusual habit of keeping wild bulls around, changing Lima Lima’s frequently whenever a new bull shows up. Quanza and others usually manage to avoid Limalima’s bulls.
Lima Lima is a girl who clearly enjoys spending time with the boys — just like some human girls who prefer the company of boys, she loves hanging out with her ‘boy associates.’
Many wild elephants were spotted today by the Keepers roaming around the stockades area and at the springs. Before the orphans began their day through the Umani Springs, Maktao and his younger brother Kapei moved to join two wild bulls, and behind them followed some females with their babies. Lenny became confused and tried to follow the wild babies, but Lima Lima stepped in to stop him, realising her baby was at risk of getting lost among the wild mothers. She moved quickly to block Lenny from going off with the others.
Sulwe stayed close to her mother Sonje, who gave her direction not to follow others blindly. The Keepers then recalled the babies and led them towards the Kenzili side, eventually joining the path to the Chyulu Hills for further browsing.
Later in the day, two huge bulls returned, seemingly in search of Lima Lima. She appeared to recognise them and welcomed both into the herd. Quanza and the others, however, felt uneasy and chose to leave with the little babies, giving Lima Lima her time with the bulls. Ever since she was a young girl, Lima Lima has enjoyed the company of bulls and continues to seek them out. When she realised the herd was moving away, she hurried to rejoin them, and the wild bulls followed without hesitation. The Keepers allowed the elephants their space and went to be with Murera and Mwana.
Meanwhile, Kapei had wandered into the bushes with Amali. When he returned without her, the Keepers were surprised to see him alongside Kiombo, who had been away on an adventure. Maktao was delighted to see his long-missed friend, and the two immediately greeted each other with familiar play-fighting, just like old times. Kapei, not wanting to be left out, looked for a space to join in and climbed to the top of a dust pile so he could appear bigger and taller than Maktao and Kiombo.
Loud trumpets were heard coming from the slopes of the Umani Hills, followed by strong trumpets that shook the ears. The Keepers were unsure what was happening, as the big elephants were making such loud noises. The sound kept getting closer and closer, which put the Keepers and their orphans on high alert. When the elephants making the noise were spotted running into the orphans, the Keepers laughed to themselves for being alarmed — because it was just our own elephants.
These were Faraja, Ziwa, and Mwashoti, who were blowing their trumpets loudly as they tried to send a message to the Keepers to let them know they were coming back home. Before mud bath time, Faraja and his group of friends left, which gave Murera and her team a good opportunity to wallow without any concern.
The orphans today overstayed at the mud bath. When Enkesha and Kiasa brought the little babies out of the waterhole, all the other mothers moved to the dust pile to dust themselves and dry off. The swim had gone on for a long time because little Zigi, Lenny, Sulwe, and Mwana were still having fun and enjoying themselves in the water. After dusting, the orphans found the dust a little hot on their backs, so they moved into the bushes to find some shade.
Old friends came together today after some time apart, although the Keepers only noticed them uniting once they had already arrived. Jasiri, a longtime friend of Faraja, arrived at a different interval — Faraja came earlier with Lima Lima and her friends, while Jasiri later joined the babies at the midday bottle-feeding area.
When Murera saw the two brothers together, she was not very welcoming. She chose to walk away with Mwana. However, Maktao and his new playmate Kapei walked over to be with Jasiri and Faraja. Jasiri kept them at a distance, but Faraja welcomed Maktao and Kapei. Murera, along with Mwana and a few others, avoided Jasiri and Faraja, as it has become quite apparent that Murera never gets close to these two bulls when they return to the herd.
As the orphans moved towards the waterhole, little Lenny and Mwana led the way and were the first to enter. Enkesha tested the water with her trunk to check if it was warm enough for the little ones, but found it was very cold. Enkesha and Kiasa tried to stop the youngsters from getting into the pool, warning that it was too cold and windy. But Lenny didn’t listen and went straight in for a swim. The other babies followed Lenny, leaving Kiasa and Enkesha stranded at the edge of the waterhole.
When Sulwe was pushed roughly by Kapei, both Enkesha and Kiasa, who had been waiting outside, had to step in to join the swimming session and assist Sulwe and Lenny in enjoying the mud bath safely.
The Umani orphans and the recent births signify more than just the continuation of new lives — they represent the success of Umani Springs as a true haven, where traumatised elephants can heal and find renewed hope. Today, we see Murera, Sonje, Lima Lima, and Zongoloni all nurturing their newborns. Murera, having already proven herself as a capable mother with the birth of Mwana, has now gone a step further — we believe she is proudly pregnant once again. This serves as undeniable proof to her human carers that she has grown into a confident, experienced mother, and we look forward to the day her second baby arrives, hopefully while still within the safety of the Umani Reintegration Unit.
With the lush Kibwezi Forest as their backdrop and a community of devoted human carers and supportive wild elephants, the Umani orphans are transforming their pain into a powerful legacy of hope and renewal. Umani is a home where vulnerable elephants who were once homeless and traumatised can find refuge. Thanks to the vision of Dame Daphne Sheldrick, Umani now stands as a beacon of home to many elephants.