Choose your region

It was very cold today in the morning when the orphans walked out from their respective stockades to the lucerne field. At the same time the ex-orphans Kilaguni, Chaimu, Makireti, Kasigau and Kilabasi came in. The group integrated with the orphans and together they feasted on lucerne. All of them looked in very good condition. After some time, 6 wild bulls also came in to drink water and after that they left. Chaimu was playing with Vuria and Mutara. Shukuru and Narok who are always together greeted each other. Kainuk was feeding from the top of the rock to reach some tasty branches. The group then left to the bush for browsing together with Kilaguni’s group of five elephants. In the bush, the elephants were walking and searching for fresh, green leaves which had started growing and sprouting after the first rain. Orwa was spotted browsing slowly from a tree with fresh leaves. Mutara later came across a pool of water but didn’t play in it because it was cold. Later on, the group set off to the mudbath for milk. At the mudbath no one played inside because it was very cold, but nearby Suguta tried to sharpen her tusks on a tree. Orwa was posing with his trunk resting on Vuria's back. Two wild bulls joined them to drink water and after that they left. Then the orphans met five wild bulls who they interacted with – there was such a clear difference between the wild elephants and the funny little group of orphans. They interacted for some time until the orphans separate themselves from the wild herd and walked away on their own; it was Barsilinga who led the group back home in the evening. There were signs of rain today but it didn’t break through.

It was an interesting day with the orphans coming out of their stables in groups as a family in a jovial mood and very active. They met with Kilaguni’s group outside the lucerne area who welcomed them in a very happy and social manner. Kasigau was resting his trunk on Kithaka’s back before they set off to the bush. The orphans later started walking one by one to the water trough and after that set off to the bush for browsing. In the bush, Kanjoro was browsing next to Bongo, most of the time they are together similar to Barsilinga and Kithaka. The group later started walking slowly as they browsed towards the mudbath. Barsilinga, Lemoyian and Kithaka were in the first group to the mudbath. At the mudbath, Wendi's group came with Wiva and it was lovely to watch all the elephants together. The area was so full with elephant with wild herds among the ex-orphans. Yatta and Mulika with their babies Yetu and Mwende were also there. The wild elephants played vigorously in the mudbath with the ex-orphans. Wiva, our last born baby at Ithumba, looked happy and active scratching on a nearby tree and on her mother’s forelegs. She was guarded by strict security guards of Kina, Sunyei, Sidai, Lenana, Galana, Chyulu, Nasalot and other wild bulls. The orphans left back to the bush leaving behind a big congregation of wild and ex-orphan elephants. In the bush the orphans stayed active with Vuria trying to look for a friend to play with. Orwa started mounting on him. Later Shukuru led the group back home in the evening. There was no rain at all but we are still expecting some to fall soon.

Today was an interesting morning when the orphans finished their breakfast and joined Chaimu, an immediate ex-orphan who had been left in the stockade area by his group, Kilaguni’s herd. They interacted and communicated with her as they all ate lucerne. A section of them walked to the water trough to drink some water and later the whole group started their journey to the bush. Turkwel was struggling to stretch higher and higher searching for green and fresh leaves from a tree. Kithaka and Orwa started play fighting. A bit later Garzi joined them and started playing with Kithaka. Finally Bomani came in to separate them and started greeting them both, it was lovely to watch their communicating between one another. The whole group later set off for the mudbath. At the mudbath we had a big group of ex-orphans with Wendi and her baby amongst them, as well as Yatta with her baby Yetu and Mulika with her baby Mwende. We had also a big group of wild elephants with one huge wild bull who was acting quite aggressively around the mudbath. They all interacted and played vigorously in the mudhole. Vuria was the most fun elephant in the mudhole - he was playing as he rolled around in the mud with his trunk up and splashing water. Lualeni was very tired and resting her heavy trunk on a branch of tree. The orphans later started walking back to the bush for browsing. Wiva started running towards her mother who was walking away without her. She looked so active and healthy. Kithaka led the orphans elephants back home in the evening and back in the stockade we had a one wild bull and three female wild elephants with a baby; they drank water and left. We had no rain and no signs of it today.

It was a very cold and quiet morning after we had a heavy night of rain. We recorded 25mm of rain in the stockade area. The orphans walked down from the stockade to the lucerne field and they were not as active as usual, perhaps because of the cold. After eating lucerne, they all walked to the bush. Vuria started rolling in the mud, scooping and throwing soil on his body. He later started crawling in a tortoise style. He was very much more active and his friends Kainuk, Shukuru, Mutara, Kithaka, Bomani, Lemoyian and Garzi joined him; he started playing and mounting on Kithaka. Shukuru also was very active playing and throwing her trunk around in the air. The group later walked slowly towards the mudbath for milk. At the mudbath it was still cold and none of them wanted to play in the mudhole; a few of them just drank water and left. Our truck couldn’t enter the mudhole because of the mud but we connected the pipe from the truck at the main road, down to the mud bath water trough. Orwa started play fighting with Barsilinga while Suguta scratched on a tree. Back in the bush, the orphans met up with a group of ex-orphans and wild elephants; they interacted for only a short time before parting ways. The orphans started browsing as they headed home. Back in the stockade we had Tomboi, Kilaguni, Kasigau, Kilabasi, Makireti and Chaimu. All the rest are fine and ok and there are some more signs of rain today.