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Laragai’s group were in the stockade compound early this morning having opened their gate. Last night, Laragai had attempted to open the gate but she didn't manage. She did succeed this morning though and all her group were outside. She was with Kithaka, Barsilinga, Lemoyian and Garzi. She has done this several times now and it is as if she is saying she wants this group to stay out now! The other orphans came out to feast on the lucerne cubes and independent orphans Orwa, Bomani and Narok came to join them. In the bush, all the orphans were busy browsing. Barsilinga and Ukame browsed together on the rocks. Whilst the others were busy finding food, Roi was tossing chunks of soil chunks on her back and in the air. Later the group, led by Wanjala, walked to the mud bath. First the orphans went for a drink and then a swim in the water. It was funny to watch them all swim in a line today like soldiers! Then they all came out and Kamok started dust bathing. The group later walked back to the bush to browse. They only managed for a short time until they had to go and seek refuge under some shade from the intense heat. They came out later when it was a little cooler and browsed on their way back to the stockades.

Early in the morning around 5am, the Keepers found that Laragai had opened her gate again and let out all of her group including Kithaka, Lemoyian, Garzi, and Barsilinga. They were outside waiting for the other orphans to come out after their milk and join them. They met with Orwa, Bomani, Kilaguni and Chaimu as well who were also outside. Kilaguni started playing and climbing on Orwa. They were all given some lucerne cubes and later the dependent orphans walked out to browse. Olsekki was playing with his trunk as he walked. Laragai was playing with chunks of soil and threw some in the air. Olsekki went on to play fight with Enkikwe while Kamok scratched on the rocks. Galla browsed together with Dupotto as the group started walking to the mud bath for their milk. It was slightly over cast today so the orphans had their milk and drank some water and then went back into the bush without swimming today. It started to rain in the afternoon and Kamok was spotted happily playing in the mud with Sokotei. The rest of the orphans were busy browsing except for Tusuja and Lemoyian who were busy playing and rolling in a small mud bath they found. The herd later walked back to the stockade for their bottles and to go to sleep. We recorded only 3mm of rain today.

The orphans walked down for some lucerne this morning before heading out into the Park. Some walked to the water trough to drink water and later they followed the rest of the herd and the keepers into the bush. Whilst the orphans browsed up and down the hill it started raining again. Orwa, Narok and Bomani joined the group in the bush whilst they searched for food. Kithaka then led the group to the mud bath despite that fact that he doesn't get a milk bottle these days. After those that have milk finished their bottles, the orphans walked back to the bush because it was still over cast and they did not feel like wallowing. Lemoyian browsed in the trees while Laragai scratched her tummy. It started to rain again in the afternoon and the orphans became very active, rolling in the wet soil. Sirimon was busy rolling in the mud with his friends, Lemoyian, Sokotei, Kithaka, Tusuja, Olsekki and later Boromoko. Orwa, Narok and Bomani were still with the group. Karisa was running about and was very impatient but we were not sure why. The herd later walked back home in the evening for their milk. We recorded 25mm of rain today. This is the highest amount of rain recorded since the rainy season began.

It was a very cool morning after we had 30mm of heavy rain last night. The orphans were quietly walking to the lucerne field after their milk as it was very slippery. Barsilinga and Olsekki were sniffing the lucerne cubes when the keepers were walking down to give it to them. They joined up with Kilaguni, Narok and Bomani and they all shared the lucerne together before heading out to the bush. It was very wet everywhere and all the keepers were getting rained on alongside the elephants. Galla was seen playing in a natural mud pool with Tusuja, rolling around in the mud. Karisa was running here and there again trying to run off into the bush and the keepers were kept on their toes trying to keep him with the herd. Other orphans were busy playing and rolling in the wet soil. Sirimon was play fighting with Galla and later the herd walked to the mud bath for their milk. At mud bath it was very wet and slippery everywhere. The orphans has their milk and walked straight back to the bush. Narok, Orwa and Bomani were still with the dependent herd. Orwa browsed with Galla while Barsilinga rolled around in some mud close by; later he kneeled down on the ground to reach some fresh grass with his teeth. Later the herd walked back home in the evening. We recorded a total of 35mm of rain today and we did not see any other Ex Orphans around.

The orphans walked down to the field and met their friends already waiting for them, including Orwa, Narok, Kilaguni, Bomani and Chaimu. They interacted over lucerne cubes and later the dependent orphans started walking out to the bush to browse. Whilst everyone was busy browsing, Tusuja was rolling on the ground. Sokotei browsed high to reach the fresh green leaves in the tree. Kamok and Ukame later led the group to the mud bath for milk. They didn't stay long as it was cold and no one was interested in swimming. They had some water and walked back to the bush. All the orphans looked happy and active but still rather restless as they searched for enough food. They all stayed together with the Ex Orphans in Narok’s herd and later they all walked back to the stockade compound in the evening.

In the early morning Laragai was knocking on her stockade gate and eventually she managed to let her group out. By 5 am we found them out with Kilaguni, Chaimu, Narok, Orwa and Bomani, who don’t stay inside as they no longer receive milk. The other orphans later came out after their milk and joined them to feed on lucerne cubes. When the orphans walked put to browse, Galla was browsing high in the trees while the other elephants were all browsing separately. Some of the orphans later walked towards a small pool of water and started drinking from it. Sokotei was busy browsing separately from all the others. The group later walked towards the mud bath for their milk. At mud bath it was very hot and the orphans drank water and walked into the mud pool for a swim. It was Ukame who led them out about an hour later to continue browsing. All of them appeared happy and busy in the bush with Olsekki browsing high. He later decided to bend the tree he was browsing from and step on it to bring it closer to the ground and thus easier to feed from! We watched as the other orphans came to join him browse on the same tree. Lemoyian and Wanjala were browsing together in the bush with Barsilinga and other Ex Orphans from Narok’s herd who were still with the group. They later came across a pool of water and started playing in it, rolling and splashing around. Later the dependent herd walked back home in the evening for their milk, and Narok’s group of Ex Orphans accompanied them, where they stayed hanging around the compound. We had no rain today and no other Ex Orphans

The orphans woke up to heavy rainfall this morning which made the orphans reluctant to leave their stockades even after their milk. They met with Kilaguni, Chaimu, Bomani, Orwa and Narok and they all left for the bush to browse. In the bush, the keepers tried to make them more active and fully interacted with them in the bush. Olsekki was playing and splashed mud on his body while was Galla busy rolling on the ground. Keepers could interact with eles and makes them more active. Enkikwe was rolling on Naseku while playing. The orphans were much happy with the interaction and they become more active. Shukuru later led the group to the mudbath. In the mudbath, they drunk water and left back to the bush. They came across a small water hole along the road and started playing in. The group later walked back home in the evening for their milk. We recorded 28mm of rain today and we expect more.

The orphans came out of their stockades this morning and joined the Ex Orphans to walk out into the bush. Sirimon was enjoying browsing on top of the rocks. Others were browsing very high in the trees for green leaves. Barsilinga, Orwa and Kilaguni were browsing together and Shukuru was very busy and active. At mud bath it was hot and they all walked to the mud wallow and started wallowing. They all looked active and came out of mud bath straight to the bush to browse again. They all looked busy and active as some played and some browsed. Later they all walked back to the bush to browse with the Ex Orphans Kilaguni, Chaimu and Orwa. There was no rain today.

Enkikwe enjoyed a bottom-scratch whilst eating the lucerne before heading out to the bush this morning with his friends. Later, Bomani, Orwa and Narok came in running for some lucerne cubes too. They were late and found the orphans had already finished most of them. In the bush, Barsilinga was scratching his neck and behind his ears. Other orphans were busy browsing and sharing food in one place. Roi and Ukame were also browsing together in one area with their trunks touching each other. Others came across a small pool of water and drank from it. Kamok later led the group towards mud bath. On their way, they came across another pool of water again and started playing in it before they reached the main mud wallow. When the orphans arrived for their milk, Enkikwe ran away with his bottle, holding it by himself. The orphans then had some water and chose to wallow in the main mud pool today. They swam in a straight line which was quite a funny sight, and then all came out in a straight line to walk to the bush for browsing again! They were all busy browsing in one group, but Shukuru was searching for Narok's group so she could join them, as they had been with them for part of that morning. She was restless, looking for Narok and leaving the rest of the dependent herd behind. She later came back after being unsuccessful in finding the Ex Orphan herd, and joined the orphans and the keepers on their way back to the stockades. Galana’s herd visited us in the stockade today and drank water her baby Gawa; later they walked off back into the Park. Very late in the evening, Sunyei's herd with baby Siku came and they too drank water before going back into the bush. We were lucky to see these groups of Ex Orphans today as usually when it rains they do not come back to the stockades as much for water.

This morning we were visited by Galana’s group and her baby Gawa, Nasalot with her baby Nusu and other Ex Orphans. They drank water and left. The dependent orphans came out of their stockades after their milk and interacted with Narok, Orwa and Bomani. A few minutes later, they all walked out to the bush to browse. Shukuru was the most busy browsing as they interacted with the Ex Orphans from Mutara’s group, who had just joined them. Turkwel, Kasigau and Sities were browsing together in the bush. Kasigau started playing and climbing on Suguta but Suguta started her own game of rolling on the ground. Gala was browsing alone to the side. Some of the orphans visited a small pool and drank water from there, and later the herd walked towards the mud bath for their milk. They all chose to wallow in the main pool today and then again, formed a line to come straight out and head back out to browse. Everyone was busy browsing and interacting with Ex Orphans. Suguta and Mutara were very happy to stay with the orphans the whole day. Wanjala was kissing Tusuja and later Kamok and Boromoko led the group back home in the evening for their milk. We had no rain today and saw no other Ex Orphans.