In Nairobi, the month began with rain. The orphan herd was quietly browsing when the showers began. The ‘blanket babies’ — Mzinga, Nyambeni, Shujaa and Muridjo — sprinted home in a little pack, tails aloft in indignation. The bigger boys and girls remained in the forest, contentedly feeding and occasionally trunk hugging each other.
The new month began with promising signs of the onset of the rainy season in the early morning. This year, the rains are desperately needed following the prolonged drought.
The orphan herd had settled out in the forest and were quietly browsing on bushes in small groups when the showers began. As soon as the rain started falling, the blanket babies – Mzinga, Nyambeni, Shujaa and Muridjo – sprinted, tails aloft in a little pack, for home and the shelter of their stables. The Keepers smiled at their reaction to the downpour. The bigger boys and girls stayed out in the forest, contentedly feeding while occasionally trunk touching and hugging each other.
Later at milk feeding time at the mud bath, the refreshing showers returned. It was too cold for wallowing but not for enjoying the mud! Suguroi, Naleku, Sagateisa, Bondeni, Esoit, Roho, Oldepe, Olorien, Kinyei, Kerrio, Choka and Neshashi rolled around on the ground, having a fabulous rub, dub and a scrub in the muddy soil. Roho and Naleku locked trunks as they enjoyed a boisterous push around on the ground. Meanwhile, Bondeni and Esoit attempted to mount Kinyei and Olorien, much to their annoyance. The blanket babies pottered around on the fringes of this activity, watching their older friends.
Even dour old Maxwell got stuck in, rolling in his soil pile and having a great time in the mud, as the warthogs raced around him in excited circles. Everyone was celebrating the showers.
At dawn, there was persistent heavy rain. On this wet grey morning, Mageno, Kerrio, Choka, Mukutan, Muwingu and Weka had to be persuaded to leave their stockades — they were reluctant to get wet and to walk on the slippery ground. Older orphans Rafiki, Lodo, Kamili, Latika, and Kindani also stayed put in their dry stables, in no hurry to set out for the day. In contrast, Neshashi, Olorien, Ziwadi, Roho, Oldepe, Bondeni, Kinyei, Tingai, Naleku and Suguroi strode out cheerfully, enjoying the muddy conditions. A little rain was not going to deter them from their morning outing to the forest!
Rescued on consecutive days, Weka and Muwingu have become firm friends. Today they browsed in the forest in close proximity, occasionally trunk touching each other. The two gentle girls also feel at ease in the company of Ziwadi, Mageno, Tingai, Rafiki and Lodo – five orphans who share their welcoming kind nature.
During the visit to the mud bath, no one put so much as a toe in the water. Instead, they wandered quietly in small groups, eating their greens and dusting themselves. From time to time, friends trunk hugged friends as others just leaned against each other. Naughty Mukutan, after rubbing his belly vigorously on a muddy incline, greeted some of the guests but could not then resist leaning against the cordon. Ziwadi wandered along the rope, saying hello and extending her trunk in her friendly way.
Wandering in the forest on a wet, wet morning, Bondeni and Esoit had a great time playing with some impalas whom they found sheltering from the rain under the trees. Trumpeting and flapping their ears, the two orphans chased and charged after the impalas, with naughty Bondeni in the lead and Esoit in hot pursuit. Bondeni slipped in the mud and landed on his chest. Up he got and trundled on, trumpeting in excitement. The impalas darted off in another direction and down he fell again. This time Esoit stood protectively next to him as he lumbered up onto his legs and headed off after the nimble antelopes. Their quest may have been hopeless, but they didn’t give up!
Today, Tingai and Lodo were hanging out together and keeping their distance from the others. The two young boys are developing the confidence to do what they want rather than always stay with the herd. They are emerging from the shadows of dominant big boys like Roho and Oldepe.
Later during milk feeding time, many orphans arrived at the mud bath soaking wet, having found a large puddle to wallow in somewhere in the bush. They settled in for another snack after downing their bottles. Suguroi squatted on her haunches to scratch her body against a low wall as Esoit rubbed his tummy so vigorously on the water bucket that he knocked it over.
Soon after the orphans settled out in the forest this morning, a troop of baboons arrived. Naleku, Muwingu, Sileita, Olorien, Taabu, Choka, Mukutan and Kerrio wasted no time in trumpeting and running at them with great gusto. This was fun! Naleku led the charge with enthusiasm followed by the posse of younger orphans. They charged around between the trees as the baboons jumped from one tree to another above them. Choka was being very brave until a large male baboon climbed down a tree, chattering loudly in protest at his presence. The little boy ran for cover, trumpeting in alarm, but was rescued from his scary predicament by Naleku, Taabu, Olorien and Sileita!
Sagateisa is going through a phase of being more assertive than caring. Today in the forest, she was not being kind to newcomers Ahmed, Elerai, Iletelal, Weka and Muwingu. The grumpy young lady also gave Tingai, Kamili and Sileita a shove. Most of the orphans picked up on her mood and sensibly kept their distance.
Following the downpours over the last few days, the mud bath is full of water and the surrounding area is very muddy. This afternoon, it was not warm enough for wallowing but rolling in the mud was certainly on the menu. The bigger orphans rolled and wriggled around like a litter of large puppies. Kerrio, Mawingu, Suguroi and Naleku covered themselves in so much mud that the Keepers could hardly tell them apart. The blanket brigade behaved demurely in comparison with their rowdy friends, standing quietly next to each other.
On a cool cloudy day with occasional sunshine, the orphans enjoyed a happy morning in the forest. Bondeni, Esoit and Taabu were sparring with each other as the others browsed on the new green grass. Naleku and Suguroi watched over the blanket brigade, nudging them gently in one direction or another. Little Nyambeni continues to enjoy lots of attention and love from the older females. Suguroi was the first to form a strong attachment soon after the tiny orphan arrived at the Nursery. At that time, Naleku’s favourite baby was Kerrio.
But relationships develop as time passes. Recently, Suguroi, Naleku, Olorien and Kerrio are taking care of Nyambeni. Little Kerrio is changing! Naleku has been teaching her young charge how to be a matriarch and take care of others. Kerrio’s place in Naleku’s affections may been taken by Nyambeni but she is adjusting, looking after the younger orphan when Suguroi, Naleku and Olorien are elsewhere. She has been giving her trunk hugs, even when the older females are present, and lying on the ground inviting little Nyambeni to play on her. Her behaviour indicates that Kerrio has the potential to become a great matriarch.
Amid welcome heavy showers of rain, the orphans set off happily to the forest, with the blanket babies pottering along behind Naleku and Suguroi. They are getting used to the rains, after such a long dry spell, and none of them lingered in their stables this morning.
All except one little boy who was lying down in his stockade. Tingai is a shy young chap and he was happy hanging out in his room this morning. Although he has become more confident in recent months, he tends to hold back when among his peers. Unless it is milk feeding time! Then he charges ahead with his friends to the mud bath, even blocking smaller orphans like Choka, Latika, Weka, Muwingu and Sileita from reaching their bottles. When Tingai is startled, perhaps by unexpected trumpeting from another elephant or unfamiliar behaviour by human beings, his instinct is to disappear. He will run off into the bush, take cover and remain there until night-time unless found by a Keeper. He also has a quirky habit of rolling up his trunk if the path ahead of him is blocked.
There was lots of gentle trunk hugging at the mud bath this afternoon, although new boy Iletelal was reluctant to join the herd and remained in the nearby bushes. Olorien, Kindani and Kinyei hung out happily with each other after following the wheelbarrow of empty bottles in the hope of being given more milk. They are a sensible trio who rarely indulge in silly antics. When it was time to go, the Keepers whistled and snapped their fingers and the herd wandered off for a final browse before bedtime.
At milk feeding time this morning, Roho and Bondeni entertained the visitors with their antics. It was not warm enough for a wallow but perfect weather for some boisterous play. The two boys were playing the pushing game with lots of energy and the occasional rumble. The strong young bulls love to challenge each other. Meanwhile, Shujaa was drinking from the water bucket with single-minded concentration and Choka was dusting himself with equal enthusiasm.
Although Tingai is a boy and Sileita a girl, they were both rescued from Laikipia and have lots in common. They like to browse together in the bush and are shy of the Keepers, tending to run away trumpeting when surprised. Out in the forest, they often move slowly like two large chameleons as if suspicious that someone might be following them. When they are surprised, both roll up their trunks and put them in their mouths, almost like babies sucking their thumbs! They are quite nervy and sometimes push a Keeper away when being told what to do in the mud bath. Surrounded by their friends, they relax, becoming quite playful. The Keepers have learned to respect these two orphans and to allow them the space they need to feel comfortable.
Hunger was the name of the game today at the mud bath. Maybe all the rain is making the orphans hungry. At the morning milk feeding time, Tingai sprinted out of the forest, trumpeting her demands to be fed quickly. Mageno was pushing for a second bottle as Nyambeni did her best to pinch a second from the wheelbarrow. Several older orphans have learned to hold their own bottles.
Kamili is a reserved little girl who enjoys her own company. Her character is similar to those of Sileita, Tingai, Lodo, Latika and Choka – these quieter orphans feel comfortable hanging out and feeding together. At the mud bath, Kamili often likes to be near Latika. The two girls are happy for the Keepers to come close but not too close. If the Keepers do invade their space, the young girls will give them a little warning push, communicating clearly that they wish to be left alone. They are more relaxed and sociable in the forest where Kamili can often be found browsing with Latika, Lodo, Shujaa and Sagateisa.
Rafiki also enjoys his own company, interacting with the herd but not spending much time playing with his peers. He is an interesting individual – reserved, calm and content – who remains wary of the oldest orphans.
Today was a warm sunny day after days of rain – creating the perfect conditions for an elephant mud bath! Several smaller elephants enjoyed a paddle and a splash this morning as Elerai, Mzinga and Nyambeni wandered along the rope greeting the guests. Choka was the first to roll around in the thick mud – he was soon joined by Mageno and Kerrio. Ziwadi successfully covered herself in water, but from the bucket rather than the mud. Many of the older boys and girls plunged into the mud, rubbing their bodies against each other and clambering out of the water in an ungainly fashion.
Mzinga is the second youngest baby in the Nursery, after Nyambeni. The two friends are cheeky little girls. Suguroi is fond of Mzinga and often follows after her. Mzinga is full of character — she is affectionate and clever, responding to her name and knowing when she is misbehaving. When she is not surrounded by the older elephants, the little girl likes to be near the Keepers as she munches on soft leaves and fresh green grass. She has a dextrous little trunk which she rolls in all sorts of directions, especially while drinking her bottle of milk. When she doesn’t want to do as she is told, she often flaps her ears expressively. At lunch time when orphans and Keepers alike are relaxing, she sweetly trunk hugs the Keepers. She sometimes lies down next to a Keeper and lays her trunk on his leg.
During milk feeding time today, many of the orphans had a fabulous time in the mud bath — again! Bondeni was the first to paddle in and start splashing himself with gusto. Two minutes later he was lying on the edge and rolling around. He was soon joined by Roho, Esoit, Mukutan, Kindani and Kinyei. It was a sea of flailing trunks and kicking legs and elephant push ups.
Amid all the chaos, Tingai stood quietly on the side lines. He likes to have his own space, especially when he is browsing on leaves. He pushed away the blanket babies when they toddled over to him. Later on, when Choka, Kamili, Sileita, and Kerrio wandered towards him, he rolled his trunk and moved away. Sometimes out in the forest, Tingai chooses to wander away from the herd and then sprints into a thicket to hide. Although he is not the most obedient of elephants, this young bull is gentle and never pushes the Keepers. That honour is reserved for blanket babies who feed too close to him!
It was another chilly morning. Enjoying the change in the weather, Maxwell woke up in a jovial mood and quickly munched his early breakfast of pellets. His warthog friends popped in to share his breakfast as they love eating with him. This morning, however, they were not in luck. Full of energy, Maxwell was charging around, did not welcome their company and chased them away. They initially refused to leave but eventually were left with no choice.
Today was a drier day but still cloudy — definitely not warm enough for swimming in the mud bath. Newbie Ahmed is growing in confidence and daring to flout the Keepers’ wishes. Today, she snuck away from the second group of orphans to join the first group, much to their amusement. Later in the day, Muwingu left the herd in the forest and snuck back to the stockades on her own. Rather than just returning to her own stable, the cheeky little girl nipped into at least three other stables to gobble down her friends’ greens, selecting the best branches. As soon as they spotted her, the Keepers rounded her up and whistled her back out to the bush.
After last night’s deluge of rain, the forest was wet and muddy this morning. The older boys like Roho, Oldepe, Esoit and Sagateisa, often with some older girls like Neshashi, Naleku and Olorien, are in the habit of hanging out in a gang and browsing ahead of their younger friends. Today, rather than following on behind the big boys and girls, Lodo and Rafiki stayed back with the little ones. For a reason known only to them, the two friends then returned to the mud bath. As a Keeper walked after them, he saw determined Rafiki head off back to his stockade. He ran after the naughty elephant and escorted him back to the forest.
Sweet Kerrio also has a feisty side, especially when a bottle of milk and a Keeper’s attention are involved! Today, during milk feeding time at the mud bath, she began gulping down her own bottle before stopping, darting over to Nyambeni and doing her best to wrest the little girl’s bottle away from her. In response, a Keeper walked a short distance away with Kerrio and gave her the bottle again. She drank it down somewhat sulkily but kept staring at Nyambeni. Soon afterwards as all were munching on greens and chilling at the mud bath, she gave Mzinga an indignant little shove.
The training truck is back! After a long absence driven by the drought, the truck is back and it’s time for training to begin in earnest. Six young elephants are preparing for their graduation from the Nursery and their journey to the Ithumba to begin the next stage of their lives at our Reintegration Units. So that they become accustomed to the truck, Neshashi, Oldepe and Roho – the first group – will have bottles of milk and pellets four times a day in the vehicle. They will be followed by Sagateisa, Suguroi and Naleku – the second group.
Neshashi and the boys have done this before. This morning, they walked in first calmly and confidently, enjoyed their milk and pellets, and then refused to move out to allow the second group in! In the past, they had been allowed to hang out in the truck and they wanted to do this again. Eventually, the Keepers coaxed them out to allow the newcomers a practice. This was less easy. Naleku and Sagateisa walked in obediently and drank their milk, but Suguroi was ill at ease with the new experience. Still, all in all, it was an encouraging first day of training!
Naleku is a clever young lady. One of the oldest orphans in the Nursery, she was wary of the truck and the training today. Today, she was reluctant to walk in, standing obstinately outside with Suguroi. Sagateisa, meanwhile, had no such qualms and eagerly gulped down her bottle in the vehicle.
In the afternoon, the Keepers tried sugar cane. Naleku took a couple of steps up the ramp and then stretched her trunk out as straight as she could in an attempt to reach the Keeper holding the cane. At long last, he enticed her in, but she was not relaxed. Suguroi was having none of this situation — she was not even tempted by the sugar cane and walked away from the truck.
Rafiki got lost today! After sighting a giraffe in the forest late in the day, he wasted no time in charging away as fast as he could. The Keepers spent an hour searching for the runaway, finally finding him standing quietly behind a large tree.
As the herd was heading out to the forest this morning, Neshashi dodged around a tree and walked back to the training truck with a determined stride. Oldepe and Rafiki innocently wandered along behind her. All three settled in for a snack of pellets. As a Keeper then approached, wily Neshashi sprinted off into the bush with Oldepe in pursuit as sweet Rafiki continued munching, unaware of his misdemeanour. When he realised that his friends had deserted him, he seemed bemused, but then decided that he had best follow their lead and trudged off.
It is the third day of the six big orphans feeding in the truck. Today, Suguroi had her first bottle at the bottom of the ramp and her second towards the top of the ramp. Progress indeed! After bottles came pellets. The Keepers added extra pellets to coax Suguroi inside and it worked. She cautiously tiptoed in and settled down to eat with Naleku who did her best to push her out of the way.
Later in the afternoon, there was lots of paddling and dusting at the mud bath. Esoit gave his body a vigorous rub on the mud mount with his gammy leg waggling around in the air. Lodo did very little except ask the Keepers for more milk. Meanwhile, sweet Ziwadi with her single tusk did the rounds of the guests as usual.
This morning, clever Ziwadi nipped away from the other orphans to follow the big girls and boys into the truck. A stubborn little girl, she refused to return to her friends but continued to push her way into the truck in search of milk as the six older elephants were eating their pellets. Realising that compromise was inevitable, a Keeper brought Ziwadi’s milk to the truck for her to guzzle down.
New boy Elerai has not yet become an integral part of the herd. Out in the forest, he likes to go off in a different direction from all the others. Iletilal used to be the one who was hard to keep track of but now it is Elerai. Today was a challenging day for the Keepers, as the young bull refused to join the other orphans and kept walking off on his own. Eventually, they brought him back to the safety of his stockade. The Keepers hope that he will bond with more of the orphans soon. At present, only Iletilal chooses to follow him.
Following last night’s lovely rain, swimming held little appeal for the orphans this morning. Rolling around and playing in the mud were the favourite activities. Shujaa lay contentedly in the sludge, rolling over from time to time, as Choka and Mageno played and wriggled in the mud together.
Out in the forest this morning, following steady rain for most of the night, young Muridjo was in rather a grump. She was being respectful of the older orphans but taking out her mood on the little ones. As Nyambeni was having a drink, Muridjo gave her an unwarranted shove and knocked her over. Maternal Naleku immediately got involved, giving Muridjo a stern telling off and comforting Nyambeni.
The mud bath gathering was a subdued affair. Once again, no one was tempted to swim and instead wandered quietly around munching on greens and having dust shovelled on their backs by the Keepers. Esoit enjoyed some interaction with the visitors behind the rope as Sagateisa and Roho sneaked around it to wander among the guests. They are too large for mingling and the Keepers quickly retrieved them!
Ahmed, Elerai and Iletilal are all newcomers to the Nursery but Ahmed is the youngest of the three. Today it was her turn to be assertive. As the little ones headed down to the mud bath, she charged ahead of everyone, determined to get there first. In the process, she knocked over Iletilal who was helped up by the Keepers.
Mzinga loves to be near the Keepers. Sometimes when the herd wanders off in the bush, she deliberately turns around and returns to stay with them, browsing contentedly. Today, Olorien and Kinyei did their best to persuade her to stay with them but without success. The determined little girl did what she wanted rather than obeying the older orphans. As she wandered back, several others followed in her wake.
Mageno is also an affectionate young elephant although, in contrast to Mzinga, he tends to prioritise feeding over attention. He has become close to the three smallest orphans - Nyambeni, Mzinga and Shujaa. Shujaa sometimes picks a fight with the older Mageno, who reacts like a kind elder brother, refusing to engage in a confrontation which he would win with ease.
This morning, the orphans enjoyed a wallow in some stagnant water out in the forest. Many of them waddled in and had fun lying and rolling in the muddy water. All emerged except for Ziwadi who lay in the mud and could not pull herself up. The Keepers had to get involved, going into the water and helping the little girl up onto her feet. Once standing, she relaxed and walked out to join the others. Ten minutes later, a dripping wet Iletilal sneaked off into the bushes but was soon whistled back.
It was a fresh sunny morning but not hot enough for swimming. At the mud bath at milk feeding time, Muwingu put a toe in but decided against a dip as the others wandered around eating their greens. Oldepe and Taabu were playing the pushing game. After lots of tussling, Taabu decided to run away from his friend – as Oldepe turned to follow, he accidentally pushed Lodo who fell against the rope, to the amusement of the visitors.
Later in the afternoon, there was an incident involving Weka and Muwingu. The two orphans are great friends, sleeping in adjacent stables and often trunk hugging each other through the gaps in the wall. In the past, Weka used to sneak back to the stockades. This would upset Muwingu, who would fall back and trumpet when she noticed her friend’s absence. Recently, Weka has stopped doing this. In the forest today, Muwingu suddenly started trumpeting loudly before turning and sprinting for the stockades. She ran straight into her own stable in a state of distress and then into Weka’s, looking for her friend. As she returned to the herd, still upset and restless, Weka ran towards her. The two girls greeted each other with lots of rumbling and trunk hugging and touching. Drama over!
Training is going well. All six elephants are getting used to the truck. It is becoming their territory, a place that they are happy to hang out in. Today, when Neshashi, Roho, Oldepe, Sagateisa, Naleku and Suguroi heard the Keepers talking on their radios, they knew it was time for bottles in the truck. All six set off for the stockades, leaving the herd behind. Usually, Neshashi sprints off in the lead but today Naleku overtook her as they raced towards the truck, trumpeting as they approached. Neshashi was the eventual winner, being the first to enter and not wanting to share her space with the others. But everyone had a turn in the truck and drank their bottles greedily. Even Suguroi walked in with minimal encouragement, although she is still not keen to stay for long and does not like being jostled by the others. All six ate lots of pellets in the truck.
Today, there were several sibling-rivalry squabbles at the mud bath, one of which was Taabu pushing Weka and Muwingu around. Taabu is a young bull who is growing in confidence and showing signs of dominance. At the same time, Naleku and Suguroi were involved in a different sort of disagreement — competing for the attention of the blanket brigade!
This morning’s milk feeding session at the mud bath was a happy affair, full of excited trumpeting and happy rumbling. The orphans contented munched their greens and enjoyed the sunshine. Ziwadi scratched her backside against the wall and was soon joined by Kerrio, Nyambeni and Mzinga. Esoit had a great time relaxing in the mud bath until Bondeni clambered in and started annoying her.
Iletilal and Elerai have become great friends since joining the orphan herd. A cautious pair, they were rescued when they were older than many of their peers. So, although they are relative newcomers, they are older than many of the herd. They like to browse together, at a distance from the older elephants. They are wary of the strength and size of big boys like Roho and Oldepe and instinctively avoid situations where they might be challenged or forced to play the pushing game. Instead, they gravitate towards the blanket babies. During milk feeding time at the mud bath, they make sure that they are part of the first younger group, thus avoiding the second group of older orphans. Out in the forest today, they were browsing happily at a slight distance as usual. One of the older boys, Rafiki, deliberately came across to join them and the three continued on together. Rafiki is rather a reserved chap. The Keepers would have been very surprised if one of the dominant bulls such as Roho had made the same move.
Training continues daily with the soon-to-be graduates more and more relaxed in the vehicle. This morning, Suguroi, Naleku and Sagateisa took their turn in the truck after old hands Oldepe, Roho and Neshashi had finished their bottles of milk.
Later in the day during the public visit when the other orphans had had their bottles, the big six arrived at the mud bath. And what a commotion Roho, Oldepe and Suguroi then caused! They demanded more milk and, when none was forthcoming, the three big orphans rebelled. As a Keeper pushed the wheelbarrow of empty bottles back to the stockades, they tried to jump over the rope to get to the wheelbarrow. Roho and Oldepe were cavorting and trumpeting and refusing to do as they were told. The Keepers found it very amusing.
Amid the goings on, Esoit rubbed his tummy energetically on the wall as Latika scratched herself with equal vigour on the bucket. Both seemed blissfully unaware of the drama.
This morning, the herd wandered out early to browse in the forest but without Neshashi. She had deliberately stayed in the stockades, hiding from the Keepers. Her motive was to pinch some food from the stable of a recently rescued baby. On being spotted by a Keeper, she pretended to do as she was told, running out to join the others. But this was actually a cunning trick. Once out of sight, she swung around and headed back to the stable with the delicious food. Clever girl! But not clever enough. The Keepers eventually surrounded her and she was herded out, complaining and trumpeting her displeasure.
During this pantomime, Ziwadi was still at the stockades, going through her morning ritual of drinking from the troughs. Her trunk is still not strong enough to squirt water into her mouth and so she kneels like a baby and drinks directly into her mouth.
It was a windy afternoon with occasional rays of sunshine breaking through the clouds. Lots of wet orphans arrived at the mud bath for their afternoon bottles of milk. Bottles emptied, they settled down to munch their greens. Kitich was pleading with the Keepers for extra milk, trailing after the wheelbarrow with a woebegone look.
Neshashi continues to enjoy hanging out with big boys Roho and Oldepe and also Naleku. Although Naleku is a little younger, they get on well and treat each other as equals. A mature mini matriarch, Naleku has earned Neshashi’s respect and has the strength to face off any challenges. This afternoon, during milk bottle feeding time, Neshashi gave little Nyambeni an unwarranted push. As the little girl trumpeted, Naleku immediately moved to protect her and chased the older female away. She is showing promising signs of becoming a responsible matriarch.
While this confrontation was happening, Kamili was rubbing her bottom energetically on the water tub, Kitich was sitting on his backside, and Mzinga was asking for more attention from a Keeper. As the hour drew to a close on a cool and windy afternoon, the herd stood quietly together with the older orphans on the outside and the younger ones in the centre. They stood close together, almost leaning against each other. Many were trunk touching or lying their trunks along their friends’ backs. A peaceful and uplifting sight.
This morning was another enjoyable one. Everyone was cheerful, enjoying the new green world created by the rain. The orphans set off briskly, heading in the same direction, to browse on lots of luscious new leaves. All of them except for Bondeni and Esoit. These big boys had their own plan and that was not to follow the others. Instead, they strode off in the opposite direction. When the Keepers whistled at them to return, they ignored the instruction and kept going. When Naleku trumpeted and whistled at the two naughty boys, however, they obeyed her, turning around and walking back to join the herd. They had received her message, loud and clear!
Soon the two boys began their usual playful sparring game. Roho wandered over in the hope of joining in but Bondeni and Esoit did not want to include him. They moved off and left him standing on his own. In retaliation, he ran after them and knocked down Esoit who trumpeted in dismay and anger. In response, Bondeni and Naleku charged off in different directions, leaving Esoit disgruntled in a heap.
Later on at bottle feeding time, the orphans made the most of the muddy conditions on a warm afternoon. Latika was happily rolling around in the mud until Choka insisted on trying to mount her. She saw off his advances and strode away from him. Mageno just lay in the mud, rolling around and relaxing.
In the forest this morning, as bottle feeding time approached, almost the whole herd stopped browsing and gathered in groups near the Keepers. They do this every day without being whistled for by the Keepers. They know it is milk time.
Soon, there was lots of jostling and shoving as many orphans wanted to be first in line to walk down to the mud bath. Muridjo and Nyambeni were squabbling over who should go first. Immediately, Mageno stepped in to stop the confrontation, standing between the two babies to separate them. Then Kerrio took over, gently pushing Mageno away and taking control of the situation. She may only be a few months older, but she felt that it was her responsibility. She separated Muridjo and Nyambeni, making one stand on each side of her. To conclude this fascinating sequence of events, mini matriarch Suguroi then arrived, taking over from Kerrio and maintaining the peace.
Later in the day as the orphans returned to the mud bath, they came across an obstacle. A troop of baboons was sitting on the path, refusing to move away and allow the elephants to pass. Kindani, Taabu, Bondeni, Elerai and Iletelal were all scared of the baboons, trumpeting and backing up and flailing their trunks around. Until one boy came to the rescue. Bringing up the rear and grasping the situation, Esoit charged at the baboons, flapping his ears and trumpeting aggressively. They scampered away and the herd walked on. Esoit is growing into a strong young bull.
Naleku seemed ill at ease today, almost as if she is aware that she is leaving the Nursery — and the blanket babies — soon. When she arrived in the forest, she moved restlessly from one place to the next, rather than settling down to browse. Blanket babies Nyambeni, Mzinga and Shujaa were still in their stables. As soon as they joined the older orphans in the bush, Naleku’s behaviour changed – she relaxed and welcomed the three babies with lots of rumbling and trunk touching.
When Olorien walked over to say good morning to the little ones, Naleku allowed her to greet them but then shepherded the three orphans away. She did the same thing with other older females. She kept moving with her three charges, breaking off branches from tall trees for them to eat.
Later in the morning during the training session at the truck, the five other elephants contentedly drank their bottles, but Naleku did not. She did not want to leave the little ones and kept dodging away from the Keepers to avoid entering the truck.
It was a cool cloudy afternoon at the mud bath, not warm enough for wallowing but a perfect day for playing and dusting. Esoit and Roho had a great time sparring and challenging each other. Kinyei joined in their game for a short time before having a roll in the mud. The Keepers helped the elephants to dust themselves by shovelling the earth all over them. They responded by rumbling happily, standing close to each other with lots of trunk touching.
Today was a big day. It was graduation day for Neshashi, Roho and Oldepe! The Keepers were up and about at 2am, preparing to usher the orphans into the truck and bid them farewell as they set off to the Ithumba Reintegration Unit. Kinyei and Kindani were the first to wake up, aware of the unusual movements and noises. Soon all the elephants were awake, aware that something was happening. Many were shuffling around their stables, rumbling at each other, pushing their trunks into the next stable to greet each other. Naleku, Esoit, Taabu, Kerrio, Mukutan and Shujaa were especially concerned and on edge.
Half an hour later, it was time to leave. Neshashi and Oldepe responded well. Neshashi just followed her Keeper obediently into the truck and settled down with a bottle of milk. Oldepe hesitated on the ramp, flapping his ears. He did not want to go into the partitioned area that he had been in during training. Instead, he chose the middle area, Roho’s space. After much persuasion, Roho walked slowly up the ramp. He was unhappy that his space was occupied by Oldepe. At last, all three were secured and fed and the truck drove out for Ithumba. The Keepers were sad to say goodbye but proud that their charges had graduated and embarked upon their paths to wild lives.
Out in the forest and at the mud bath, the orphan herd was calm but somewhat subdued. Although they were not obviously distressed, they stood close together and browsed quietly. There was no playing today. Esoit, Suguroi, Naleku, Sagateisa, Kinyei, Kindani and Taabu were particularly quiet, seeming to understand what had happened.
It was a new day, cloudy with some rays of sunshine. Following yesterday’s graduation, the orphans were back to their cheerful selves this morning. Most headed out to the bush as soon as they emerged from their stables. Esoit, Bondeni and Taabu stayed back, busy playing pushing games and hide and seek in the stockades. As the three boys chased around after each other in the stockades, Maxwell came trundling up to his gate in the hope of hanging out. But the orphans were too busy, and Maxwell had to content himself with an early morning run in his enclosure. He was missing the company of his usual buddies, the warthogs.
Several orphans were in a feisty mood at the mud bath today. A reserved young bull, Tingai is growing in confidence and strength. Today, he was pushing around Iletilal and Elerai, asserting himself as the dominant male even if the new boys are of a similar age. During the milk feed, the Keepers had to separate Mukutan and Kerrio when they started to fight each other. Meanwhile, friendly Ziwadi wandered along the line, allowing the guests to greet her. She was in no hurry to head back out to the bush. Esoit and Bondeni were also greeting the visitors today.
November began with heavy showers and has ended with even heavier rain. The trees are no longer grey green and drooping but are standing up straight and covered in bright green leaves. The ground is no longer yellow and dusty but carpeted with fresh green grass.
This morning’s events underlined the strong bond between three orphans who arrived in the Nursery at around the same time – Weka, Muwingu and Kitich. Of the three age mates, Weka is the most confident. They love hanging out together – whenever the herd is together these three will be standing close to each other. Kitich has a habit of wandering off on his own or even or being left behind by the herd. Today, off he went again. Noticing his absence before the Keepers, Muwingu and Weka become restless, wandering all over the place looking for their friend. They soon found him – he’d been left behind a few moments earlier as he was so busy browsing.
Later at milk feeding time, Ahmed charged down the slope to the mud bath, trumpeting her demands to be fed. Just like Neshashi used to do. She has certainly settled into her new home. After downing their bottles, Rafiki and Lodo sparred with their friend Tingai. Meanwhile, Kerrio had a little paddle in the sticky muddy bath and then lay down against the edge. A good rub and a roll were followed by a relaxing wallow. This little elephant loves the water!