Murit and Lasayen have always been unusually sedate bulls, but that seems to be changing. This month, they were particularly playful — which is interesting timing, considering the dry conditions and the need to focus on browsing! Interestingly, they seem to prefer to play with each other and often eschew the invitations of Ndotto, Ngilai, and Emoli. Perhaps they know the boys have a lot more practice and could easily outmanoeuvre them.

If that’s the case, their intuition is spot-on: Ngilai, Ndotto, and Emoli are our kings of play. One afternoon, Ndotto and Ngilai wrestled in the middle of the mud bath, fighting for the best spot in the water. Ndotto ended up winning and Ngilai left the mud bath in a bit of a sulk. Later that day, Ngilai invited Ndotto to a rematch, clearly eager to vindicate himself after that morning’s defeat.

As usual, Tamiyoi is the ambassador between the Voi orphans and wild herds. She loves meeting wild elephants and never hesitates to introduce herself to visitors. Tamiyoi is particularly enchanted with babies and can often be seen scanning passing herds for tiny calves.

After spending several months back 'home,' Tahri decided to go wild again. We feel confident that she will thrive — after all, she successfully lived wild for over a year — and she knows where to go if she needs support. Tahri's best friend, Embu, doesn't seem too upset by her absence and has been spending time with the other older girls.

We suffered a very sad morning on the 5th. After an absence of more than a week, ex-orphan Mweya and her group reappeared at the Voi stockades. Notably absent was her newborn baby, Mojo. The Keepers were devastated, for Mweya would never be without a calf so young unless the very worst had happened. Although we will never know for certain what unfolded, we can only assume that Mojo fell victim to the drought. This is an extraordinarily difficult period to be an elephant, particularly one so young. Infant calves are fragile at the best of times, but a drought leaves them extremely vulnerable.

Unfortunately, this month was full of tragedies. The drought is at its peak, and it is hitting the southern sector of Tsavo particularly hard. The Keepers were constantly called to assist in field emergencies, be it rescuing orphans or trying to resuscitate adult elephants who had succumbed to starvation. Sadly and despite their very best efforts, many were too far gone to be saved.  

In times like these, we must find comfort in every success. For all the heartbreak we faced, there were also many happy endings to celebrate. Many of the new rescues we are raising at Voi are thriving. Some of our most recent arrivals, Hildana, Kenderi, Akina, Dabida, and Kilulu, have formed a little club. They are always together, be it hanging around the stockades or out in the bush browsing.

With all the new rescues, Pika Pika has been dethroned as the baby of the Voi herd. However, she can rest easy, knowing she has the love and protection of her ‘big sister,’ Arruba.

At ten years old, Rorogoi and Suswa are the eldest girls in the Voi herd. It seems that occasionally, they are nostalgic for their baby days! During one afternoon feed, Suswa adamantly requested a bottle, despite the fact that she has been off milk for years. The Keepers couldn’t help but laugh at her persistence. 

On the 18th, we awoke to the most wonderful surprise: Rain had fallen in the night! Hopefully, this is just the beginning — to truly emerge from the drought, Voi needs many good storms. We were overjoyed to hear birds making a noisy racket in the stockade compound in subsequent mornings, which is a sign that more rain is on the way. 

Our little Kaluku graduates, Lemeki and Thamana, are nearly a year into Voi life. They are both doing so well. Although Mudanda has adopted Thamana as ‘her’ baby, Lemeki still has the younger boy’s heart. Thamana often finds himself at the centre of a sandwich, with Lemeki on one side and Mudanda on the other.

Because it’s rained a bit, the resident lions have moved further afield. Now that it is safer, orphaned buffalos Ivia and Cheza can join the elephant herd out in the bush. Ngilai was very happy to have his old sparring partner, Ivia, back in action.

The month ended with a surprising showdown. Ndotto has been trying to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that he is the most dominant bull in the Voi herd. Then, Lasayen decided to put him in his place. He proved to be a formidable opponent and sent Ndotto running away. We were quite surprised by quiet Lasayen’s prowess!